Santa Fe New Mexican - Healthy Living
Reunity Resources
CARRIES THE TORCH OF SUSTAINABILITY
Santa Fe Community Farm, located just off Agua Fria Street at San Ysidro Crossing, was founded in the 1950s by John Stephenson, who died in June 2017 at the age of 102. The nonprofit group Reunity Resources leased an acre of land from the farm in 2015 and donated the food it grew there to local programs to feed the hungry. In 2018 the community farm ceased operation, and Reunity took over the farm to carry on Stephenson’s work. “John Stephenson’s mission was to provide fresh, nutritious food for the hungry,” says Juliana Ciano, Reunity Resources’ program director. “It is an important torch to carry, and it is something we are very committed to.”
One way the farm continues to support Stephenson’s mission is by donating the food it grows — more than 10,000 pounds in 2018. Not only does Reunity donate massive amounts of food, but it also works with the Santa Fe community to reduce the volume of food waste put into the landfill. The farm collects food waste from local restaurants and schools three times a week and converts it into premium soil using the aerated static piles method (see sidebar). Reunity applies the compost to its fields and orchard to grow a variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers, and sells any excess. It also collects cooking oil from restaurants such as La Choza and Harry’s Roadhouse and sends it for processing to Rio Valley Biofuels in Anthony, New Mexico. It uses the resulting biofuel to power farm vehicles and sells the rest.
When asked why it is important to compost food waste, Ciano says that in an average household, 30 percent of the trash that
goes into the landfill can be composted. This compost can then be applied to fields to produce healthy food using sustainable farming techniques. Composting “feels like a simple action, but it actually has a great impact,” Ciano says. She explains that the carbon dioxide and methane released into the air from food waste in landfills is contributing to climate change. When food waste is composted instead, these emissions are reduced, and the compost, when applied to the land, can work with plants to sequester carbon.
Reunity Resources’ goal is not only to reduce food waste and to fight hunger and climate change but also to create a place where people can learn more about the food they eat. The produce the farm grows changes from month to month and year to year, but the goal is to grow foods that are easily recognized and easy to cook, Ciano says. She would like to see the farm become a place where community members can learn, hang out and have a good time while fighting hunger and climate change. Her dream is to teach the community about the value of food and hopefully see food insecurity statistics drop in Santa Fe.
To support the farm…
Supporters who buy Reunity’s Farm Card can use it to purchase produce and flowers from the group’s farm stand or farmers market booth at a 10 percent discount. Supporters can also become Reunity Resources members by making a tax-deductible donation to the farm of at least $10. Benefits of membership include tours of the farm, discounts on home gardening and composting workshops, compost drop-off privileges and U-pick days at the farm.
Reunity Farm has grown in many ways since its founding in 2011, and, with community support, it will continue to benefit not only the city but also the planet. “Our food system is under fire,” Ciano says. “In order for this project to succeed, everyone needs to get involved.” A 2019 summer intern at the “Santa Fe New Mexican,” Sophie A. Martin is an English major at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.