The New Mexico Grown Coalition recently announced the winners of the 2023 Golden Chile Awards which celebrates and commends statewide efforts aimed at promoting good nutrition and supporting New Mexico’s farming economy. This year marks a significant milestone as the program has recognized the largest number of recipients since its inception three years ago.
Among the winners this year, Bidii Baby Foods and the San Juan Food Hub were selected for the Golden Chile Award. To earn a Golden Chile, applicants were required to establish edible gardens, serve locally grown food, provide gardening lessons and nutrition education, offer culturally appropriate nutrition and gardening instruction, and engage staff, families, and communities in New Mexico Grown programming.
Both Bidii Baby Foods and the San Juan Food Hub have been collaborators with UNM Rainforest Innovations’ New Mexico Tribal Entrepreneurship Enhancement Program. The program builds off of the NM Rainforest EDA University Center Program to expand entrepreneurial training in rural New Mexico, focusing in on Tribal and coal impacted communities throughout the state. Bidii Baby Foods also serves as a Health Extension Regional Office (HERO) Agent for the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center programs linking UNM HSC resources to rural and underserved communities across the mission areas of education, clinical service, research and health policy with the vision of working with community partners to improve health and health equity throughout the state.
See the New Mexico Department of Health’s September 5 article, “Statewide winners announced for New Mexico Grown Program,” on the NMDOH website here: https://www.nmhealth.org/news/celebrate/2023/9/?view=2016
See also Fallon Fischer’s September 5 article, “New Mexico Dept. of Health announces winners of 2023 Golden Chile Awards,” on the KRQE News website here: https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/new-mexico-dept-of-health-announces-winners-of-2023-golden-chile-awards/