Co-owner Trinidad Mendez of Mendez Produce. Courtesy photo

LAFM News:

Trinadad  and Felicia Mendez have been selling produce at the Los Alamos Farmers Market for eight years.

Their son Luis often helps at the market, but as soon as school starts his mom is back to running the booth alone.  She said Luis is always busy with school, football and all the other things going on in his life. He is the youngest of three kids, two boys and a girl. Luis wants to join the USMC, after finishing high school.

Co-owner Felicia Mendez of Mendez Produce. Courtesy photo

The Mendez farm started in the Alcalde area and ran for a few years until Trinidad and Felicia moved to a place with more land in the El Guique area with around six acres. Trinidad has worked for other farmers then went home to tend his own farm, so that he would have produce for markets.

He explained that farming is his only source of income so he and his family work hard to bring their crops to market.  He also prunes trees in the off season to help get by.

Luis said some of the problems his dad has to deal with are insects and irrigation. Being in a valley where everyone needs the water is difficult, he said, adding that the area they farm in has a lot of alfalfa fields. Alfalfa is grown to feed area animals and it takes a significant amount of water to grow.

Trinidad and Felicia said the feeling they want their customers to come away with when they shop their booth at the Farmers Market is to know that they purchased fresh, locally grown produce, grown without chemicals or pesticides and sold by the people who grew it.