Grain School in July

Go to GRAIN SCHOOL at the Albuquerque Museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico!
July 26 – 27, 2019
Albuquerque, NM

Presented by the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance in partnership with Seed Broadcast and Garden’s Edge.

With a focus on ancient and heritage grains, you will learn expert techniques and hands-on skills to grow, harvest, mill, market, and bake with locally adapted grains. Nutritional values of ancient grains will be presented, along with the ecological benefits of adding grains to your garden or farm portfolio.

The course will include field studies at Albuquerque’s Garden’s Edge Grain Garden.

Regular price: $200 – Includes a locally sourced lunch with heritage grains featured

RMSA Supporting Members price: $160

https://rockymountainseeds.org/attend/grain-school/grain-school-albuquerque

 

Using Mushroom bricks to remediate soil

In a process called mycoremediation, mushrooms have the ability to remove chemicals from soil. (photo: Enrique Díaz/7cero/Getty Images)

Oyster mushrooms may break down contaminants in Northern New Mexico.

t the Española Healing Foods Oasis in Española, New Mexico, Pueblo dryland farming techniques are on display in a downtown public park. The garden, designed and planted by the Indigenous-led organization Tewa Women United, demonstrates how food and medicine can be grown in an environment that receives just 11 inches of rain per year. And at a nearby community garden, which the organization helped operate in the past, Pueblo members and locals grow fruit and vegetables.

The garden projects are part of the organization’s efforts to grow foods and herbs for people in the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos, as well as locals in the wider Española Valley, using traditional methods. But there’s a problem: The soils at these gardens are being exposed to contaminants. Tewa Women United hopes oyster mushrooms will clean them up.

https://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/56098-indigenous-communities-in-new-mexico-can-save-the-earth-with-mushrooms

Check out Tewa Women United’s Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/TewaWomenUnited/

 

 

Valencia Community Gardens May 1, 2019 Annual Membership Meeting

Valencia Community Gardens’ annual membership meeting will be held Wed. May 1st at 10 am at the Garden on Silva Rd. in historic Tome. This year marks our 10th Anniversary, and we will share how the garden developed, our current activities, and our plans for the future. New members are welcome. Come enjoy the fellowship of other gardeners growing fresh healthy food. Coffee and pastries will be served. Call President Deb Christensen at 865-4070 for more info.

pic for May 1 meeting.cropped

Lots of helpers at the garden

IMG-3652.croppedIMG-3654.croppedSaturday, March 30, 2019

Another picture of the whole group at our facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/Valencia-Community-Gardens-529928913724097

35 youth volunteers, led by Athena Pratt and other dedicated adults, gave the garden a big boost yesterday when they came to dig out bermuda grass and perform other much-needed garden cultivating. As Joyce Johns, our outreach person and former president said, “The event was well focused, adults and youth working together and learning, similar to our own way of working in the garden. It was a good match.” From near and far–from Bosque Farms, Albuquerque, and Carrizozzo to Costa Rica–the helpers were respectful to us and the garden and really seemed to enjoy the work. VCG President Deb Christensen adds, “It WAS a good day with the kids.” Thank you thank you. Joyce’s photos give a taste of the attentiveness, quiet energy and good spirit of the kids.

Outreach gardener Joyce Johns said “the event was well focused, adults and youth working together and learning, similar to our own way of working in the garden. It was a good match.”

To learn more about the volunteers’ belief in service, see https://www.bahai.org/beliefs/life-spirit/devotion/work-service

Healthy Soil Act signed into law

Message on Behalf of the NM Healthy Soil Working Group:
The Healthy Soil Act has been signed by Governor Lujan Grisham!

First and foremost we want to thank you and the growing coalition of supporters for all your advocacy and help carrying this bill through. The long list of supporters (attached) is a testament to the importance of soil health and the amazing alliance that has formed over the course of this legislative session!

Big thanks to Representative Nathan Small, who has been a true legislative champion, as well as co-sponsors Representative Melanie Stansbury and Senator Liz Stefanics, along with numerous other legislators who supported the bill in bipartisan fashion (including Senator Peter Wirth and Representatives Jack Chatfield, Paul Bandy, Andrea Romero and Matthew McQueen)!

Of course we also want to give many thanks to the Governor and her staff who helped make this happen! Please consider writing a thank you note to the Governor and Legislators mentioned (contact info below).

We’ll keep in touch regarding supporting the successful implementation of the Healthy Soil Program. In the meantime enjoy the springtime and keep up your dedication to soil stewardship.