On a recent rainy and blustery Saturday morning, several dozen Burqueños huddled under a canopy to attend the celebration of a new community farm, classroom and community gathering space.
Community elder Earlson Creepingbear led the group in prayer. The aroma of burning sage mixed in with the smell of the rain and fresh fertilizer on 9,000 square feet of crop land.
The grand opening of Raices Sagradas Community Farm in Albuquerque’s South Valley on Oct. 24 marked the culmination of years of work and planning. Operating on a property that was once an illegal dumping ground, the farm is designed for long-term climate resilience and community education.
The farm, located at 1025 Citation Drive SW, is a project of the Agri-Cultura Network, a South Valley-based collective of small-scale farmers and ranchers across New Mexico. Agri-Cultura’s food access and community outreach program, La Cosecha Community Supported Agriculture, will oversee direct sales of produce from the farm locally, as well as wholesale distribution.
The farm will also serve as a teaching center, where people can learn the water conservation and other sustainable practices used at Raices Sagradas.
“It’s going to be a living classroom out here, so we’re very excited about that,” said Helga Garcia-Garza, executive director of Agri-Cultura and La Cosecha.
The farm uses rainwater catchment and other water-wise conservation loops to minimize evaporation and maximize the amount of water retained in soil. The 9,000 square? feet of organic farming plots will include dedicated pollinator habitats. The facility, which includes two large greenhouses, is powered by an offgrid solar micro-generation system. Its sustainable farming practices include a seed program for classifying, preserving, and distributing seeds of drought-resistant native plants.
In addition to food production, Raices Sagradas will also serve as an open-air classroom and gathering site for regional growers, elders, and local youth. The site will host ongoing public workshops, technical agricultural demonstrations, and seed-sharing exchanges to build local food self-sufficiency.
"Raices Sagradas is about remembering that our future is connected to how we care for the land today," Garcia-Garza said. "We are creating a place where ancestral knowledge and innovative practices come together – where we can restore soil, conserve water, protect seeds and pollinators, grow food, and give the next generation the tools to care for the land.”
