Rachael Ryan, a Ph.D. candidate at New Mexico State University who has garnered attention worldwide for her business Backyard Farms, joined an elite group of entrepreneurs as the latest inductee into the NMSU Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.
Ryan’s induction ceremony took place Monday afternoon at NMSU’s Arrowhead Center, where she was recognized for her outstanding achievement in entrepreneurship among NMSU alumni. Ryan was chosen as an exemplary alumna whose business has laid a foundational framework that embodies the entrepreneurial spirit in the region.
“I have been on a long and amazing entrepreneurial journey, with the help of NMSU Arrowhead Center all along the way,” Ryan said. “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.”
Ryan is pursuing a Ph.D. in population genetics and conservation biology. Her master’s degree in biology from NMSU focused on population genetics of the Sacramento Mountains Checkerspot Butterfly from Cloudcroft, New Mexico, which is now the most endangered butterfly in North America after it was recently added to the endangered species list. She is currently helping the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service with a captive breeding and recovery program for the species.
In 2017, she joined the Studio G business accelerator at Arrowhead Center, and went on to win that year’s Aggie Shark Tank competition. She then completed the AgSprint incubator for agriculturally focused businesses.
Backyard Farms has since blossomed into a successful enterprise, giving high-schoolers opportunities to learn more about growing their own food, as well as providing gourmet quail eggs to local businesses. Ryan’s farm-raised quail eggs have been served at several prestigious events and eateries, including by the world-famous chef of Pujol restaurant in Mexico City.
Freeze-dried foods have become the primary focus of Ryan’s attention lately. Using produce with aesthetic imperfections that render it unsellable for small farmers, Ryan turns the produce into ready-to-eat snacks and culinary ingredients, saving them from landfills and returning them to the food system while helping to provide valuable income to farmers using freeze dried technology. These foods reach food insecure populations across the state in schools, senior centers, daycare centers and tribal centers. Backyard Farms won the Success Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for this work in 2022.
“We’re proud to recognize the work Rachael has done through Backyard Farms,” said Kathy Hansen, director of NMSU Arrowhead Center. “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.”
For more information on Backyard Farms, visit www.backyardfarmsfreezedried.com.
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PHOTO CAPTION: Rachael Ryan (right), owner of Backyard Farms, accepts the 2023 New Mexico State University Entrepreneur Hall of Fame plaque from NMSU Board of Regents Chair Ammu Devasthali as NMSU interim President Jay Gogue looks on. Ryan is pursuing a Ph.D. in population genetics and conservation biology at NMSU. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Two women holding a plaque in front of a man applauding.
PHOTO CAPTION: Backyard Farms produces freeze-dried foods using produce with aesthetic imperfections that render it unsellable for small farmers. The produce is turned into ready-to-eat snacks and culinary ingredients, saving them from landfills and returning them to the food system while helping to provide valuable income to farmers using freeze dried technology. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Four bags containing freeze-dried fruit and vegetable products.