History

Irrigation Concerns

By scheduling the water this year, the Irrigation district was able to bank about 94,000 acre-feet of water at El Vado Reservoir in northern New Mexico. That will help supplement next season's supplies.

The problem is the district is concerned its ability to store water in the future could be compromised by how the federal government manages the Rio Grande. The district is weighing in on a lawsuit New Mexico Attorney General Gary King filed earlier this year against the Bureau of Reclamation. 

November Prices

Weekly New Mexico Hay Summary
Week ending Nov 5, 2011

Compared to last week, Alfalfa hay prices firm. Trade active,
demand very good. The growing season has ended most areas have
had temeratures dip below the freezing mark. This will be the
last hay report of the season, we will resume in early May.

Baled Alfala: Large square bales; Premium and Supreme 325.00-350.00
per ton delivered from out of state. Good quality delivered from out
of state 300.00-320.00 per ton.

Feedlot Alfala ground and delivered 300.00-315.00 per ton.  

Casa Colorada

This year a portion of the Casa Colorada ranch was converted to crop production rather than pasture grazing.  Several years were spent removing invasive plant material and leveling the newly created farm.  The farm was planted in Buckwheat as a test crop.  The water table began to rise as the area was cleared of Salt Cedar and Russian Olive.  Buckwheat was recommended as a salt tolerant crop as well as tolerant to the high water table.  

1899-2012

Mark Garcia Farms has extensive history in New Mexico  beginning in 1601 with the arrival of Antonio Baca number 98 of the Juan De Onate expedition.  The subsequent departure of the Spaniards in 1680 during the Pueblo revolt and their return in 1696 with Diego de Vargas firmly established the Garcia family in New Mexico. Many members of this family were major contributors to the economic, spiritual, and educational development of New Mexico.   Several of the eight farms owned by the Garcia family were in existence and adjacent to, the Tome land Grant of 1739. 

One of the livestock brands used by Mark Garcia Farms is over 100 years old.  The brand was issued  in 1899 when New Mexico was a territory and 13 years before statehood.  The brand was issued to Juan Salazar y Jiménez, Mark Garcia's fifth great grandfather.  The land Juan raised his livestock on was part of the Tome Land Grant of 1739 which is near one of the Mark Garcia Farms. 

The family Patriarch ,  Casimiro  Garcia  "Casey" organized the eight farms into the organization it is today.  His son Mark Garcia operates the farms today with his brother Ray Garcia.  His daughter Marie Garcia Shaffner former superintendent of Schools in Belen,  New Mexico,  is the family Historian, advisor and "Peacekeeper."

Marie was raised on a family farm in Tome', New Mexico, just 30 minutes driving time south of Albuquerque.  She and her brothers Ray, Mark and Richard were responsible for the day to day activities that would normally be associated with raising livestock and forage crops.  She is the sixth generation to live on land acquired by the family in the mid 1800's.  Over the last 150 years the land has been used for grazing cattle and horses, production of potatoes, forage crops and most recently, alfalfa.

The farm is near the Tome' land grant which was a 400,000 acre tract of land given to 26 residents of Tome', New Mexico by the king of Spain in 1739.  The Garcia family are  descendants of one of these families.  The provisions of the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave title to 26 signatories.  One of the these was  Francisco Sanchez who was the grandson of Juana Lopez de Aragon and the seventh great grand parent of Garcia siblings.

Marie comes from a long line of educators starting with Anastacio Garcia her second great grandfather, who established the first school in Las Nutrias, New Mexico in 1897 and was the Valencia County Sheriff from 1854 -1855

The family Matriarch,  Erlinda  Sanchez Garcia "Lindy"  is the sixth great-granddaughter of Juana Lopez de Aragon. This family is considered to be one of the twelve founding families of Albuquerque.

The eight farms and ranch of the Garcia Farms operation includes The Manoshao, The Tajo, The House, The Luz, The Double G, The Shop, Casa Colorada  and Clementes.  All the farms are in various stages of production in Sudex, Alfalfa or Oats.  Some farms are used for grazing cattle and planted in Fescue  which is a type of pasture grass.