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!