When we can, let’s all lend a helping hand!

"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”   –Mark Twain 

Seniors of the Month   

February 2025  ---  Norma and Dosi Alvarez

Congratulations  Seniors of the Month

Dosi attended college at New Mexico State University, where he received a degree in Animal Science. He initially wanted to become a vet but found the calculus to be quite difficult. After graduation, he worked at Swift Packing Company in Arizona for one year. He was a beef selector in the cooler. In 1975 he returned to the farm to run it after his father retired and has had no regrets. Norma worked at the computer center at NMSU and Seven Oaks International. She enjoyed the work and people because she can get along with many people.

Norma loves farm life, the outdoors, and riding horses. She enjoys cutting weeds and believes that working outside helps keep you healthy. She is also good at cutting and baling hay. They both used to get up at 2 or 3 a.m. to go out and bale hay. She knows how to drive the tractors and loves being married to Dosi.

They own a horse farm called the Lazy A Farm in Anthony. They raise racehorses and enjoy getting them ready for the big sale of yearlings in Ruidoso.  When young, both Norma and Dosi loved riding horses. Norma was a member of both a rodeo club and 4-H. Dosi liked to go fishing, camping, 4-wheeling, and playing baseball.

Norma and Dosi like living in La Union because of the farming, the community is small, and the people are warm and kind. People make you feel like you belong. It’s quiet, though there are loud parties sometimes. They have had the good fortune of traveling to Japan, Spain, Germany, Europe, Costa Rica, Canada, and Italy. From their travels, they have learned about different customs and cultures and that there are good people everywhere. One thing they learned was that the Japanese are very honorable and respectful people.

Norma has learned from life experiences that the most valuable lesson is to keep trying no matter how many times you get knocked down. Because we're all going to fail, but we can use those failures to learn. Use the lessons you learned to do better.  A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Both Norma and Dosi appreciate their relationships and health. Dosi's advice is to treat others the way you would like to be treated.

Dosi says he will soon be retiring and his son, Dosi (nickname D), will be working the farm. Although Dosi will never truly retire because there is always something to do. Dosi will continue to oversee the operations of the farm. D is currently doing hands-on management, and he can fix anything. D is very intelligent and knows technology very well. He has that edge over them. Dosi Sr. loves the tractor and comes back feeling energized. D shares in making major decisions. Both Dosi Sr. and Norma have created and developed a successful business operation. They have international customers. Young Dosi (D) will be in charge of managing a large operation.

Norma and Dosi are committed to giving back to people. They try to be good neighbors. Dosi would help Sister Mary Ellen with odds and ends that she needed. He was involved in the construction and maintenance of the baseball field. During the flood, Dosi and D would help people by pulling them out of muddy and flooded areas where they were stuck. Both Norma and Dosi have NMSU students visiting the Alvarez Farm and Lazy A Horse Farm. They believe in mentoring and giving back to the communities and young adults. Norma usually hires a couple of students during the summer to give them work experience. Some of them want to become veterinarians. Norma does her best to help students achieve their dreams by hiring and training them.

If Dosi and Norma were to give a young person advice, they would say that they should know what their dream is and aspire and work hard to achieve it. They should also set themselves some goals and do their best to achieve them.

Their Nicknames

Norma:  Rainbow, people tend to call her Rainbow because she always shows up after the storm

Ramon:  Dosi. His grandmother gave him that nickname because she always used to tell him the Latin verses below. She started calling him Pan Dosi then later shortened it to simply Dosi.

Latin verses told to Dosi

Pan Dosi – God everywhere

Toviris – Power, force, strength

Contoris – In all things speak of the glory of God

Committees/Boards Dosi Serves In: 

·         EBID Elephant Butte Irrigation District – 8 years

·         FSA County Committee for Farmers – 8 years

·         Mesa Farmers Co-op Gin – 32 years

·         Delegate from New Mexico to National Cotton Council – 4 years

·         *D is now a delegate for the National Cotton Council

·         Mesa Farmers Co-op Cotton Gin – Current President  

·         They built the Gin in Vado and it serves the whole valley plus Deming and Hatch and they get organic cotton from Texas and Arizona. It is the only organic cotton gin in the state of New Mexico.

·         Committee Member to select a Sustainable faculty at NMSU

Dosi said that: 

The definition of a good farmer is

one who is OUT standing in his field.

Congratulations!  You are distinguished members of our community. We appreciate you helping friends and family during times of hardships (flood) in La Union. Your recognition is very well deserved!