A Los Poblanos hero: Aldo Leopold

We feel very fortunate to be in New Mexico right now, with vast open spaces, fresh air and big blue skies, and are thankful for the time to walk in the Bosque or in the city's acres of Open Space. One of our heroes at Los Poblanos is the great conservationist Aldo Leopold, whose many years in New Mexico left an impressive environmental legacy on our state. His work in Albuquerque lead to the creation of the Rio Grande Valley State Park, Zoo, Botanic Gardens and Rio Grande Nature Center. In fact, the Nature Center is just down the street from our farm, and is a gateway to the Aldo Leopold Forest and Trail. 

A look back on an amazing year

2019 at Los Poblanos

As the property slows down after the holiday season, we’re taking time to look back on 2019. The year was filled with many exciting changes at Los Poblanos, from the addition of chickens and sheep to the farm to improving benefits for our growing number of employees. With a complex business, we are constantly challenging ourselves to innovate and be good stewards of the land. While we certainly faced hurdles and setbacks, we are thrilled to share some of our accomplishments from the year as we rolled up our sleeves to further our mission of sustainable agriculture, hospitality, historic preservation and community.

A new way to start the day

Fall brings crisp mornings and new seasonal offerings to the Campo breakfast menu. Begin a lovely new day in our sunny dining room and enjoy breathtaking views of the Sandia Mountains, our farm fields and the changing colors of the ancient cottonwood trees. Enjoy delicious new additions to the menu, like the savory Green Chile Breakfast Enchiladas, cozy Hot Steel-cut Oats with Chimayo red chile caramel apples and Smoked Brisket and Egg featuring corn roasted underground right on the farm. Campo's culinary team has created unforgettable dishes that are perfect for the season and just might make breakfast your favorite meal of the day.

Women of the farm

From Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms to Penny Rembe, Los Poblanos has a long history of women deeply engaged in all areas of the farm. Carrying on their strong tradition, women continue to play an integral part of the story of Los Poblanos, from the bakery to the finance office to the fields. We're pleased to introduce our female farmers and landscapers who contribute to agrarian culture at the farm, from the organic produce provided to Campo to the beautifully maintained gardens. 

Everything’s coming up roses

Relax among historic gardens

Our formal Spanish-style gardens were designed in 1932 by Rose Greely, a pioneer female landscape architect. The Greely Garden at Los Poblanos is her only known work in the Southwest and features vibrant flower beds irrigated with river water, Spanish tile fountains, rose cutting gardens and winding pathways. 

Penny and Armin honored by JCC

We're pleased to announce that this year, Los Poblanos founders and owners Penny and Armin Rembe received the JCC Common Good Investing Humanitarian Award for their preservation of the historic Los Poblanos property and for cultivating a dynamic business dedicated to sustainable agriculture. 

Here they are in the lavender fields they planted almost 20 years ago.

Recent press in Architectural Digest

We're so excited to share this Architectural Digest article that describes our recent expansion and renovation in partnership with our friends at Atkin Olshin Schade Architects. This project added 28 guest rooms and restored historic dairy barns that house our new restaurant, Campo, expanded the Farm Shop and provided more space for lavender production. Executive Director Matt Rembe says the renovation was all about "being respectful of the past while introducing new ideas and innovation.”

Partner AOS Architects is currently exhibiting their innovative architectural preservation work at the 2018 Venice Biennale Exhibit as part of the exhibition TIME SPACE EXISTENCE until November 25, 2018. We congratulate AOS and are thrilled to have collaborated with them. 

Photo courtesy of Atkin Olshin Schade Architects / Kate Russell Photography.

Introducing Campo

We are pleased to announce the opening of breakfast and dinner service at Campo, our new restaurant located in the newly-restored dairy buildings at Los Poblanos. Meaning “field” in Spanish, Campo is the perfect name this new venture. With Executive Chef Jonathan Perno at the helm, Campo is the most authentic field-to-fork dining experience in the city. We would like to take this opportunity to invite friends, family, guests, and colleagues to come experience two new fire-centric menus while dining amidst the fields of the Rio Grande River Valley.

Dairy Barn Restoration

Ever since Penny and Armin opened up their home as a 6-room bed and breakfast over 15 years ago, Los Poblanos has experienced  steady, measured growth. Much like the stone fruit trees in our orchard, Los Poblanos, as a business, has spent its early life setting deep roots in the community and growing its proverbial branches – Historic Inn, Events, Organic Farm, Lavender Products, and Farm Shop. Those years of hard work, perseverance, and nurturing have laid a strong foundation for what will surely be our most fruitful stage of growth yet. We are currently in the process of renovating the historic dairy barns (once home to the dairy co-op that would become Creamland Dairies) into a brand new space which will include a field-to-fork restaurant, artisan bar, small-batch bakery, as well as a new home for the Farm Shop. The north pasture, which has been largely unused until now, will soon be home to 28 new guest rooms overlooking five acres of newly planted fields and gardens. Once finished, these rooms will boast sweeping views of the Rio Grande River Valley and the majestic Sandia Mountains. Their style is in the vocabulary of the historic dairy buildings.

Spotlight: Penny Rembe

Penny and Armin Rembe, founders of Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm.

As a company as well as a community we firmly believe that the most important element at Los Poblanos – the thing that makes this business what it is – are the people who work to maintain the history and essence of this historic property. And at the core of that, the heart and soul of this place, is Penny Rembe.  Penny is the co-founder and matriarch of Los Poblanos as we know it today. Without her drive, determination, generosity, and expertise in business none of us would be here, able to do what we love every day. In relation to Los Poblanos, Penny’s story is probably one of the most important, so it seems only appropriate that she be the focus of our first spotlight piece.