NMDA, NM State Fair announce 2025 Farm and Ranch Families

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) and the New Mexico State Fair will recognize the 2025 New Mexico Farm and Ranch Families of the Year during the rodeo at the fairgrounds in Albuquerque on Thursday, Sept. 11.

This year’s honorees are the Silverblatt-Buser family of Silver Leaf Farms in Corrales as Farm Family of the Year and the Elkins family of Dunken as Ranch Family of the Year.

Silver Leaf Farms, a 15-acre Certified Organic vegetable farm founded by brothers Aaron and Elan Silverblatt-Buser, supplies local farmers markets, grocers, restaurants, schools and food banks in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The brothers’ backgrounds in business and plant genetics have fueled their growth and innovation, including their retail space, The Farm Stand, which highlights local food and products.

The Elkins family began ranching in New Mexico in 1917 and today manages cow/calf operations across Otero, Chaves and Eddy counties. Alden and Randy Elkins, along with their families, continue the multi-generational ranching legacy while working together to market cattle, maintain the original Dunken ranch, and support their communities.

“Families like the Silverblatt-Busers and the Elkins represent both tradition and innovation in agriculture,” said New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte. “They embody the very best of New Mexico’s farming and ranching communities.”

The Farm and Ranch Families of the Year awards are presented annually by the New Mexico State Fair. NMDA helps select the Farm Family of the Year, while the New Mexico Cattlegrowers’ Association helps select the Ranch Family of the Year. The Silverblatt-Buser and Elkins families join past honorees, including the Wagner and Major families (2024) and the Mayberry and Perez families (2023).