Meeting this Friday July 14

the next Quarterly meeting will be 14 July at 10:00 am in the meeting room of the Artesia Ag Science Center, 67 four Dinkus road Artisia NM. If you have agenda Items please get them to be on or before 7 July 2017. Topics so far. 1. Regional water planing redrawing of boundaries.

WRRI Abstract summisssion deadline

Deadline: July 26, 2017 The 62nd NM WRRI Annual New Mexico Water Conference will take place in Socorro, New Mexico on August 15-16, 2017 with the theme Hidden Realities of New Water Opportunities. A highlight of each year’s annual water conference is a poster session where participants can learn about current water research taking place around the state and region. The poster session, scheduled for Wednesday, August 16, offers a wonderful opportunity for networking with state and regional water experts. We anticipate about 200 attendees at this year's conference. This Call for Poster Abstracts seeks abstracts for posters on any water research or management topic. We encourage interested students, researchers, and practitioners to submit poster abstracts via the online submission process. Abstracts for consideration for posters will be accepted through July 26, 2017. Notification of poster acceptance will be announced by July 31, 2017. For submission guidelines and more information, click here.

NMSU professors expand project to map Zika mosquitoes across southern New Mexico

NMSU professors expand project to map Zika mosquitoes across southern New Mexico DATE: 07/07/2017 WRITER: Minerva Baumann, 575-646-7566, mbauma46@nmsu.edu CONTACT: Kathryn Hanley, 575-646-4583, khanley@nmsu.edu CONTACT: Michaela Buenemann, 575-646-3509, elabuen@nmsu.edu Researchers at New Mexico State University have received a second contract from the New Mexico Department of Health to expand last summer’s project to map the geographic distribution of mosquitoes that can carry the Zika virus in the state. In May, the new study determined the species that transmits the Zika virus –Aedes aegypti – is in Doña Ana County. Last year, New Mexico had 10 reported cases of Zika virus disease imported by travelers. There have been no reports of Zika virus disease so far this year. “The state was extremely pleased with our previous work,” said Kathryn Hanley, NMSU biology professor in the College of Arts and Sciences. “Consequently when there was more money issued to study these vectors for Zika virus, they asked us to come on board again and this time they asked if we could do a more detailed study within cities.” Hanley and NMSU geography professor Michaela Buenemann’s investigations last summer demonstrated the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes are only found in the southern third of the state. “All we know right now is that the species occur in urban and built-up environments in the southern counties of New Mexico,” said Buenemann. “We don’t know where the species occur within cities. For example, we don’t know if they are more prevalent in vegetated or built-up areas, in open spaces or densely populated parts, or in neighborhoods with higher or lower incomes. Both human and environmental factors likely shape the distributions of those mosquitoes but at this point we really don’t know.” The new contract will allow the researchers to uncover specifics about what kinds of conditions attract the mosquitoes that can potentially transmit Zika virus. “We’re going to do a detailed study of the 11 largest cities in southern New Mexico,” said Hanley. “So we’ll be doing extensive trapping in urban areas. We’re knocking on doors in urban areas to ask people if we can access their backyards to put our mosquito traps down. That will also lend itself to modeling which environmental factors in cities shape the distribution and abundance of these mosquitoes.” Graduate students working with Buenemann and Hanley have already made one discovery this summer. They started trapping in the spring expecting to see the first mosquitoes in July. Instead they caught mosquitoes in early May, which indicates the insects have been active since March, a much longer period of disease risk than initially predicted. “We will continue to trap at least until we get a hard frost,” said Hanley. “We assume once we get a hard frost we’ll stop collecting Aedes aegypti but it’s not inconceivable that we’ll be trapping all year long and into next summer.” “We’re not only interested in how these mosquitoes vary across space and through time but also in what kinds of human-environmental interactions might explain these distributions,” said Buenemann. This new study will include two additional areas of research conducted by Immo Hansen and Jiannong Xu, both associate professors of biology at NMSU. The Hansen lab is going to test how resistant the New Mexican mosquitoes are against commonly used insecticides. “Resistance levels are important to know when there is an outbreak because it helps the mosquito control professionals choose the right type of insecticide to get the biggest bang for the buck,” Hansen said. Xu will lead research about the New Mexico mosquitoes’ microbiome, the bacteria and fungi that live together with the mosquito. Manipulating the mosquito microbiome also can help mosquito control efforts. “The mosquito associated microbes have co-evolved with the mosquito host,” Xu said. “They have significant contributions to various mosquito life traits including development, fecundity and vector competence. Understanding the microbe-mosquito interactions will facilitate development of novel strategies for mosquito control.” The goal for the NMDOH is to inform southern New Mexico communities of the risk of Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases. “Your relative risk is going to be determined by how many Aedes aegypti mosquitoes you are likely to encounter at your home,” Hanley said. “If you live way out on a farm, our research suggests you are unlikely to encounter them. If you live in Las Cruces proper, our study should allow us to tell you whether you work, live or play in an area of very high or low mosquito density.” For information about Zika virus, visit https://nmhealth.org/go/zika or http://www.cdc.gov/zika. - 30 - Follow NMSU News on Twitter: http://twitter.com/nmsunews Follow NMSU News on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NMSUNews

