SWGLA comes from a 20 year history of Board Member support, community affiliations, and unique programming. Check out our organization timeline below, from the early days in 2002 to present day.
The Southwest Grassfed Livestock Alliance (SWGLA) was founded at a Quivira Coalition conference in 2002. Founders/early Board members were:
- Courtney White
- David James
- Mark Winne
- Sid Goodloe
- Tawnya LaVeta
- Deborah Madison
- Nancy Ranney
Past Board Members (in more-or-less chronological order)
Ranchers:
- David James James Ranch, Durango CO
- Walt Marshall SixBarEight Ranch, Leyba NM
- Martin Honneger Pino Creek Ranch, NM (pres)
- Cheryl Goodloe Carrizo Valley Ranch, Capitan NM
- Nancy Ranney Ranney Ranch, Corona NM
- Mimi Sidwell JX Ranch Tucumcari NM
- Sage Faulkner Tierra Amarilla NM (dir. Chama Peak Land Alliance)
- Darrell Wood Leavitt Lake Ranches, CA (founder of Panorama Meats)
- Dennis Moroney Cross U Ranch, s. AZ
- Paul Schwenneson Double Check Ranch Winkleman, AZ
- Michael Bain Twin Willows Ranch, NM
- Joan Bybee Mesteno Draw Ranch, Mountain Air NM
- Sam Ryerson Triangle P Cattle Company, NM
- Charles Mallery El Morro Valley Ranch, Ramah NM
- Vanessa Prileson, Range Program Manager, Pima County AZ
- Pete Ferrell, Ferrell Ranch, Beaumont KS
- Rick Kingsbury Pecos Valley Grassfed Beef & Panorama Meats
- Lucas Salazar Rancher, Processor CO
Non-ranchers:
- Deborah Madison Vegetarian chef and author, Santa Fe NM
- Tawnya LaVeta Director, Farm to Table, Santa Fe NM
- Bob Richardson Author, professor at St John’s College, Santa Fe, NM
- Mark Winne Author and community food activist, Hartford CN
- Reba Epler Wyoming lawyer
- Ed Frederickson, Dept of Ag, Eastern Kentucky University
- Alana McGrattan, Farmer, Corrales NM
- David Trew, Trew Earth Care, NM
- Patricia Walsh NM State Parks
- Dr. Reba Eagles Albuquerque holistic health practitioner
- Stephanie Cameron Publisher, writer, photographer Edible New Mexico Albuquerque
- Kristin Gangwer Our Harvest Cooperative
- Nathan Burk Butcher’s Box Santa Fe NM
Past Directors:
- Laurie Bower 2008-15
- Caitlin Kundrat 2015-16
- Susann Mikkelson 2017-18
Speakers
- Gary Nabhan author, ethnobiologist Kellogg Center, University of Arizona
- Anibal Portodomingo USDA Jornada Experimental Range
- Alan Savory founder Savory Institute/HMI
- Courtney White founder Quivira Coalition
- Joanie Quinn NM Organic Commodities Commission
- Peter Byck filmmaker and professor, Cronkite School of Journalism ASU
- John Blueyes Navajo ranching consultant
- Andrew Gunther Animal Welfare Approved (AWA)
- Allen Williams rancher Joyce Farms, Grass Fed Insights LLC
- Dennis Moroney rancher, Cross U Ranch AZ
- Tom Sidwell rancher, JX Ranch, Tucumcari NM
- Daniel John chef, Torino’s At Home, Albuquerque
- Josh Gerwin chef, Dr Field Goods, Santa Fe
Affiliations:
- Quivira Coalition: SWGLA hosted the Annual Dinner during the opening night of REGENERATE Conference from 2008-2020. A much-loved opportunity for supporters to gather before conference began!
- HMI: Co-sponsored workshops with Ann Adams
- Savory Institute
- NM Organic Program NMDA
- SRM Co-coordinated showcasing workshops
- La Montanita Coop Co- coordinated workshops
- Edible NM Co-sponsor Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown 2017-19
Producer Education:
- The Whole Ranch Planning for Grassfed Producers Workshop Series (taught by Kirk Gadzia, led by Laurie Bower): funded by USDA/Western Center for Risk Management Education 2012-13 New Mexico; 2013-14 Colorado; 2014-15 Arizona; 2016 Navajo. Each series hosted 3-4 workshops at ranches in the state/on the Navajo Reservation.
- 2013-2016 SWGLA One-day Conference prior to NM Organic Conference Albuquerque Organized by Laurie Bower and Joan Bybee, speakers from AWA, AGA, ranch insurance groups, soil health scientists, ranchers, and chefs
Marketing Workshops:
- Presentations on:
- Organic/AGA/AWA certification
- Technical advice on formation of cooperatives (La Montanita, Sweetgrass Coop, Rocky Mountain Consumers Union)
- Connection to larger buyers (Panorama Meats, Whole Foods) and worked with processors, U of Arizona, U of Northern Arizona.
Workshops/presentations:
- Dave Pratt, Ranching for Profit
- Joanie Quinn, NM Organic Commodities Commission
- Anibal Portodomingo, USDA Jornada Experimental Range
- Carrie Balkcom, American Grassfed Association
- Producer members:
- Nancy Ranney Ranney Ranch
- Tom Sidwell JX Ranch
- Joan Bybee Mesteno Draw Ranch
Consumer Outreach/Education
- Grassfed Beef Tastings (w/multiple SWGLA producers)
- 2006 Santa Fe Women’s Club
- 2007 College of Santa Fe (each producer paired with a local chef)
- 2009 Albuquerque Local Food Festival
- Presentation at American Grassfed Association National Conference (San Diego)
- Carbon Economy Series
- Edible Santa Fe “Edible Institute”
- Santa Fe Community Coop Greenhouse Grocery
- Society for Range Management
- FUZE Southwest Conference: Food and Folklore Santa Fe 2014
- Risk Management Education (USDA) National Conference (Minneapolis)
- The Grassfed Exchange (monthly recorded interviews)
- The New Mexico Organic Farming Conference
Other activities:
- SWGLA video by Sally Thomson 2011 “Grassfed in the Desert Southwest” Map of Processing Facilities in the Southwest
- SWGLA Ranch Artist Residency Proposal “The Fenceline Residency” Lucy Ellis
