A cornerstone of the Institute’s philosophy is the importance of strengthening our work through community partnerships. As our Values Statement puts it, we uphold the value of “cooperation by nurturing healthy working relationships with our partners through our extensive collaborative, community partnerships and outreach.” 2024 has been an exciting and instructive year for leaning into this important pillar of our work. As we start a new year, we are reflecting on the importance of our community partnerships, and wanted to share about and highlight one in particular, which has truly formed the backbone of the Institute’s most exciting innovation in 2024: Tianguis Movil / Mobile Produce Market.
The Tianguis Movil (named after the open-air produce markets common throughout Mexico) was launched as part of our Local Food for All / Comida Local para Todos Program and in response to the many barriers people face in accessing fresh, local, and nutritious food. The concept is simple: bring fresh, local, farm-sourced food directly into underserved neighborhoods. Due to the responsive nature of this initiative and the Institute’s intent to deeply engage with people to foster community and share resources, United Way of North Central New Mexico provided grant support to help lift up the program. This partnership has introduced the Institute to the concept of existing differently: an organizational framework from Visionary Organizing Lab. This methodology is a little like the philosophical equivalent to a triple bottom line: what if we valued all of our experiences, needs, and perspectives as we grow programs and organizations?
If we want thriving communities, we need to have a multifaceted and intersectional approach to program development that centers a diversity of experiences and perceptions. In other words, we are grounded in our mission to provide equitable access to fresh, local, nutrient dense food, but we know that alone won’t solve everyone’s problems.
United Way’s support allowed us to set up over 40 Mobile Markets in a dozen communities across Santa Fe in the last part of 2024. Since (literally) rolling out the Tianguis Movil, we have sold over 3,000 pounds directly to underserved neighborhoods. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and we are adding stops to our pop-up markets regularly. Louise Quintana, a social worker with the Santa Fe Civic Housing Authority, told us, “people who can’t make it to the Farmers’ Market, they can shop just feet outside their doorstep. I think it’s a wonderful thing.” Suzanne Noga, a regular customer of the Tianguis Movil shares that “it’s such a delight to be able to come out of my house and get this wonderful food. It’s so fresh and delicious.”
At each of the markets, we speak with people about support opportunities in our community, like United Way’s 211 hotline, the Santa Fe CONNECT program, nutrition access benefits programs, and other resources available to help individuals experiencing social needs. We have also learned about the existing assets within communities and opportunities to support and encourage them; truly existing differently to partner with and contribute to our community.
Our connection with United Way has led to inspiring relationships with other grantees who are also working on generative impact in Santa Fe. Through our relationship with EarthCare and its La Milpa program, we learned about efforts to encourage families to grow their own food as well as an initiative to start a community garden in the Southside. We partnered with The Mother Nature Center to talk about the benefits of healthy soil and healthy foods at the Master Gardeners plant sale and have hosted the NM Soil Enthusiasts at Santa Fe Farmers’ Markets. We have developed reciprocal relationships with these and other organizations to have more robust and inclusive conversations and activities. Each conversation has, in turn, led to more community connections and potential locations and community champions for the Tianguis Movil – furthering the Institute’s vision of equitable access to local food for all.
Our partnership with UWNCNM is worth far more than the funding they provide. Their efforts to help bring organizations, people, and communities together expands our impact beyond any one group’s individual capacity. These deeper relationships and the conversations they spark create a richer appreciation for the needs and the strengths of our communities. These conversations have also helped us gain different perspectives about our efforts and the communities we strive to work with. We are looking forward to ongoing support, engagement, and potential through this incredible opportunity working with United Way of North Central New Mexico and all its passionate partners, truly upholding the Institute’s Values pillar of Cooperation.
You can join the Tianguis text service by texting “food” do 888-868-5609.