NMSU alumni use grant to expand sustainable farming techniques

NMSU alumni use grant to expand sustainable farming techniques DATE: 07/07/2017 WRITER: Billy Huntsman, 575-646-7953, wthv8420@nmsu.edu CONTACT: Lea WiseSurguy-Sophiliazo, , patavivafarm@gmail.com Along a high gravel road radiating white under the sunlight, near the Rio Grande, whose waters splash against the walls of a bridge over it, and nestled within acres of shady pecan trees is Taylor Hood Farms. Here New Mexico State University alumni Lea WiseSurguy-Sophiliazo and her husband, Patrick DeSimio-Sophiliazo, are preparing for the first of a series of community meals in mid July. “We want to bring together anyone who has a role in the agricultural sector—farmers, agricultural scientists, policymakers, chefs, distributors—to share knowledge and build partnerships,” DeSimio said. The rows of artichokes, which grow in fat bundles with regal purple flowers on top, squash, zucchini, and the hoop houses draped in opaque canvas containing tomato plants, most green, some rare reds, are part of the first exhibit in a project. “The project is called the MESA Project and it’s funded through a $250,000 grant through ArtPlace America,” said DeSimio. MESA stands for Meetings for Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture and the project’s goal is to create a symbiotic relationship among people involved in agriculture, farming and food preparation in a way that is beneficial to the environment. Taylor Hood Farms is a partner in the MESA Project, which will eventually include other farms in Doña Ana County. In 2015, Julia Barello, head of the NMSU Art Department in the College of Arts and Sciences, contacted WiseSurguy, who had recently completed her MFA in sculpture. Barello encouraged WiseSurguy to apply for the ArtPlace grant, though neither had any idea what the grant could be used for. Eventually, WiseSurguy came up with the idea of “protecting the environment through the culinary arts,” she said. “One of the biggest benefits we can have in our area is using the arts to improve the sustainability of our agriculture, both in terms of long-term farming issues—water scarcity, topsoil loss and soil salinization—and in terms of protecting the environment,” said DeSimio. The project has four parts, DeSimio said, one being the community meals. “Agriculture and food go hand in hand,” said WiseSurguy. “It’s absolutely a reality that for most of the people who come into this type of work, it’s because they have a love for food and a love for the land and there is that special joy that comes from eating meals together.” Community meals, therefore, are an ideal way to bring together different portions of the agricultural industry to start talking about ways to yield better crops while protecting the environment, she said. Part two is an experimental farm, Pata Viva, DeSimio said. “Pata Viva Farm is the experimental farm part of our grant where we’re going to be implementing all of the different techniques that we’ll be talking about in each one of ours meals in order to get these processes off of the research farms, get them onto working farms,” WiseSurguy said. Pata Viva’s farming techniques, which focus on reducing water use, topsoil loss and soil salinization, are still in the design phase so the first community meal will take place on July 15 at Taylor Hood Farms, a partner farm that has independently implemented sustainable farming methods through a partnership with professors in NMSU’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Pata Viva Farm and Taylor Hood Farms will be working closely together to expand sustainable agricultural in Dona Ana County, and Taylor Hood Farms will likely be among the first additional sites for any viable techniques that Pata Viva identifies through the MESA Project. DeSimio and his partners hope these techniques will become popular and be implemented on other farms. One of the biggest components of Pata Viva’s farming techniques is the use of special greenhouses designed to keep temperatures well below 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit, which conventional greenhouses can reach or exceed in the summer. The greenhouses at Pata Viva and Taylor Hood Farms were designed by Carlos Estrada-Vega, a Las Cruces artist, with help from Bryce Richard. These uniquely designed greenhouses can stay below 85 degrees in the summer and above 50 degrees in the winter, without any artificial heating or cooling, said WiseSurguy. The third part is creating a “very user-friendly technical manual” to further help farmers in implementing these new techniques. DeSimio, a master’s candidate in rhetoric and communication at NMSU, is working with agricultural scientists to develop the manual, which will be routinely updated to address farmers’ issues when implementing these new techniques. “The fourth part is a final art show at the University Art Gallery,” said DeSimio. “There’s going to be a whole exhibit focused on the intersections of agriculture and the environment.” The first community meal will take place on July 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Taylor Hood Farms. The project runners anticipate around 300 people attending. Register here. For more information about the project, visit mesanm.org. - 30 - Follow NMSU News on Twitter: http://twitter.com/nmsunews Follow NMSU News on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NMSUNews

