Welcome to Las Cruces!
We look forward to seeing you in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the ancestral homeland of the Piro/Manso/Tiwa peoples.
Las Cruces is situated in the beautiful Mesilla Valley with the Rio Grande River providing water for people of the Valley. Indigenous people have farmed this area for more than 4,000 years, although it was not until the Elephant Butte Dam was built in 1916 that local farmers were able to make market agriculture profitable. Today, New Mexico truly is an agricultural state!
Early farmers in the area produced a variety of traditional crops like corn, beans, squash, and chile. (Yes, that’s how we spell it.) However, when more water was available, local farmers raised cotton, alfalfa and grass hay, table crops such as cabbage and onions, and pecans. These crops have helped make the Mesilla Valley a highly successful agricultural region.
Spanish settlers arrived in New Mexico in the early 1600s and brought livestock with them. Corriente (common) cattle, Churro sheep, and goats proved to be hardy enough to survive the harsh conditions found in Southern New Mexico. Today, ranchers raise mostly Hereford and Angus beef cattle and Holstein dairy cattle, however you can find most breeds in New Mexico including Brangus and American Brahman, which are particularly suitable for this dry and arid region.
While many people think that chile is New Mexico’s biggest cash crop, it’s not even close. Milk is the biggest money maker in the state followed by beef, onions, pecans, and hay. Still, New Mexico is the second leading state for growing chile, fifth for onions, ninth for milk, fourth for cheese, and third for Angora goats. Chile and cotton take lots of water so their production has been steadily falling. In fact, as you can imagine, severe drought is a constant concern for all ranchers and farmers in the state.
The first vineyards and wine making in the New World were in New Mexico. Franciscan monks brought grape vines to the area in the 1600s and planted them in order to make sacramental wine. Today, there are several wineries located in the Mesilla and Hatch Valleys near Las Cruces. If you are traveling in the area before or after the conference, I highly recommend a trip to Luna Rosa in Mesilla for a great pizza and taste of the wines made in Southern New Mexico. If beer is your thing, there are many artisan breweries in the area as well.
Las Cruces is home to several museums, hiking trails, amazing restaurants, cultural and natural history sites, and lots of really nice people. I hope you have a wonderful visit and be sure to bring your summer clothes!
Leah Tookey
Museum Curator, Retired
Iowa State University, ‘03
Click here for a draft program of the annual meeting. To the right, you can pay for your conference registration. Please note that you will have to complete a second checkout for the optional tour on the afternoon of Friday, June 7. For the CFP, click here.
Registration ends May 3. Late registration is not possible. Important information for presenters and session chairs can be found here.
Food
Your registration fee includes light appetizers at the opening reception (plus cash bar) at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, two lunches (Thursday and Saturday), and hors d'oeuvres (plus cash bar) at the Saturday awards event. All are welcome to attend the two receptions, but we ask that you indicate if you will attend those events on a form you will receive in the coming weeks. The form will also include a space for you to indicate any dietary restrictions. Those who register for the optional conference tour on Friday afternoon will receive a box lunch, with vegan options available.
Optional Friday Conference Tour
As per AHS custom, there is an excursion on Friday afternoon. The itinerary includes a visit to a chile farm near Hatch, a bit of time to see Old Town Mesilla, and a stop at Caliche’s Frozen Custard for a New Mexico-inspired treat. The bus departs from Hotel Encanto at 12:30 PM and those who book the tour will pick up a box lunch just prior to boarding. The bus will return to the hotel at approximately 5:30. Attendance is limited to 55 participants and pre-registration is required. The cost of the tour is $50 with a box lunch included.
Getting to Las Cruces
Las Cruces does not have an international airport, so be sure to book your flight to El Paso. From El Paso International Airport you need to book a shuttle though Las Cruces Shuttle (lascrucesshuttle.com), linked here. The round trip fee is $98 and you must book in advance to ensure availability.
Accommodations and Conference Venue
Lodging is at our conference venue, Hotel Encanto, conveniently located just off Interstate 25. The conference rate for rooms is $114 a night plus tax. AHS has signed a contract for a block of rooms at the hotel that we need to fill to avoid penalties, so your consideration in booking at Hotel Encanto is appreciated. Any rooms in our block that are not reserved by May 3 will be released to the public.
To book a room, please use this link here. Of, you may call 575-522-4300 and provide our group code, 2406AGRIHISTORY.
All conference sessions will be held at the Hotel Encanto.
Conference Conduct Team
Anyone who experiences an incident of harassment or other unprofessional conduct should contact a member of the Conduct Team. The Conduct Team will investigate the incident to determine if any further action is necessary. Members are Wayne Anderson wayne-anderson@uiowa.edu, Sara Morris semorris@ku.edu, and Joe Anderson jlanderson@mtroyal.ca.