Santa Fe Family and Consumer Science

Learning how to prepare healthy foods, meal plan, and cook a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats can help lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, or other health problems. We provide opportunities for the community to learn about growing their own food or purchasing fresh food from the Farmers Market helps develop long-term healthy eating habits and healthier lifestyle choices.

Join Us For a Series of Classes on Food and Nutrition

Farmers Market/Kitchen Garden

These programs provide an opportunity to showcase how vegetables can be grown in a home garden, harvested, made into healthy meals, and preserved.

• Nutrition Education
• Healthy Growing, Eating, and Cooking
• Food Preservation

Santa Fe Farmers Market

• Del Sur Farmers Market July-September, 2025
• Saturday Market at the Railyard - Year Round

This summer, together with the Master Gardeners we were at the Saturday Farmers Market at the Railyard. The market continues all year and we are available to answer questions about Gardens (Master Gardener Hotline 505-471-6251).  I can be reached at mstizza@nmsu.edu for questions regarding:

• Nutrition Education
• Healthy Eating and Cooking
• Food Preservation

Santa Fe Farmers Market

Kitchen Garden

We had a busy summer in the Kitchen Garden. The cooler weather and spot of rain is nice to see for the cool weather crops.

Health Benefits of Gardening

Small Space Gardening/Preservation

Container/ Small Space Herb Gardens provide people an opportunity to learn tools to grow their own herbs, learn ways to preserve the herbs, and extend the harvest to enjoy nutritious dishes without adding sodium or sugar, and flavorful food throughout the year.

• How to use soil and composting methods
• Planting techniques for soil and climate conditions
• Nutrition, cooking and preservation methods of herbs
•  

In Partnership with Santa Fe Community College (SFCC), the following classes will be offered:

Seed to Supper

A FREE 3-week Beginner Gardening class. Everything you need to know about getting started with your own vegetable garden taught by Santa Fe Master Gardeners and ICAN (Ideas for Cooking and Nutrition).

Seed to Supper Container and Raised Bed Gardening Series

Santa Fe Community College Innovation Center

Next Class Begins:  September 6th, 13th, 20th 2025  9:00-11:00 am

Kitchen Creations-A Diabetes Cooking School

Kitchen Creations empowers people to manage diabetes effectively through presentations and hands on cooking classes.

• Reading food labels to monitor carbohydrate intake.
• Measuring food portions.
• Planning balanced meals using the 50/50 or Diabetes Plate method.

Next Class Begins: October 27th, 2025  9:00-12:00 p.m.

Med Instead of Meds and Heart Healthy Eating and Cooking Classes

Interested in eating the Mediterranean way and in Heart Healthy eating, but not sure where to start?

The Med Instead of Meds class series will help you explore the Mediterranean Diet by discussing seven simple steps:

• Change Your Protein
• Swap Your Fats
• East More Vegetables
• Eat More Fruit
• Snack on Nuts and Seeds
• Make Your Grains Whole
• Rethink Your Sweets

Great tasting and good for you!

To view all the sessions and access the handouts, please refer to the Med Instead of Meds webpage.

Heart Healthy Eating and Cooking Classes

• Sodium and salt
• Meal Planning
• Healthy Eating

Want to learn more about growing chile?

Chile Chats

The Chile Chats will be held the first Wednesday of the month, 10 to 11:30 a.m., Fabian García Research Center Classroom, 113 West University Avenue. Las Cruces Or online via Zoom - Meeting ID: 847 2251 5474.

Participation is free and open to anyone interested in learning about and discussing chile pepper production. Visit the Chile Pepper Institute website.

Food Preservation

National Green Chile Preservation and Food Safety Webinar presented by New Mexico Master Food Preservers

A 4-part webinar series on Freezing, Drying, Freeze Drying and Pressure Canning Green Chile Preservation

To view all the sessions and access the handouts, All Things Chile

How To Guides

• Visit our How To Guides on Food Preservation.
• Visit our How To Guides on Food and Nutrition.

If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Stizza at (505) 471-4711 or email at mstizza@nmsu.edu.