NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MSC 3189, P.O Box 30005 - Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003-8005 Office of the Director/Secretary Dr. I. Miley Gonzalez, Director/Secretary
MEDIA ADVISORY	Fax: (575)646-8120

Dr. I. Miley Gonzalez, director/secretary for New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA), and Craig L. Mapel, NMDA marketing specialist, announce the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) certification to Mr. Eddie Velarde, owner of Rancho de Santa Fe, Velarde Orchards, and the Fruit Basket in Velarde, New Mexico.

Mr. Velarde, a fourteenth-generation fruit farmer, became GAP and GHP certified for apples in October 2007 and is one of the first minority farmers to become certified in the United States.  GAP and GHP certifications are under the USDA Federal-State Audit Program.  These audits are based on the Food and Drug Administration’s Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh-cut Fruits and Vegetables.  This certification assures consumers they have purchased the best quality produce and that it was handled in a manner to reduce the potential of microbial contamination (i.e. salmonella and E. coli).

Velarde has 35 acres and 7,000 trees and is the proprietor of one of the largest fruit farms in northern New Mexico.  He has a 40,000 square foot packing shed and has won numerous awards yearly at the New Mexico State Fair.  Additionally, he is one of four who has received the Outstanding Young Farmer award from the Jaycees and John Deere for his dedication and commitment to farming.

Velarde is on the cutting edge of keeping family farms moving forward toward sustainability in a viable and proven fruit market in an economically depressed area like Rio Arriba County.  Getting certified in GAP and GHP is an investment in the future not only for the farmers but for the community and consumers as well. 

Contact Information:
Craig L. Mapel                                              Eddie Velarde
New Mexico Department of Agriculture        Rancho de Santa Fe
Marketing Specialist                                     Velarde Orchards
(505) 852-3088                                           The Fruit Basket  
                                                                    P. O.  Box 4  
                                                                    Velarde, NM  87582-0004
                                                                    (505) 852-2310

                                                                    www.ranchodesantafe.net

                                                                    ranchodesantafe3@yahoo.com