Summary 2023 — New Mexico

State Contact

Innovative Programming

NMAITC did CORE (Community Outreach Resource Education) volunteer trainings across the state designed to help more people and ag organizations get resources needed to do ag advocacy in their community. Many organizations teamed up to host volunteer trainings. We were able to train and provide resources including stipends to over 343 volunteers at 13 trainings across the state. The trainings included partnerships with county Farm Bureaus, Cooperative Extension, teachers' conferences and professional developments, Farm Bureau Financial Services agents, and the NM Women in Ag Leadership Conference. Participants received supplies to do educational presentations and lessons for natural resource health and advocating for why agriculture is important.

Major Program Impacts or Outcomes

NMAITC was excited to see our volunteer training participants increase by 104% in 2023 when many non-profits were still experiencing a decline in volunteer numbers. Online evaluations of staff classroom presentations were overwhelmingly positive about the experience and student learning. 100% of respondents stating they felt the visit improved group knowledge of agriculture as well as stated that presentation information was grade/age appropriate.

Program Leader Biosketch

Traci Curry graduated with a degree in education from Eastern New Mexico University. She spent eleven years in the classroom as a K-8 certified elementary teacher before coming to New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau and the New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom (NMAITC) program. She has been the NMAITC program leader since 2011.