Events
Come enjoy an evening at the Sagebrush with your fellow farmers, ranchers, aceqiueros, conservationists, and others working to care for our lands and waters.
This month, Gillian Joyce, Government Relations Advocate for Rocky Mountain Farmers Union talking about their AgAssist Program and Fellows program!
Please RSVP here.
Calling all ranchers, farmers, and acequieros in Taos! Come join us for a meal and conversation. Tell us how your Extension Office, Soil and Water Conservation District, Economic Development Corporation, Acequia Association, Land Trust, and us can better work with you and respond to your needs. Tell us what your challenges are, what is working for you in your operation, and how we can ensure the agricultural community of Taos can stay strong and get stronger. Please RSVP to our Extension office at 758-3982 or email will at wjaremko@nmsu.edu
Across the Western US, public lands ranchers work to balance cattle grazing with sustainable rangelands that support healthy streams and habitat for wildlife. The story of Three Creeks involves 37 ranchers who manage livestock across 128,000 acres of public and private lands in Rich County, Utah. The area is a mix of ranchers’ private lands plus federal land (BLM and Forest Service) and state land. In 2001, the BLM faced litigation over livestock grazing on these public lands. This threatened economic stability for ranchers due to potential restriction of grazing. In response, permittees sought alternative management options to ward off further litigation. Over ten years they worked with the BLM, USFS, and the State of Utah to design and implement a new grazing plan whose goal is to maintain rancher livelihoods and improve rangeland and stream conditions.
In this talk, Taylor Payne from the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food and Kris Hulvey from the nonprofit Working Lands Conservation will share the story of Three Creeks Project.
Please join us as we share what we are learning about implementing innovative, flexible grazing management on public lands, and the benefits this type of grazing can bring.
Dr. Kris Hulvey is an ecologist and the Lead Scientist at Working Lands Conservation (WLC). WLC is a nonprofit organization that partners with diverse stakeholders to design and test new management strategies for working lands, with a focus on Western rangelands. Key to this work is building strong relationships that result in transparent science. Currently, Kris and WLC work on projects in Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado rangelands with interdisciplinary teams including federal and state managers and ranchers, to determine how innovative grazing systems on public lands can improve riparian and upland conditions while also supporting rancher livelihoods.
Taylor Payne is a grazing and rangeland coordinator for the Utah Grazing Improvement Program in Northern Utah. He has extensive knowledge in public lands grazing issues where he spends most of his time assisting livestock owners with management improvements. He enjoys his young family very much and appreciates working with ranchers that share the same interest as he does.
This event is hosted by Alianza Agri-Cultura de Taos, Working Lands Conservation, Chama Peak Land Alliance, Taos Land Trust, and National Grazing Lands Coalition in partnership with Taos Valley Acequia Association, Taos County Economic Development Corporation, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Trout Unlimited, Quivira Coalition, Western Landowners Alliance and Farmers Outreach
Calling all ranchers, farmers, and acequieros in Taos! Come join us for a meal and conversation. Tell us how your Extension Office, Soil and Water Conservation District, Economic Development Corporation, Acequia Association, Land Trust, and us can better work with you and respond to your needs. Tell us what your challenges are, what is working for you in your operation, and how we can ensure the agricultural community of Taos can stay strong and get stronger. Please RSVP to our Extension office at 758-3982 or email will at wjaremko@nmsu.edu
Join us October 7th! Learn how cover cropping can improve the health, productivity, and drought resilience of your land! And learn how you can access free cover crop seed through the Taos Soil and Water Conservation District! DINNER PROVIDED!!!
Join us on October 5th, for a free community event focused on creating a shared vision for the future of San Cristobal. This event is for anyone who lives in San Cristobal who cares about the future of the valley, the acequia, the agricultural lands, traditions and people. If you are a farmer, rancher, land owner, parciante, or just live in San Cristobal and care about our future, come join us!
Owen Hablutzel, a land management consultant, facilitator and Certified Holistic Management Educator out of Ensenada in Rio Arriba County, will facilitate the workshop. He will help the community develop a vision for the future of San Cristobal’s agricultural community that brings together our traditional agricultural practices and regenerative agricultural practices, helps our elders to keep their land in production, and helps our young people be successful in their agricultural efforts, brings more land in the valley into production, and helps us build a shared set of goals and a shared decision making process. He will use a framework developed by Holistic Management International and used on ranches, farms, and in communities all over the world to guide decisions around land and water stewardship, quality of life, financial health, and agricultural practices and traditions.
