ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – When COVID-19 stay-at-home orders were implemented, demand for products from farmers, ranchers, and other food producers became suddenly unreliable, creating an abundance of excess inventory. To help save this perishable inventory, the Rio Grande Community Development Corporation jumped in to help.
Executive director of the Rio Grande Development Corporation, Josue Olivares discusses what they did and what resources are available to local food producers, distributors, and sellers in 2021. RGCDC is a community-based organization that started in 1986 to help local businesses and start-ups create economic progress for the South Valley in Bernalillo County.
Their work also provides assistance to Hispanic small business entrepreneurs who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. To provide assistance to local farmers, ranchers, and food producers during the pandemic, RGCDC launched an online retail store for them to sell their perishable inventory directly to consumers.
They can also sell to institutional buyers like hospitals, schools, and distributors who can purchase large quantities of food. This virtual e-commerce platform has expanded RGCDC’s Delicious New Mexico program that also serves 10 large retailers and institutions in the Taos-Las Cruces corridor.
For more information on the Rio Grande Development Corporation, visit RGCDC.org and also visit their Facebook page.
