On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, Ximena Zamacona, founder and grower of Full Circle Mushrooms will speak to Rotary on her experience starting and operating her mushroom farm.

Full Circle Mushrooms is a specialty mushroom farm implementing regenerative practices in Las Cruces, NM. Ximena believes in an integrative knowledge approach: combining traditional knowledge and the technological advancements to create something greater than the sum of its parts, to help roll back climate change. “We know that agriculture can be part of the solution or part of the problem. We choose to be part of the solution and mushrooms are our vehicle”

Born and raised in central Mexico, Ximena developed a genuine interest in learning and understanding nature.  A chemist who also minored in agriculture and who has worked in high-tech greenhouses producing tomatoes and other vegetables, Zamacona started FCM in September 2019. Her goal is to help reduce carbon footprint while expanding and create greater capacity to produce locally-grown mushrooms. 

Full Circle Mushrooms intends to be recognized as a woman-owned company. “FCM is proudly and unapologetically woman-owned and I hope to set an image and an example for future generations of girls. I know I would’ve liked to see more of someone that looks like me, that can lead and operate differently.”

The Rotary Club meets every Tuesday from 12-1 p.m. for lunch in the WNMU Student Memorial Building, Second Floor, Sunset Room. There is a brief “meet and greet”, a short business meeting and then the speaker has the floor. The club welcomes members of the public to the meetings. If lunch is desired, pay the cashier $11.41 and go through the cafeteria line. If unable to attend in person, a Zoom link for the meeting can be obtained by email to info@silvercityrotary.org .