All San Cristobal Residents are welcome! Lunch will be provided!
Along with Owen, we will have representatives from local agricultural organizations on hand to help think about resources and opportunities.
Please RSVP here or to Tobias Duncan at (575) 770-1952
Please come join us September 25th to learn how the health of our forests impacts the health of our acequias. Great speakers, great topic, great stuff going on in our county to improve the health of our forests and watersheds! Please RSVP here: https://bit.ly/taoswatershed
This is a De La Tierra a La Cosecha Coalition Event! The coalition includes Taos Valley Acequia Association, Taos Land Trust, Taos Land Trust, and us, Alianza Agri-Cultura de Taos.
Got apples? Don't miss our FREE Apple Pressing Day on Friday, September 27! TCEDC will bring its apple press to the Talpa Community Market (4 Archuleta Rd, Ranchos de Taos, NM) between 8 AM and 1 PM, and staff will walk you through the process. No need to RSVP, just show up with your own apples and containers, and take home the fruits of your labor—freshly pressed apple juice!
This event is generously supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), NMSU Cooperative Extension Service, and the De La Tierra a La Cosecha Coalition (Taos Valley Acequia Association, Taos Land Trust, Alianza Agri-Cultura de Taos, Taos County Economic Development Corporation).
Join us to learn from local producers and NRCS about how bale grazing can improve your pasture health, and how you can do it on your land. Find out how you can apply for state funding through the NMDA Healthy Soils Program to support your bale grazing efforts! Please RSVP to secure your spot.
RSVP here
This event is sponsored by Alianza Agricultura de Taos, Taos County Economic Development Corporation, Taos Soil and Water Conservation District.
Come enjoy an evening at the Sagebrush with your fellow farmers, ranchers, acequeros, conservationists, and others working to care for our lands and waters.
This month, we will be hearing from Buck Johnson, Executive Director of Earth Land and Water Stewardship (Earth LAWS), a nonprofit in Taos dedicated to education, collaboration, equipment and support services around regenerative and traditional vegetable and grain production.
Please RSVP here so the Sagebrush can prepare for our numbers!
Where: 59 Camino Del Medio, San Cristobal NM 87564
When: August 7th, 5:30PM-7:30PM
What:Come to this hands-on workshop on implementing the Soil Health Principles in our orchard for regenerative orchard production! Improve soil health and orchard health by armoring the soil, integrating animals, maintaining a living root, increasing biodiversity, and minimizing disturbance!
Join us for an afternoon tour of one of the most impressive regenerative agriculture demonstrations in northern New Mexico! Hear from the dynamic duo, landowner Shawn Howard and rancher Pat Pacheco about their journey to regenerative agriculture, the evolution of the land from fallow and severely degraded to highly biodiverse and productive, and get into the nitty gritty of how they make it work from electric fencing to land observation. If you can only make it to one of our events this summer, make it to this one! Please RSVP at the link below:
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/ktkvpsk
We will meet at the Taos Youth and Family Center at 2:30 and caravan to Angel Fire where the tour will start at about 3:30. We will stay roughly and hour an a half, and return to the Youth and Family Center around 6pm. We may ask people to carpool if we have a large enough crowd, so if you have a larger vehicle, consider cleaning it out beforehand!
Where: TCEDC, 1021 Salazar Rd, Taos, NM 87571
When: July 31st, 5:30PM-7:30PM
What: Learn about how to best identify market opportunities for sale of fruit your fruit crops (farmers’ markets, food outlets, CSAs, etc). Attendees will learn about labeling best practices (i.e. 'organic’ vs. ‘locally grown’ etc) and best practices for preparedness of getting your fruit crops to market and how the Taos County Economic Development Corporation can assist you.
Join us for an all-day workshop in Costilla and the beautiful Valle Vidal of Carson National Forest. This workshop is designed for ranchers/graziers, or those interested in grazing, and public agency staff, but all are welcome!
