Growing Food and Community Together

Cultivando La Comida y La Comunidad Juntos

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UPDATE: 2020 National Association of Conservation Districts Urban Agriculture Grant Awardee!!

East Valencia Urban Gardens was awarded $50,000 for the next year. These funds go towards many projects:

• Expanding the El Cerro Mission Community Garden to twice as large. Includes a fruit tree orchard, private garden beds for community members to rent, and a kids' gardening section;
• Creating a District-wide school garden network to support teachers/community members in starting a school garden;
• Creating a local grower's market or food distribution system on the East Mesa that includes opportunities for folks with SNAP benefits,
• Starting a Kids Summer Gardening Program in Meadow Lake and El Cerro Mission;
• Creating a Community Advisory Group to make decisions at the community gardens, and
• Developing partnerships and a long-term plan for sustainability of the program,
• Continuing other program components like workshops, soil testing, the Youth Farming Internship, etc.

UPDATE: 2020 New Mexico Department of Agriculture Heathly Soils Education Grant Awardee!!

East Valencia Urban Gardens was awarded $12,430 for the next year to go towards a healthy soils education project:

• We will work with 10 local growers/ranchers and 15 youth interns to test the use of the Johnson-Su Bioreactor Compost on pasture, productions farms, community gardens and backyard gardens.
• Participants will be trained in Healthy Soils Principles.
• The project will culminate with a tour and workshop in the Fall for the public to learn from.

Overview of Our Program

The East Valencia Urban Gardens Program (EVUGP) aims to increase access to locally grown and healthy food, conserve water and soil resources, increase economic opportunities and reach youth through farming and gardening of fruits and vegetables. EVUGP started because of concerns expressed for improving the District's local food economy during a  series of community consensus meetings on building a more resilient community to climate change. We teach community members how to grow food, lead two youth gardening programs, connect farmers to resources and are working to start the first farmer's market on the East Mesa. EVUGP is specifically concerned with working on projects on the East Mesa, an underserved area that has minimal access to healthy foods and a higher poverty rate.

We are:

• Community members;
• TWO community gardens, in El Cerro Mission and Meadow Lake;
• A growing youth internship program learning everything from planting seeds, to harvesting and selling produce;
• Weekly kids programs starting again in 2020! Learn about growing food and share in fun activities;
• Free workshops for the community;
• Seed to Supper Spring Class series to learn how to start your own backyard garden;
• Financial Assistance programs to start backyard gardens and conserve water and soil resources (water harvesting, native plants, hoop houses, and more)  

Join the community gardens!

We have regularly scheduled work days at the community gardens and you can join anytime! Regular volunteers in a community garden may harvest some of the produce.

Meadow Lake: To be announced in 2020

100 Cuerro Ln, Meadow Lake, NM (behind the Meadow Lake Community Center)

El Cerro: To be announced in 2020

309 El Cerro Mission Rd, El Cerro Mission, NM (behind the El Cerro Mission Community Center)

UPCOMING EVENTS!

Permaculture Workshop - Postponed due to Covid-19

Date TBD

Join us a full-day workshop teaching the basics of how to incorporate permaculture concepts into your garden, farm or homestead. Learn how to conserve water, reduce waste, plant large amounts of food in a small area and save money! Lead by Certified Permaculture Design Expert.

Seed to Supper Spring Series - Postponed due to Covid-19

Saturdays, February 29 - April 4, 2020

The highly popular Seed to Supper class series is back this year! This class teaches everything you need to know to start your own backyard garden. We will cover choosing a site, building healthy soils, propogating your own plants, maintaining your garden, conserving water, pest management and more! First 10 participants to complete the series from the East Mesa recieve a Garden Starter Kit worth $250 that includes seeds, tools, drip hose, compost and more! (Garden Kits are funded through the VSWCD mil levy tax.) Lindsey Diaz leads the curriculum, developed by I-CAN NMSU  Cooperative Extension with visiting experts. Ms. Diaz has 20+ years gardening throughout the western US, is Certified in Permaculture Design and focuses on how to conserve resources and build sustainable sollutions that reduce waste and save money and efforts.

Community Gardens Wish List

The East Valencia Community Garden relies on donations from the community to support the start of the community gardens so that the opportunity remains free for participants. If you have items to donate to the garden please contact Lindsey at EVUrbanGardens@gmail.com. Thank you!!

Fruit trees and shrubs (1st priority)

Straw bails (old or new)

Shovels

Hoes

Picnic Tables (or chairs/tables)

4x4 and 2x4 wood (old or new)

shade netting

Contact for more information, question or feedback:

Lindsey Díaz , EVUG Program Coordinator

EVUrbanGardens@gmail.com