Come out Saturday October 2nd. Rio Grande Community Farm will be hosting a free music event at the farm. We’ll have musicians all day so be sure to come out and enjoy the cool fall weather at the farm. The festivities will kick off at 10am. The schedule includes Susan Clark, Robert Roman, Almos Pau, Kathryn Soapes, and the Saints & Sinners. See Schedule
Come gaze at the stars with the help of The Albuquerque Astronomy Society‘s and see the stars like never before. Show up before sundown for some time to explore the maze and then stop and check out the night sky through the society’s telescopes.
Learn more about the Maize Maze costs and locations.
Image from WIldlife West
Several New Mexico wildlife organizations will be out at the Maize Maze on Saturday, September 11th from 10am to 4pm. Come out and see birds of prey from Wildlife West and Wildlife Rescue. There will also be representation from NM Wildlife Federation and other organizations.
The design of this year’s Maize Maze consists of the wildlife often found at the Los Poblanos Fields Open Space. This includes coyotes, rabbits, lizards, and migrating birds. The Maize Maze is actually food for these birds as they travel back south.
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO (September 3, 2010) ““ Rio Grande Community Farm is announcing the opening of the 2010 Maize Maze season on September 3rd at 6pm. Maize Maze is an exciting, outdoor alternative for fall activities, celebrations and field trips.
Located on one of the oldest continuously farmed parcels of land in the U.S., this historic farm has been an agricultural center since 300 A.D. It’s a 139-acre tract of farm land located at the Los Poblanos Open Space near Montano and Rio Grande. Here you can see acequias, organic food production, community gardens and a variety of local and migrating wildlife. Every year, the farm puts on the Maize Maze for its annual fundraiser.
This is an elaborate 7 acre maze cut using GPS technology into a 7-acre field full of corn. Coyote Magic is the theme of this year’s Maize Maze. A coyote will be cut into a 7-acre field, providing hours of fun as attendees use the maze’s many wildlife checkpoints to successfully navigate their way out of the maze. This year’s maze was designed by award winning author and illustrator Gerald McDermott.
This fundraiser helps the farm continue its many contributions to the Albuquerque area by growing certified organic produce for Albuquerque Public Schools, using natural farming methods without the use of toxic chemicals, providing habitat for local and migrating wildlife, providing members with a community garden to grow food and maintaining a beautiful open space for the public. Please come see for yourself!
Learn More about the 2010 Maize Maze.
Come enjoy an evening of music at the farm to benefit the Share the Harvest program. Wed. August 11th 6:30 – 8:30pm. Bring a picnic and chairs. Soft drinks available (no alcohol please).
Featuring songwriters:
- Timothy joseph
- Terry clements
- Kevin morgan
- John and viv
Suggested donation of $10
Each $1 we raise buys 1 lb. of produce for low income families!!
Los Poblanos Fields Open Space
1701 Montano Road NW
Enter at Montano and Tierra Viva
Rio Grande Community Farm (RGCF) is excited to announce that we have been selected as an Americorps Program Services Agency for 2010/2011. We will be hiring several farm interns to help develop small scale sustainable agriculture in Bernalillo county. RGCF will be working with the American Friends Service Committee and the Bernalillo County Extension Service in developing the infrastructure to support small scale sustainable farms in Albuquerque. The model calls for Americorps members to assist small scale farms during the growing season and then assist in the off season by coming together as the “We Get er Done!” work crew. The work crew will spend 3 months moving from farm to farm and completing infrastructure projects- at no cost to the farmer! (except for materials).
Diane Denish, ChairPerson for the New Mexico Commission for Community Volunteerism had this to say: “Nonprofit farms provide a host of benefits to New Mexicans, including summer camps and service learning programs. Thanks to this funding, the Rio Grande Community Farm can partner with New Mexico State University and the American Friends Service Committee to utilize AmeriCorps members as agents of change while supporting the operations of the farm. We should all praise partnerships like these.”
For further information contact Minor Morgan, RGCF Executive Director at (505) 379-1640. Currently, we have filled all our Americorp positions.
RGCF has received funding from the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education fund of Utah State University (Western SARE) to develop educational materials around the effective use of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) under National Organic Plan Standards. RGCF is excited about the collaboration with Western SARE and the USDA to document and summarize our use of this state-of-the-art drip irrigation system. Water conservation is critical to the long term success of farming in the arid southwest. While SDI is an established technology used in many parts of the world, it is not widespread in organic agriculture. Through this grant, RGCF will demonstrate effective methods for using SDI without using harsh chemicals that are normally used in drip irrigation. At the end of the 2 year grant, RGCF will publish a monograph documenting all the strategies, materials and processes used to operate our SDI system under organic standards. Please call our office if you would like additional information.
RGCF is excited to announce our 2010 Internship program. This program is open to young and old alike- students interested in sustainable farming, recent college grads, retirees and anyone interested in getting a hands-on experience in organic farming. The program runs from May 15, 2010 thru August 28, 2010. Requirements to participate in the program include:
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Must volunteer 30-35 hours per week at the farm
- Must work at least 9 of the 15 weeks
- Must submit a letter of interest and resume
- A willingness to perform physical work in hot weather
RGCF cannot offer any cash stipend, however housing will be provided for those that need it. Vegetables from the farm will also be available to interns. An 8 hour training will be provided that includes: Safety Training, Farm Orientation and “Rules of the Row”. Internship will include farm tours of at least 3 other area farms and an appreciation B-B-Q hosted by the RGCF Board of Directors.