Learn from current and former agency staff and innovative public lands grazers on how we can work together for better outcomes for grazers and the health of publicly managed lands. Topics covered will include: Grazing techniques for improved forage and ecosystem health; how to work with public lands agencies, NRCS, and private organizations to improve infrastructure and technical support on your allotment, and how we can all work together toward a better future for grazing on public lands.
Speakers:
Jesse Juen retired as the New Mexico BLM Director. He’s held positions throughout New Mexico and Arizona, as well as serving as Deputy Assistant Director for the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System office in Washington, D.C. His professional focus has been in the area of collaboration in particular with special interest groups, private landowners, citizens, industry, local communities, and governments in land-use planning, management, and restoration of land health. He currently serves as an advisor for the Western Landowners Alliance and a program manager with the New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts. Over the past 4 years, Jesse has worked as a private contractor assisting local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, landowners, agencies and NGO’s in completing conservation practices at a landscape scale throughout New Mexico. As a result of the successes he has seen, he believes the agencies, landowners and the public have a bright future full of opportunities to accelerate land conservation management in concert with meeting the needs of the nation and our communities.
Mark Torres was raised on a ranch/farm in Black Lake, New Mexico. where he ranched with his parents, sisters and brother. They raised beef cattle and farmed grass and some oat and pea hay. Mark continues to farm and ranch with his family raising beef cattle on a combination of private, state and federal land. He also raises cattle, horses and chickens near Las Vegas, New Mexico with his wife. Mark is a member and president of a grazing association that grazes on the Valle Vidal Allotment of the Carson National Forest. Mark is a member of the Quivira Coalition and has participated on several projects in the Valle Vidal. Mark is also the past president of the Cimarron Watershed Alliance. He attended the University of New Mexico w/ a BS in Economics and was a computer system programmer before coming back to farming and ranching.
Ezequiel “EZ” Rael was born and raised in Questa, NM. EZ attended New Mexico State University where he graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Range Science. He has worked for the USDA Forest Service, Carson National Forest since 1999 starting in Fire and Aviation Management before transitioning to Rangeland Management. EZ has worked as a Rangeland Management Specialist on multiple ranger districts for the past 22 years. He is also a fourth generation farmer and rancher where he raises cattle and grows hay on the same lands as his father and grandfather. His hobbies include hunting, fishing, and camping with his family.
Charlie Hibner is a retired soil scientist who performed soil surveys across New Mexico to create soil maps for the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Charlie now devotes his time to running a cow-calf operation west of Cebolla, New Mexico. He says he ranches because he loves it as a way of life. The rangeland he leases on both public and private lands includes forest, dry land, rolling hills, scattered meadows, and wilderness areas containing steep canyons. For each land type he has developed unique soil health management strategies, but overall increasing soil organic matter is critical for retaining water and fostering the growth of microorganisms. He received the Land Steward Award from the New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts in 2019, the Bureau of Land Management Rangeland Stewardship Award in 2022 and is also a NM Soil Health Champion.
Lunch is provided. We’ll meet at the Costilla Community Center in the morning (35 New Mexico 196, Costilla, NM) and caravan/carpool over to Valle Vidal in the afternoon. There is camping available in Valle Vidal if you want to stay the night.
Contact Gillian Joyce (gilliandjoyce@gmail.com) or Leah Potter-Weight (education@quiviracoalition.org) with any questions. If you need support over the phone call Taos County Economic Development Corporation at (575) 758-8731.
Come to this hands-on workshop and learn best practices for managing fire blight, root rot, fungal infections, and bacterial infections, as well as traps for monitoring and controlling apple maggot, coddling moth, and peach twig borer. We'll also discuss management of rodents, deer and birds - implications for fencing, exclosures, electric fencing, and netting. Participants will receive past management traps and learn how to implement them. We will be using an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach. IPM is strategy for managing pests that focuses on mitigating pest damage while also minimizing negative impacts on humans and ecosystems. It is not necessarily an organic approach, though many methods can be used in organic systems, and when done well IPM has fewer negative consequences for ecosystems.