The Hornshell CCA and CCAA drafts publish in the Federal Register

The Hornshell CCA and CCAA drafts publish in the Federal Register tomorrow, July 7th. Here is the link to the CCA/A Federal Register notice: https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2017-14235.pdf. The open comment period will end on August 7th and the drafts will go to signature on August 10th. After that, we have one month to enroll folks into the program. Because it is a short window to enroll, we have developed a nonbinding application (attached) that can be filled out and signed (after the agreements have been signed by FWS) to show intent to enroll. This in no way binds you to enrollment, but assures enrollment in the event you so desire. It will allow us more time to get individual CIs/CPs in place with folks once the listing determination has occurred. If you wish to enroll, please fill out the application, sign and date (must be dated after the parent agreements have been signed by FWS) and send back to me. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. Thank you, Emily

Next quarterly meeting 14 July

The poll is in and the next Quarterly meeting will be 14 July at 10:00 am in the meeting room of the Artesia Ag Science Center, 67 four Dinkus road Artisia NM. If you have agenda Items please get them to be on or before 7 July 2017. Topics so far. 1. Regional water planing redrawing of boundaries.

Sheriff working on Rural Community Policing

Mark Gage the sheriff of Eddy County is working on developing a rural community policing. It is difficult with a force of only about 60 officers to have a presence in a county 4,184 square miles or 2,677,760 acres big with thousands of miles of back county gravel roads. The attached form is so that patrol officer on sheriff deputies can respond to rural areas better. For location you can use rural addressing system, Range Township section ¼ of the ¼ , GPS lat and long. Whatever you have the more the better. You can also include information like Elderly in residence, Heart condition, and diabetic whatever you think will help a first responder. This is 100% voluntary and is to help them help you. You can mail, fax, scan and e-mail, or drop it by the Eddy County Sheriff’s office or the Extension Office and I will make sure he gets it. Send this to your friends or give them a form. Right now he is concentration is on ranches but he will want to do the same with farms I am sure in the near future. If you have question or concerns call Mark or the Under Sheriff. Share this form with other Rural residents, and help Sheriff Gage help us.