Living off the land
County’s Grow the Growers program trains next generation of farmers
Reyna Banteah knew since she was a small girl that she didn’t want to spend her days sitting in an office. In high school, the 32-yearold Zuni Pueblo native became interested in farming. Although she kept a small garden, she never considered making farming her career and instead went to school for environmental science hoping that would land her a job where she could spend a lot of time outdoors.
“I always had my heart set on agriculture,” she said. “I always liked being outside and I never wanted to be stuck in an office. I love growing and eating healthy food.”
Two years ago she came across an opportunity that made her consider the idea of farming for a living. Bernalillo County, with the help of grants and money generated by a property tax for its Open Space program, started its Grow the Growers initiative.
George Schroeder, the county’s social and senior services manager, oversees the program. He said a goal of the county’s open space program is not only to provide spaces for recreation but to conserve those properties. Setting aside parts of the property for agricultural uses, he said, is a way to do that. He said the aim is to train the next generation of farmers.
“The average age of a farmer in the United States is 60-plus,” he said. “Farming as an occupation or means to make a living is on the decline. … Everywhere in the nation, farms are being consolidated under corporate ownership.”
The county has partnered with Agri-Cultura Network, a co-op of 40 farms across the state, to run the daily operation of the program and provide training. The farming is done on county Open Space property, the majority of it at the Gutierrez-Hubbell House in the South Valley. Growing there is kale, okra, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, jalapeños, various greens and gourds.
Participants must commit to working 40 hours a week. The first year is the internship phase. Participants receive stipends, while working in the field and attending workshops. During the second phase, which can last four years, the participants work to build their business. They are allowed to continue using county land and may get an opportunity to work on local farms.
Banteah is in her second year of the program and has her own assigned plot on the grounds of the Hubbell House. She said she hopes to one day own her own farm and return to Zuni and continue farming there.
“It’s clear the demand for local produce is greater than the supply,” Schroeder said. “We are looking at how do you do this and make a living at it.”
Agri-Cultura member Jedrek Lamb is the program coordinator. He said the food grown on the program farms is sold at farmers markets and to restaurants, hospitals and public schools.
“We want to feed more people and make it economically feasible to produce more locally,” he said. “We feel blessed because the county has shown initiative to support local farming.”
Reuben Preut joined the program this year. “I wanted to better the environment,” he said. “I want to start my own farm and restaurant and use what I grow.”
Amy Newman, 55, volunteered for the program last year and became an intern this year. She said she finds it rewarding to see food she grew on her kitchen table. She said the program has allowed her to do something she could not afford on her own.
“They provide everything,” she said. “We get to experiment and learn how to use so many tools. They provide the seeds, water and land. It feels like the natural way people should live.”