This event is hosted by NMSU Taos County Cooperative Extension Service & 4-H Program and the De La Tierra a La Cosecha Coalition which includes Taos Valley Acequia Association, Taos County Economic Development Corporation (TCEDC), Taos Land Trust, and us, Alianza Agri-Cultura de Taos
Please RSVP HERE
Acequia irrigation for orchards! Please join us for this wonderful workshop taught by local farmer Carlos Arguello and Taos County Extension Agent Will Jaremko-Wright on the Arguello family orchard owned by David and Trinidad Arguello in Valdez. Whether you are new to acequia irrigation or are an experienced irrigator wanting to think more deeply about perennial ground covers, terracing and other earthworks, or optimal irrigation for a quality fruit crop, this is a great workshop for you. ADDED BONUS! Cherries need picking in the orchard! Bring $5, all you can pick! PLEASE RSVP by phone to (575) 758-8731, by email to info@tcedc.org, or online at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/gn56n7m
This is a De La Tierra a La Cosecha Coalition Event in partnership with NMSU Taos County Cooperative Extension Service & 4-H Program and funded by NRCS! The coalition includes Taos Valley Acequia Association, Taos County Economic Development Corporation (TCEDC), Taos Land Trust and us Alianza Agri-Cultura de Taos
Join us next Wednesday, June 12th for our Taos County Land Stewards Happy Hour! If you are a farmer, rancher, acequero, gardener, ag service provider, custom contractor, or conservation service provider, come spend an evening on the patio of the Sagebrush. This month we will be hearing from TCEDC on the Matanza processing facility and their Ag Resource Center! Please RSVP HERE so the Sage can prepare for our numbers.
This event is hosted by the De La Tierra a La Cosecha Coalition, which includes Alianza Agri-Cultura de Taos, Taos County Economic Development Corporation (TCEDC), Taos Valley Acequia Association, and Taos Land Trust.
Join FSA State Director of Jonas Moya and community FSA coordinators to learn how getting an FSA number can give you access to low-interest loans, cost-share programs, grants, and disaster relief. Stay on after Jonas’ talk to walk through the FSA number application process.
To RSVP please call (575)758-8731 or click here
This event is sponsored by Alianza Agri-Cultura de Taos, Taos County Economic Development Corporation, Taos Land Trust, Taos Valley Acequia Association, and New Mexico Farm to Table.
GREAT event coming up May 14th!
A New Era in Conservation: How We Can Protect Our Landscapes, Restore Ecosystems, and Revitalize Rural Communities in the 21st Century with Lesli Allison, CEO of the Western Landowners Alliance.
Tuesday, May 14, 6:30pm
Encore Gallery at the Taos Center for the Arts
Suggested Donation of $5-$10
Join Lesli for a thought-provoking talk on the future of conservation in the 21st century. Explore how we can revitalize rural communities while protecting and restoring our western ecosystems.
Please reserve you seat HERE
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Lesli, a founding member and chief executive of the Western Landowners Alliance, and founding member of the Chama Peak Land Alliance, is among the most interesting and thoughtful voices in the conservation movement in the western United States today. For the past three decades, Lesli has worked extensively with private landowners and multiple stakeholders to advance conservation, sustain working lands and support rural communities. Prior to Western Landowners Alliance, Lesli managed a large ranch in the southern San Juan Mountains of Colorado. During her 16-year tenure, she implemented progressive conservation management through award-winning programs in restoration forestry, prescribed fire, grazing, stream restoration, hunting and wildlife management, and scientific research and monitoring. Lesli holds a B.A. from Columbia University and an M.A. from St. John's College, Santa Fe. She was born and raised in Pecos, N.M.
This event is hosted by the Taos Center for the Arts and the De La Tierra a La Cosecha Coalition, which includes Taos Valley Acequia Association Taos Land Trust Alianza Agri-Cultura de Taos, and Taos County Economic Development Corporation (TCEDC) All donations will be split between these five organizations to support more great community programming.
Come celebrate spring and the coming of a new growing season with your fellow farmers, ranchers, acequeros, conservationists, and service organizations! This happy hour we will be hearing from the new Executive Director of Taos Land Trust, Darien Fernandez, about his vision for the future of the organization and the projects their working on! PLEASE RSVP so the Sagebrush can prepare for our numbers!
