The great veggie burger experiment in New Mexico oil and gas country

A rancher in the middle of oil country struck gold with plant-based foods before anyone else. Can he survive the fake-meat slump?

By: Frida Garza, Grist

Outlets: Source New Mexico

Published: February 19, 2026

Words: 3,844

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 5 days ago

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This story was produced by Grist and co-published with Source NM.

The first thing Andy Barrientes noticed when he showed up for his shift at RMS Foods on Valentine’s Day, 2005, was the cloud of black smoke emanating from the building.

A fire had started in the factory around 4:20 p.m., not long before Barrientes was scheduled to clock in as maintenance manager at the food manufacturing plant in southeastern …

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