Agriculture & Horticulture
Our county's agriculture must remain competitive within local, national and even international markets. This requires a continuous flow of appropriate technology addressing local needs within New Mexico. Our Extension program works to maintain and strengthen programs that address these needs. Water is one of the most important limiting resources for our county's agriculture. All aspects of water use affect agricultural efficiency and profitability. Water management will become more critical as water demands for urbanization and industrialization increase.
Environmental problems plague Torrance County today. Current and future consumers need to be aware of and understand these problems. Additionally, consumers need to be given tools to identify and prevent further problems. Making them aware of environmental issues, including issues of sustainable agriculture, will help us all become better guardians of our nation’s and county's natural resources. Concerns about the environment relate to water quality, soil erosion and degradation, fertilizer and pesticide application, dairy containment systems, and urban sewage disposal and septic tanks. Many citizens perceive that these are serious problems in agricultural regions. Furthermore, many private and public agencies and organizations question intensive agricultural management methods. These concerns can affect agricultural policy, legislation, production methods and costs, and marketability of agricultural products. Therefore, agriculture needs to address existing and potential environmental issues from the standpoint of sustainability. Thus, sustainability has become a major driving force for agricultural education, Extension, and research.
Livestock Production
In 1996, livestock and livestock products accounted for 70 percent of all New Mexico farm and ranch receipts and totaled nearly 2 billion dollars. In Torrance County beef cows (26,000) and sheep (8,000 head) are the primary farm and ranch livestock contributors to the economy. The stocker-yearling industry (16,000 steers over 500 lbs.) continues to be a major program, especially in Torrance County. There is a small group of goat producers including angora, meat and milk producers. Many management practices can increase output and return. Few producers use all proven practices. A major concern of producers and consumers is production of a safe and wholesome human food supply, dictating an increased need for quality assurance programs. Extension and the New Mexico cattle industry participated in phase I of the Beef Quality Assurance Program in recent years. Both cattle and sheep producers need to evaluate production costs and returns and incorporate production practices that will maximize dollar return. Torrance County has different cultural groups who have unique production problems, like Hispanic cultures of North-central New Mexico.