East Valencia Urban Garden Program

The East Valencia Urban Gardens Program (EVUGP) aims to increase access to locally grown and healthy food, conserve water and soil resources, increase economic opportunities and reach youth through farming and gardening of fruits and vegetables in El Cerro Mission and Meadow Lake, NM. EVUGP started out of concerns that East Valencia communities are drastically underserved, with higher poverty rates and considered a food desert with only convenient stores available. We reach hundreds of community members each year through events, workshops, interships and volunteer opportunities that teach about how to grow food in an arid, hot climate, teach community members how to grow food directly from two community gardens. We also donate over 2,500 lbs of fresh produce in the communities each year from these gardens.
We are:

• Community members from El Cerro Mission and Meadow Lake demonstrating small-scale regenerative practices ;
• TWO community gardens, in El Cerro Mission and Meadow Lake;
• Fifteen youth interns learning everything from planting seeds to harvesting and selling produce;
• Free workshops and classes for the community;
• Seed to Supper Spring 6-week class series, to start your own backyard garden;
• Financial Assistance programs to start backyard gardens and conserve water and soil resources (water harvesting, native plants, hoop houses, and more)

News-Bulletin Article May, 2021
Community Garden Gets Funding
https://news-bulletin.com/community-garden-gets-funding/