Job Description- Farming Intern update date: 4/1/2010
General Description- the Farming Intern works under direct supervision of the Chief Farmer and Farm Manager. The farming intern primarily will complete field and greenhouse tasks necessary for the production of agricultural crops at RGCF. This position will perform field and labor tasks associated with preparing field areas for crops, starting plants in the greenhouse, planting out starts, tending crops, harvesting and arranging for delivery of crops. The position may involve tractor work and does involve use of hand tools and walk behind tractor equipment.
Specific duties include:
Greenhouse related
- planting starts in the early spring for plant out in the fields
- maintaining, pruning, fertilizing starts to maximize growth and health
- planting out starts in the fields
- watering all starts
- detailed record keeping of all activity for organic certification purposes
- learning and mastering the climate control system of the greenhouse
- cleaning, disinfecting and maintaining greenhouse to minimize disease/pest pressure
Field related
- preparation of field areas using hand tools and walk behind tractor equipment
- working in close communication with Farmer to coordinate tractor/hand cultivation
- pruning, staking, fertilizing starts planted out
- season extension activity such as hoop houses and row covers
- disease prevention techniques
- pest prevention activities
- harvesting of crops
- storage and packaging of crops for delivery
- following all NOP and NMOCC organic standards
- irrigating using all systems available: flood; well, gravity and City water drip systems
Infrastructure development
- digging trenches for buried pipelines using hand tools and walk behind equipment
- operating irrigation equipment
- maintaining flood irrigation ditches
Community garden
- assist with irrigation
- assist in filling and maintaining stock tanks
- assist in planting, weeding and harvesting crops from member plots
- add compost or other soil amendments to plots as necessary
- operate walk behind machinery, as directed by CGM
- maintain hand tools as needed
- irrigate weekly
- coordinate with Farmer irrigation of plots and maintenance of irrigation system
- operate walk behind tiller, mower and other small machinery
To sign up send a cover letter and your resume to: info@riograndefarm.org. Please put in the subject line: “summer internship”. For further information contact Minor Morgan, Executive Director at (505) 379-1640 or Chris Patchett, Farm Manager at: (505) 980-1693. RGCF is a 501(c)3 non profit and engages in public farming on public land for the public good. Thank you for considering Rio Grande Community Farm!
Mr. Rudy Garcia, USDA State Agronomist, today, April 1, 2010 announced that RGCF has been selected as one of 4 sites in New Mexico that will serve as a demonstration project for sustainable agriculture practices. The USDA will be gathering detailed data on every aspect of crop production in 16 acres of fields that are operated by RGCF. This information includes: soil, water and plant tissue tests, tillage procedures, amendments added to the soil, crops grown, cover crops and green manure crops, addition of compost and a variety of other factors that contribute to the overall health of the soil. Mr. Clarence Chavez, USDA soil scantiest, will be testing RGCF soils for “active carbon”. This will measure the extent of living organisms present in the soil and is a good indicator of overall soil health. Recently the USDA has trained all 42 USDA offices throughout New Mexico in the use of the active carbon test kit, and is encouraging farmers to use sustainable farming methods to increasing the health of their soil. RGCF is proud to be working with the USDA to establish and document these sound farming practices.
Planning your Vegetable Garden
This workshop will help you to consider your space and design a garden that meets your needs and desires.
Saturday, February 13 at 10:00AM
Harwood Art Center
$5 – free to members of Harwood, RGCF, Gardeners’ Guild and the Action Buzz Garden
Download Flyer
Dig Your Hands in the Dirt: Planting Your Vegetable Garden
What is the proper way to transplant a seedling? How should I lay out my garden? Should I plant in rows or use a different strategy? Get answers to these questions and more at this interactive workshop. Come with questions and leave with answers to dig in and get going right away!
Saturday, March 20 at 10:00AM
Rio Grande Community Farm
$5 • free to members of Harwood, RGCF, Gardeners’ Guild or the Action Buzz Garden
Download Flyer
Staying on Top of Things: Garden Maintenance
Oh, the weeds! And the bugs! This workshop will focus on keeping up with your flourishing garden by providing you with strategies to keep things healthy and vibrant. When to supplement with natural fertilizers, integrated pest management approaches and more will be covered.
Saturday, April 24 at 10:00AM
Action Buzz Garden
$5 • free to members of Harwood, RGCF, Gardeners’ Guild or the Action Buzz Garden
Seed Saving/Seed Swapping
Saving seeds from successful crops is an excellent way to ensure bountiful future harvests. Seed saving can also help you develop a strain that is ideally suited for your conditions. Come learn all about seed saving and, for those of you who have some to share, swap your favorite varieties with others. Why save seeds? What seeds can be saved? How should they be stored? What about cross-pollination? Join us to learn all about the remarkable life of seeds!
Saturday, August 21 at 10:00AM Sorry this event has been canceled.
Location TBA
$5 • free to members of Harwood, RGCF, Gardeners’ Guild or the Action Buzz Garden