Agriculture
The Chamber's involvement with the Agriculture Community in Las Cruces falls under the Community Development Divison of the Chamber.
Division Mission
Focus the assets of the chamber and its membership on improving the quality of life in the community, the transportation and infrastructure and quality of the workforce, which make it more attractive to business. Identify community weaknesses to business and develop solutions.
Currently the Agriculture Committee is responsible for serve as a liaison between the agriculture industry and other related businesses and industries within Doña Ana County. Responsible to initiate and implement programs that will foster knowledge and understanding of the agricultural industry throughout the community.
National Day of the American Cowboy
To honor the Agriculture Community in the area the Chamber has attached itself to the National Day of the American Cowboy Event. The National Day of the American Cowboy was first recognized by Congress and the president in 2006 to honor the men and women that keep the character, spirit and contributions of America's proud history alive. The Chamber's Agriculture Committee began a local event to honor the contributions of Doña Ana County cowboys in 2008.
The recipient of the 2010 Day of the American Cowboy award was Topper Thorpe. Thorpe is a Las Cruces native that grew up on the Thorpe Farm near Doña Ana, attended local schools, and graduated from New Mexico State University. Thorpe was an ROTC student at NMSU and served in the United States Army. He spent most of his military service at Ft. Hood serving as an infantry adjutant. On leave from the military, he married the former Sandy Turner from Engle, N.M. They would have three children. Thorpe would go on to become one of the most influential cattle industry leaders of the 20th Century. Such a distinction came from being selected to the list of the "Most Influential Leaders in the Beef Industry" by one of the most respected publications in the livestock industry. His career in guiding the renowned cattle marketing service, Cattle-Fax, was widely applauded by a huge swath of industry leaders to this day, years after his retirement.
Previous honorees for the Chamber's Doña Ana County Cowboy distinction include Frank DuBois, former director of the New Mexico Department of Agriculture and member of the state agriculture cabinet, and the Cox family, local ranching family that first came to the region in 1888.
This annual event is held at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum each year. Please check our Chamber Calendar of Events for the date of the Celebration
