Support our Community Farm Fighting Food Scarcity

It has snowed twice now within the last two weeks on Tiwa Territory (Albuquerque, NM)! When I check in with my friends back East they sometimes don’t understand why we get so excited for rain or snow here! I hear “what’s the big deal it rains all the time here!” Well any moisture is good moisture in the desert! To put in perspective, the last time there was moisture was in December, so we went without any precipitation for a whole two months! Now the Wild Spring Mustards are starting to germinate letting us know that Spring is only a few months away! With the combination of the snow and wild spring plant growth, all of this is coinciding with new events surrounding the farm. Even though it is February, the weather has been a bit warmer than usual, and there has been this call to start plants in the neighboring greenhouse. Thankfully with access to the Sacred Roots Greenhouse, Ancestral Acres Farm and Garden has had the opportunity to grow chiles, flowers, herbs, onions and  leafy greens indoors for the spring and summer seasons!

 The majority of these plant starts will be going to a new growing location (more to share about that later on…) as well as to fellow community members and orgs who are looking to grow food for their neighborhoods and people. Additionally, with the help and support of your donations we have been able to mail out seeds to various people across North America through our Seed Sharing Program! The focus of the Seed Sharing Program is to model the gift that a seed brings as a form of life, preservation, renewal and generosity to the land and to the people.  We are honoring the legacy and call of the seeds to migrate and have shipped various heirloom Sunflowers, Corn, Beans, Melon, Okra, Calendula, and Dill Seeds to folks wanting to participate in our Seed Sharing Program. From California to Georgia as well as locally in so-called New Mexico these seeds have traveled to new homes to be planted and retain the legacy of relationship between soil, water, insects and humans.

There’s always this anticipation and feelings of excitement when starting plants indoors during the winter season.We are looking forward to the spring, to the reemergence of the insects and the greenery of the landscape.With many seeds being shared to various communities, land stewards and growers we are gearing up for some amazing stories about how the seeds grow in their different environments! Here on Tiwa Territory, seeing the little sprouts emerge in the greenhouse does something to the spirit, as they make their transition from seed to seedling to a bigger presence. It’s always humbling to see outside of oneself as a part of a plant’s life cycle and to care for beings such as these. The plants also care for us too in more ways than we realize. Rather it be food, herbal medicine, or the reminder that life is so abundantly present and clear! 

When I’ve been in the greenhouse I often sing to the plants, play music for them, touch them as they continue to grow. I’m sure they are excited too, to grow, to hopefully transition outdoors to their new homes. I hope many other growers, plant lovers, relationship keepers and friends are also leaning into the anticipation of the spring time! Cheers to re-emergence, hope, and to the kind reminder of moisture in the desert and in our hearts!

Hi Dear Ones!

The future is stored in our seeds. To have a relationship with our seeds is an intimate process. To have clarity to maintain balance between giving seeds back to the land, back to the insects, the birds and the people is a practice of deep gratitude. Our plant relatives are such generous beings. 

As the season is coming to a close we at Ancestral Acres Farm and Garden have been harvesting an abundance of seeds from many different types of plants. Since July of this year we have gathered over 5 different varieties of heirloom Beans, a Rainbow Maiz (Corn) variety from the Santo Domingo Pueblo, Sorghum from San Felipe Pueblo, heirloom Amaranth, Isleta Chile seeds, Cayenne Pepper seeds, Barley, Vetch, 3 different varieties of Sunflower Seeds, Melons from Isleta Pueblo, as well as Calendula, Dill, native species of Clover, Cota and I:Hug (Devil’s Claw).

In addition, we have also harvested and shared wondrous vegetables with individual community members, Albuquerque Mutual Aid, All African People's Revolutionary Party-New Mexico, and Pueblo farmers we call neighbors and new friends. Since July of this year over 100lbs of produce has come out of ¼ acre of space we have been managing. Produce such as Okra, Turnips, Carrots, Beets, Kale, Swiss Chard, Potatoes and Onions. In August we hosted a harvest party where members who attended the farm took home Kale, Collard Greens, Green Onions, Flowers and Parsley. 

In September in collaboration with Queering the Farm there were educational teach-ins highlighting the work a Two Spirit relative has been doing at Stop Line 3, workshops on Seed Saving, Intentional and Gentle Movement, Chicken 101 and Herbal Remedies for Cold and Flu Season. Moving into the end of October we are intending to put together a closing ceremony where folks can gather and offer gifts to the farm as we transition to the fall.

As the year is coming to a close, fields are being covered with crops, put to rest despite the consistently warm weather and little rain. Questions come to mind like “what is the growing season going to look like in the next five years?” “Will there be a growing season in the next five years?” Seed saving and seed sharing is a part of envisioning the future. A future that is habitable, viable, different- and yet still alive. Rolling into winter we plan to finish processing the seeds mentioned above, weigh them and share them with community members across the country, prioritizing Pueblo and QTBIPOC growers. If you are feeling called please share with your networks, friends, family and those you call dear about the work that is being done. As we are shifting into the winter months there will be continuous infrastructure projects such as the building of a mobile cold storage trailer and a mobile water catchment system.

Until next time! May you all find rest, belonging and a sense of ease!

-mayam