Santa Fe Urban Farming Program

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350 Santa Fe / XR Urban Farming Program

The Regenerative Urban Agriculture Coalition - South Side was a collaboration of 350 Santa Fe, Xtinction Rebellion Santa Fe and NM Healthy Soils Working Group. One of the goals of the coalition was to establish and maintain a regenerative local foodshed in Santa Fe. Issues considered included setting up farms, permitting, seeds, and soil regeneration training.

Urban Farming Team

The team was dedicated to helping citizens establish their own residential garden, participate and launch a neighborhood garden, participate in trainings, and anything else to get them tied into the community.

Past project coordinators

  • Nathalie Volkle-Castillo
  • Isabelle Jenniches
  • Daniel Borrero

Browse the guides below, and send us an email if you need help getting this program going again!

Tackling climate change and deep adaptation

Reducing GHG with Healthy Soil

  • (Notes from a talk with Wildcat and Isabelle Jenniches about the proper way to setup regenerative soil)

Healthy soil not only promotes healthy crops and plants, but also has a huge capacity for storing carbon. Plants capture carbon in the form of carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. Some of that carbon is transferred to the roots of the plant and excreted into the soil in the form of organic acids and sugars. Microorganisms like fungi, nematodes, and bacteria feed on carbon sources from the plant roots, establishing what is referred to as mycorrhizae. All of this makes up a healthy soil structure that promotes plant growth and stores carbon. Conventional agriculture destroys the soil structure and depletes carbon and nutrients in the soil through chemical fertilizers, tilling, and monoculture.

For farming and gardening to reduce GHG, the health of the soil must be maintained. Several practices should be followed:

  • No-till farming: The soil should not be tilled and turned over. This disturbs the structure of fungi in the soil around plant roots. Soil can be aerated without tilling it using the right tools.
  • Avoid synthetic fertilizers and pesticides: Nitrogen-rich synthetic fertilizers and herbicides have carbon-intensive manufacturing processes.
  • Use cover crops: Cover crops like legumes and grasses actually deposit nitrogen into the soil, which helps feed other plants and organisms in the mycorrhizae. Cover crops planted in the off-season also protect the soil from wind and water erosion.
  • Rotate crops: In large garden spaces and farmlands, it is important to rotate the type of crops grown in each area on a yearly basis. Continuously planting the same crops will deplete soil of certain nutrients. Rotating crops lets the soil recover and maintain a balance of nutrients.

Blogs and websites curated by highly experienced sustainable farmers and gardeners are great resources to get started:

Building community farms and gardens

Residential garden

Let us help you establish a residential garden in your own yard!

Home gardens generally fall into two categories: raised beds, and in-ground beds. The most important part of either one is to ensure you have healthy soil. There are several sources of information about establishing your garden online.

In-ground - The Spruce blog has excellent instructions for establishing an in-ground garden bed, from removing grass to nourishing your soil, .

Raised Beds - Raised beds can be made out of essentially anything-- wood, cinderblocks, bricks, galvanized metal, the list goes on. The links below include a guide from Joe Gardener, and some raised bed kits available for sale online.

Sunken Beds

Neighborhood Garden

The City of Santa Fe Community Garden program offers raised garden beds throughout the city for a small annual fee. You get a garden plot with a water spigot to grow your own vegetables and maintain the garden area. Contact Jessie Esparza for more information. Her contact information is located in the Community Garden webpage.

  • Potential locations for neighborhood farms


Planting

Seed exchange program

  • (Frenchy Barn seed exchange / other seed exchange methods TODO)

Seedling Delivery Program

  • (What are our sources for seedlings TODO)

Seasonal crops and Timeline

Composting

  • Hot Composting

Persistent Herbicides are a problem in NM. Be careful of your manure sources.

Produce exchange?

The AgriGate of Santa Fe County - Santa Fe County Government Program has a food community map, allows for listing CSA produce.

Resources

Backyard Gardening Carbon Sequestration Guide

Backyard Carbon Sequestration: What does Synthetic Fertilizer Have to do With it?

Climate Victory Gardens - Climate Victory Gardening is all about helping you make decisions and choose practices to grow good food that’s also good for the planet.

Drawdown Food, Agriculture and Land Use - Drawdown analysis regarding on Food, Agriculture and Land Use.

Madrid Community Garden - Contact: Kate Dyer

Natural Carbon Capture - a discussion on a variety of processes.

New Mexico Healthy Soil Working Group - Contact: Isabelle Jenniches

Santa Fe County Cooperative Extension Service - Contact: Kate Dyer

Santa Fe Master Gardeners Program - from NMSU

Santa Fe Reunity Farm (Formerly Santa Fe Community Farm on Agua Fria)

Regeneration International Goal: to reverse global warming and end world hunger by facilitating and accelerating the global transition to regenerative agriculture and land management.

Santa Fe / NM Garden and Farm Blogs

The Dandelion Ranch

Gaia Gardens

Giant Veggie Gardener - Blog from Santa Fe based 'artisan gardener' and their guide to Santa Fe Gardening.

GreenFire Times

The Raincatcher, A Santa Fe Permaculture Food Forest

Regenesis Group, Santa Fe

San Pancho Community Garden

Seed Broadcast