LAS CRUCES -- With the holiday season right around the corner, the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces is the place to be on Nov. 18-19. HomeGrown: A New Mexico Food Show & Gift Market is a great opportunity to sample and shop for New Mexico’s award-winning food products.
The ninth-annual HomeGrown event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $10 per vehicle, and the first 100 vehicles at the event each day will receive a free burlap shopping bag. Cash is encouraged for admission.
The New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) partners with the Museum each year to co-host the show. The NMDA food demonstration trailer will be at the event and NMDA’s Taste the Tradition Chef Ambassadors, Jordan Isaacson and Jon Young, will conduct cooking demonstrations each day.
“This annual collaboration we have with the New Mexico Department of Agriculture has produced a fun event in Las Cruces that showcases products grown in our state,” said New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs Cabinet Secretary Debra Garcia y Griego. “HomeGrown has developed into a much-anticipated celebration at the Farm & Ranch Museum, thanks in part to the opportunity it provides for the public to sample these New Mexico products and begin their holiday shopping.”
Attendees can expect about 60 vendors, the majority representing food and beverage companies from around the state, many of which are NMDA’s “Taste the Tradition®” and “Grown with Tradition®” members. Each booth will offer locally produced products, such as award-winning salsas, nuts, sauces, and wine, for attendees to sample and purchase. The show also features crafts, art, and other hand-made products, including Native American pottery and jewelry from northern and central New Mexico.
“The HomeGrown event has become a premier showcase for New Mexico-grown food, beverage, and craft products that make our state special,” said New Mexico Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte. “This event is a source of New Mexico products that has come to define the spirit of the holiday season across the state and region. It clearly reflects people’s love for locally made products and successfully meets consumer demand year after year. I invite you to come ‘Taste the Tradition,’ enjoy the variety of New Mexico products and kick off the holiday season at the 2023 HomeGrown event!”
Some of the vendors include Phil’s Gourmet Sauces of Albuquerque, J.P.M’s Salsa of Las Cruces, Old Barrel Tea Company of Mesilla, meats from Jinglebob Land & Cattle Company of Anthony, N.M., JAL Farms of Fort Sumner, Legacy Pecans of Las Cruces, and Kinna’s Chile Products and New Mexico Sabor from Albuquerque. There will also be a select group of New Mexico wineries offering samples, as well as glass and bottle sales.
Back by popular demand, Doña Ana County 4-H members will be selling their colorfully decorated mini-Christmas trees and wreaths.
“The Farm & Ranch staff is excited to invite everyone to our signature event, HomeGrown, featuring New Mexico-based products from our talented community,” said Farm & Ranch Museum Executive Director Heather Reed. “In collaboration with our partners at the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, we’re able to showcase the hard work that makes our state unique.”
Attendees are also invited to tour the Museum and enjoy the exhibits at no extra cost. The Museum is located at 4100 Dripping Springs Road in Las Cruces and is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. The 47-acre facility tells the story of 4,000 years of growing food in New Mexico through a variety of exhibits and demonstrations.