By Jim Hilley, Roswell Daily Record — School districts in Roswell, Dexter and Hagerman are among 136 schools, preschools, senior centers and food producers being honored by the New Mexico Grown Coalition and partners for their investment in locally grown food at a Golden Chile Awards ceremony on Oct. 12 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque.
The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) joins representatives from the Departments of Aging and Long-Term Services, Agriculture, the Office of Indian Elder Affairs, Early Childhood Education & Care and Public Education, as well as the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association and Farm to Table New Mexico, to celebrate award recipients.
A member of the New Mexico Grown Coalition, the NMDOH Office of Nutrition and Physical Activity works with state and local organizations to expand healthy eating and physical activity opportunities, including supporting local food production, through its Healthy Kids Healthy Communities Program.
“We’re always happy to see more New Mexico Grown participants each year connecting children and seniors to fresh, local food,” said Rita Condon, director of NMDOH’s Office of Nutrition and Physical Activity.
“Congratulations to the awardees for work that enriches the health of our communities and vitality of our food producers.”
The state invested about $3.3 million into the New Mexico Grown Coalition this past fiscal year. The coalition, a network of state agencies, nonprofit organizations and community-based groups, established the Golden Chile Awards Program in 2021 with four recognition tiers — Seed, Sprout, Blossom and Golden Chile — to honor all levels of food service providers’ involvement in New Mexico Grown programming.
The Roswell Independent School District has earned a 2026 Golden Chile Award as a “mature and fruitful program,” while Dexter Consolidated Schools earned the 2026 Blossom Award as a “program reaching maturity.” Hagerman Public Schools achieved recognition with a 2026 Sprout Award as “a program growing strong.”
For more information, visit newmexicogrown.org.
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