Thanks Giving On The Ranch - Western Reunion

A New Mexico family in the business of hospitality puts its expertise to good use during a casual, close-knit gathering infused with flavors of the Southwest.

- Caroline Collins Mckenzie

Los Poblanos, a family owned-and-operated organic farm and boutique inn located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has gotten a lot of attention in the last few years. Their chef, Jonathan Perno, has received numerous accolades. The resort’s field-to-fork philosophy and unique Southwestern aesthetic have been heralded by travelers from around the world. The property has popped up on both the Food Network and PBS. And business is booming for the farm’s retail arm, which includes products ranging from gardening tools and beauty products to farm-fresh foods (farmshop.lospoblanos.com).

But all of that would have been impossible to predict more than 40 years ago when Armin Rembe, an oncologist, and his wife, Penny, bought their dream home. The 1930s farmhouse was designed by famed New Mexico architect John Gaw Meem and set on 12.5 acres that had been part of the massive 800-acre Los Poblanos Ranch and one of Albuquerque’s cultural centers for many years.

This little slice of the Rio Grande became the ideal spot for the Rembes to raise their four children—Armin Jr., Matthew, Jay, and Emily—and teach them the beauty of living off the land. Back in those days, before the lights and the cameras, the action pretty much consisted of the kids sweating beneath the Southwestern sun while herding sheep and farming alfalfa. “We worked 40 hours a week during our summers,” says Matthew, now Executive Director of Los Poblanos. “We all developed our work ethics in those fields.”