New Mexico State University (NMSU) has announced that Rachael Ryan, a Ph.D. candidate at the institution, is the latest inductee into the NMSU Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. Ryan's business, Backyard Farms, provides high school students with opportunities to explore food cultivation and supplies gourmet quail eggs to local businesses along with freeze-dried foods.
Ryan leverages freeze-drying technology through Backyard Farms to convert food into ready-to-eat snacks and culinary ingredients. This initiative has not only curbed food waste but also generated income for small farmers by providing these repurposed foods to populations facing food insecurity. In acknowledgment of her significant contribution, Backyard Farms was awarded the Success Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2022. According to a press release by NMSU, Ryan is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in population genetics and conservation biology.
"I have been on a long and amazing entrepreneurial journey, with the help of NMSU Arrowhead Center all along the way," said Ryan. "I have wound up in a place that I was always meant to be in, surrounded by plants, animals, friends and colleagues doing what I love."
The Entrepreneur Hall of Fame at NMSU honors graduates who have established businesses, integrated innovative entrepreneurial ideas and methodologies into workplaces, and improved the entrepreneurial environment in their respective regions. The annual award is given to one alumnus with the aim of fostering entrepreneurial thinkers and practitioners across diverse disciplines, according to information provided on the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame webpage by the NMSU Arrowhead Center.
"We're proud to recognize the work Rachael has done through Backyard Farms," said Kathy Hansen, director of NMSU Arrowhead Center, as per an NMSU press release. "With Rachael's vision and dedication, she has gained a spot in our Entrepreneur Hall of Fame for 2023. We know we will continue to watch her business and success grow and are inspired by Rachael's resolve to make a difference in this region."
