An effort to design and build a large greenhouse on the campus of Western New Mexico State University in Silver City may need at least $250,000 in state support.
That, at least, is how much the school is asking, as a capital outlay, from the New Mexico State Legislature to build the facility, which will measure around 48 feet by 70 feet.
The effort, according to WNMU officials, is designed to reduce what is described as “food insecurity” on the school’s campus.
As envisioned, the greenhouse will be capable of producing around 75,000 pounds of fresh food on a yearly basis.
In a press release issued by the school, Katie Poirer, director of food security and sustainability at WNMU, said that as part of the greenhouse effort the school is “working closely with community partners and our cafeteria services to decide what to grow based on student preferences, seasonality, and gaps in local production.”
According to a report published in 2023 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “students are a group which is highly impacted by food insecurity; prevalence estimates on campuses range between 19% and 56%,” adding that on some campuses, the food insecurity rate was “around four times the national average.”
According to a needs assessment report published by the University of New Mexico just under 70% of WNMU’s students have experienced some level of food insecurity.
The New Mexico legislature is scheduled to wrap up its business on March 22.
March 14, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
