ABQ Fresh Forum: A Free Event Elevating Our Local Food Future

Join us for a FREE forum. We're bringing Albuquerque together to build a local food system that provides access to healthy, affordable food for every family.

Date: Dec. 16, 2025
Time: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Location: ABQ Convention Center

The ABQ Fresh Forum, planned for December 16, 2025, will bring together city leaders, community partners, growers, producers, distributors, and local businesses to design a stronger, more sustainable, and more affordable food system for Albuquerque.

This one-day forum is part of Affordable ABQ, the City’s initiative to make everyday life more affordable for families. It will focus on expanding access to fresh, healthy food, especially in undeserved neighborhoods and food deserts, while strengthening the local food economy.

We are working to craft and implement policies and programs to increase access to fresh, healthy, affordable foods for families in Albuquerque, including:

Supporting the local food system at all levels, from local food growers and producers to local food distribution networks to local vendors and direct sales opportunities
Permitting small-scale neighborhood markets and bodegas, and incentivizing fresh and healthy food options
Permitting mobile food markets and incentivizing fresh and healthy food options
Working with all sectors within the local food system to establish an equitable, resilient and sustainable food system in Albuquerque

Forum Goals

Identify policy reforms needed to expand access to fresh, affordable, local food.
Coordinate across city departments to streamline support for growers, markets, and food access programs.
Develop innovative business models that connect local farmers with families in every neighborhood.
Ensure equity, focusing on food deserts and communities with the highest food insecurity.

What to Expect

Keynote from Mayor Keller on affordability and food access.
Panels and workshops with city departments, growers, nonprofits, and food entrepreneurs.
Breakout sessions to design community-driven solutions for neighborhood food access.
A Fresh Local Food Action Plan outline to guide Albuquerque’s food system reform over the next five years.

Together, we can ensure healthy, affordable food is within reach for every Albuquerque family while supporting local farmers, food businesses, and community resilience.

Program Overview

8-9 a.m. | Check-in & Breakfast
9 to 9:30 a.m. | Welcome
9:45 to 11:30 a.m | Block A: Growing the Local Food System
11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. | Working Lunch (Networking & Collaboration) – Connecting the Dots
1 to 2:45 p.m. | Block B: Expanding Food Access and Affordability
3 to 4:45 p.m. | Block C: Circular Food Systems & Sustainability
5 to 5:30 p.m. | Closing

Full Program

8 to 9 a.m. | Check-In & Breakfast

Goals & Visioning boards with materials
City Department Tables
Networking

9 to 9:30 a.m. | Welcome & Introduction

Remarks from Mayor Tim Keller
Speaker To Be Announced
Orientation & Goals for Forum

9:45 to 10:45 a.m | Discussion Panel A: Policy and Partnership for Urban Agriculture

Discussion on zoning, incentives, public policy, and partnerships to support urban agriculture in Albuquerque.

10:45 to 11:30 a.m. | Interactive Break Out A: Urban Agriculture & Community Growing

Hands-on and interactive City-owned property map assessment of urban agriculture opportunities.
Explore how City facilities, properties, and public spaces can support growing.
Identify policies to support local/urban agriculture.
Explore how partnerships can support urban agriculture in Albuquerque.

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Working Lunch| Connecting the Dots

Informal round-table discussions organized by theme tables:
- Food Producer Partnerships
- Food Business Support
- Surplus Food Rescue Collaboration & Composting

1 to 2 p.m. | Discussion Panel B: Access & Equity: Making Local Food Affordable

Discussion about opportunities to address challenges/barriers to local food access – incentives, resources, partnerships, and policies.

2 to 2:45 p.m. | Interactive Break Out B: Neighborhood Bodegas & Mobile Fresh Food Markets

Workshop for equitable, sustainable neighborhood food access.
Connecting local growers/producers with local business and customers.
Co-create “Neighborhood Food” models.
Hands-on and interactive map assessment to identify opportunities to expand food access through the use of City-owned properties.

3 to 4 p.m. | Discussion Panel C: Closing the Loop: Turning Waste into Resource

Discussion about waste reduction, including surplus food rescue and redistribution and waste diversion and composting.

4 to 4:45 p.m. | Interactive Break Out C: Surplus Food Rescue & Composting Innovation Lab

Work-shopping ways the City can support organizations, businesses, and networks doing food waste prevention, rescue, and composting work in Albuquerque.
Hands-on and interactive map assessment to identify opportunities to utilize City-owned properties for surplus food rescue and redistribution and for composting.

5 to 5:30 p.m. | Closing & Recap

Next Steps
Call to Action