Martin Heinrich
10/16/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/16/2026 22:42
Heinrich Meets with Farmers to Hear How Trump’s War with Iran & Illegal Tariffs are Making Food More Expensive, Tours Albuquerque Public Schools’ Scratch Kitchen, Meets with a[...]
CORRALES & ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration, met with New Mexico farmers and ranchers to hear how President Trump's war with Iran and illegal tariffs are driving up fuel, fertilizer, and farm equipment costs, hurting local producers and making food more expensive for families.
Heinrich met with Pam Roy, Executive Director, Farm to Table NM; Helga Garza, Executive Director, Agri-Cultura Network; Alan Brauer, Senior Director, Indigenous Farm Hub; Johannes Lencer, COO and Interim CEO Frontier Food Hub; Anthony Wagner, Owner, Wagner Farms; Manny Encinas, Owner, Trilogy Beef and Buffalo Creek Ranch; Gilbert Luis, Owner, Acoma Number 8 Ranch; and Zach Ben, Owner, Bidii Baby Foods.
"Here in New Mexico, diesel is averaging more than $6 a gallon, and that means higher costs for farmers and ranchers who grow our food and for families already struggling to afford groceries. Trump's tariffs are driving up costs, and his war in Iran is putting even more pressure on fuel prices," said Heinrich. "We need to build a more resilient food system that can help farmers manage these rising costs and withstand extreme weather so they can keep producing the food our families depend on."
"In 2025, we were paying about $1,000 a month on gas for our cargo truck distributed statewide. Right now, that has doubled. So, every month we're spending anywhere from $2,000 to $2,500 a month on gas....And we purchased a speed steer tractor, and it took months and months and months to get it because of all the tariffs," said Helga Garza, Executive Director, Agri-Cultura Network.
"It's too expensive for us, specifically, I mean, diesel prices...My dad checks cows every day, and so he travels about 250 miles a day. And so his diesel expenditures per month have increased by almost $2,000 a month. For us to even service our farmers market, particularly Corrales, we go to restaurants in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. It costs us about $1,000 more a month just to run our trucks. And that's not even getting into the New Mexico growing season. We'll be shipping wheat to Farmington, Gallup, and Las Cruces, where that's likely going to double as the market slows down. So, this definitely impacted us," said Manny Encinas, Owner, Trilogy Beef and Buffalo Creek Ranch.
"I haven't really been able to buy new equipment. It's more expensive to buy our equipment. So, I really haven't purchased any equipment this year," said Anthony Wagner, Owner, Wagner Farms. "We're trying to just use what we do have: The tractors and equipment and all that...Fertilizer, of course, is more expensive now too. We have to get fertilizer. We use a lot of fertilizer on our farms."
During their conversation with Heinrich, the small farmers, ranchers, and local distributors also underscored how their operations have been impacted by climate change, including significant flooding and drought.
"It's been challenging these last two years with our orchard. I pretty much have lost my orchard these two years with the drought. I had 750 trees that were 50-year-old trees. And we've been producing all the old-time apples. And with the drought the last years, I lost a lot of my trees," said Wagner. "We're trying to convert to drip on some of our stuff now because we can't really depend on the river now it seems like...so we're having to try to adapt."
For more background on Heinrich's actions to deliver for New Mexico small farmers, ranchers, and local distributors, click here.
For more background on Heinrich's actions to hold President Trump accountable for his illegal, costly, and reckless war with Iran, click here.
For more background on Heinrich's work to combat President Trump's tariffs and lower the cost of groceries and everyday essentials, click here.
Heinrich also toured Albuquerque Public Schools' scratch kitchen and spoke to students and staff at Tres Volcanes Community Collaborative about his Healthy Meals Help Kids Learn Act, legislation that will make it easier for students to access quality, nutritious school meals.
"New Mexico has shown that when we make healthy school meals available to every student, we give kids a better chance to focus in the classroom, learn, and succeed. But rising costs for food, equipment, and labor are making it harder for schools to put nutritious meals on the table," said Heinrich. "My Healthy Meals Help Kids Learn Act will give schools like Tres Volcanes in Albuquerque the support they need to keep serving healthy meals, buy more food from local farmers, and make sure every kid has the food they need to learn and thrive."
School meals help shape lifelong healthy eating habits, and research shows that students who participate in school meal programs have better overall diet quality than nonparticipants. But as the cost of food and equipment continues to rise, school districts are struggling to keep up. Heinrich's Healthy Meals Help Kids Learn Act will give school districts the certainty they need to strengthen their meal programs, provide nutritious meals to students, and plan for the future. For more information on the bill, click here.
Additionally, Heinrich met with Mr. Raymond Bonda, a 102-year-old veteran of World War II and the Korean War, and presented him with a U.S. flag flown over the U.S. Capitol in his honor, along with a challenge coin.
"Raymond Bonda has spent his life in service to others, from serving our country in World War II and the Korean War to dedicating his career to Tribal communities through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service," said Heinrich. "He came to New Mexico more than 59 years ago and made it home. His service, creativity, and commitment to our communities embody the very best of New Mexico, and it was an honor to meet him and recognize his remarkable life."
Mr. Raymond Bonda trained as an aviation metalsmith and welder and served aboard the seaplane tender USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) in the Western Pacific. After World War II, he attended New York University on the G.I. Bill, where he earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree in social work. When the Korean War began in 1950, Mr. Bonda was recalled to active duty and assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Princeton (CV-37). He was discharged in 1953.
Mr. Bonda stopped in Albuquerque on his way to San Diego, never expecting that a brief stop would lead him to make New Mexico his home for more than 59 years. He retired in 1984 after a long career with the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service (IHS). Mr. Bonda went on to complete a bachelor's degree in Studio Arts at the University of New Mexico. As an artist, he was an active member of the New Mexico Art League, the New Mexico Veterans Art Association, and the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies.
Lastly, Heinrich toured the manufacturing facility of 3D Glass Solutions, an Albuquerque homegrown semiconductor company helping New Mexico lead in space and advanced manufacturing dominance.
Heinrich has advocated to add manufacturing capability for advanced microelectronics packaging and substrates as an eligible use of the Defense Industrial Base Fund, which funds semiconductor work like what is happening at 3D Glass Solutions.
"3D Glass Solutions is a great example of the homegrown innovation happening right here in New Mexico. By investing in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, we are creating more good-paying jobs, strengthening our domestic supply chains, and ensuring America remains a leader in advanced manufacturing and space exploration technologies," said Heinrich.
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Martin Heinrich published this content on October 16, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 17, 2026 at 04:42 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]