Re-farm Taos?

Julian Laroza’s letter on Taos becoming a self-fed community (June 11-17, 2020) calls for 500 farms and for public funding of agriculture: 8 percent of the town and county budgets.

In recent decades, although grant-writing efforts have increased, local agriculture has declined. Grants, while perhaps a solution for individual farms, can’t be depended upon to solve the problem of a county growing less than 5 percent of its food.

Normally, local farms compete with each other for grant money. If farms can cooperate to win 8 percent of the local budgets, no farm will have to write a grant again.

If our elected officials are unwilling to look critically at the municipal budgets, it will be necessary for citizens to read the documents together and locate money that’s being spent on nonessentials. Food is essential for our security.

Ideally, when a pandemic hits, we let the tourists know via a press release that we love them and will miss getting to meet them, but we’re going to protect ourselves.

We have 500 farms and we’re just going to hold it down and eat well, feasting together as well-fed, self-fed Taoseños until this ugly bug passes and we know for sure that we’re in the clear. We will miss your company this year, dear tourists, but as of yet we have no outbreak here. We have to think first of our elders and of vulnerable citizens.

Matthew Swaye Taos

Editor’s note: As of press time (July 8), Taos County has recorded 51 COVID-19 cases.

I couldn’t stop crying as I read the Tempo in the Taos News June 25July 1 – it was focused 100 percent on “Heroes of the pandemic,” page after page, one beautiful story after another – and I want to make clear they were all tears of gratitude. It was overwhelming. What a superb job you did, Lynne Robinson! Bravo!

Rev. Susan Varon, ordained interfaith minister, Taos

We’ve been following and enjoying your new direction and articles in Tempo.

Your Heroes edition (June 25-July 1) is superior. Technically and thoughtfully.

And, Anita Rodriquez, what a treasure you have added.

Thanks for your good work. We hope you’re enjoying it, in spite of the current extra challenges.

Guy and Marcia Wood

Angel Fire

I thought I knew all the people giving of themselves here in Taos to make life better for all of us, but now I know I only knew the half of it.

You outdid yourselves with this issue of Tempo (June 25-July 1). I read it from cover to cover and my heart swelled with gratitude toward all. And I felt much better about myself, too, in this period of crisis and the crumbling of old truisms and certitudes. Thank you. Linda Moscarella

Taos