If you own agricultural land and are looking for a producer to lease it, or you are a producer looking to access agricultural land, this is a great event for you. Please join LandLink New Mexico coordinator, Weston Madlock for an introduction to our new state-run LandLink program!
Come learn how Rotational Grazing and other herd management techniques can help your operation.
Alejandro Carrillo is a 4th generation rancher in the Chihuahuan desert where he receives about 9 inches of rain per year. With good management practices he has tripled the number of animals he can run on the same average, stopping importing feed, and developed a herd highly adapted to his harsh desert conditions, all while improving conservation practices and ecosystem services.
Ray Archuleta will teach you how to improve the soil on your unirrigated lands using cover crops suited for dryland systems.
Que Viva la Tierra! Regenerative Agriculture for our Lands, Waters, and People
FREE; Registration Recommended and Donations Appreciated. Click here to register
About:
Join us February 23rd for an enlightening talk with world-renowned soil scientist Ray Archuleta and expert regenerative rancher and consultant Alejandro Carrillo. Explore the latest science on regenerative agriculture and learn how food production using best practices can mitigate climate change and drought, support ecosystem function, improve biodiversity, and support wildlife habitat. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation towards a future where conservation and agriculture can work hand-in-hand!
Presentation will be followed by a Q & A and partnering organizations will be available in Encore Gallery for further conversation following the event.
Presented in Partnership with:
Alianza Agricultura de Taos, Taos Valley Acequia Association, Taos County Economic Development Corporation, Taos Center for the Arts, Taos Soil and Water Conservation District, the Quivira Coalition, Trout Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Amigos Bravos, and Western Landowners Alliance.
Sponsored by:
Kit Carson Electric Co-op, Taos Ski Valley, The Love Apple, Manzanita Market, Mudd n’ Flood, and Cid’s Food Market
Ray Archuleta has spent his career researching and teaching soil health. He is a Certified Professional Soil Scientist with 30 years of experience as a soil conservationist, water quality specialist and conservation agronomist with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Since retiring, he founded Understanding Ag, LLC and the Soil Health Academy, LLC. Through these organizations, he works with producers, organizations, and government entities around the world on using a biomimicry and agroecology approach to improve soil function for the health of the entire ecosystem. He also operates a 150-acre farm with his family in Missouri. He is best known for his role the award-winning documentary, Kiss the Ground.
Alejandro Carrillo is a fourth-generation rancher in the Chihuahuan desert where he focuses on regenerative practices at his ranch, Las Damas. He works with various conservation organizations and universities in the U.S. and Mexico to measure the impact of his management practices and has documented valuable positive benefit to the ecosystem and his bottom line at the same time. Alejandro assists ranchers and institutions across the Western United Stares and South America on implementing regenerative principles and practices. He also participates as a delegate to the United Nations Convention to combat Desertification and Land Degradation in multiple countries. He has been featured in various documentaries including Sacred Cow, To Which We Belong, Water in Plain Sight, and Common Ground.
Learn the principles of soil health, and how, with proper care, your land can be more productive with fewer inputs all while increasing carbon sequestration, water holding capacity, and better serving the ecosystem. With Ray Archuleta and Alejandro Carrillo February 23rd at 9am at the Juan I. Gonzales Agricultural Center in Taos.
Come join us at the the Sagebrush Cantina for policy updates from the New Mexico Legislative Session, updates on upcoming events, and an informal even of camaraderie with your fellow farmers, ranchers, acequeros, gardeners, conservationists, and service providers.
Please RSVP here so the Sagebrush can prepare for our numbers.
This event is hosted by us, Taos Valley Acequia Association, the Quivira Coalition, and Rocky Mountain Farmers Union.
Calling all ranchers, farmers, acequeros, agriculture service providers and advocates, and conservation service providers and advocates -come join us for the final land stewards happy hour of 2023 - see old friends, meet new friends, learn about what is going on in the community, and raise a glass to our lands and waters.
What: Land Stewards Happy Hour
When: December 13th
Where: Sagebrush Cantina Gorman Room/old dining room
Please RSVP here so the Sagebrush can prepare for our numbers!
This event is co-sponsored by us, Taos Valley Acequia Association, Quivira Coalition, and Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
Please join us Monday, October 30th to learn about cover cropping and how you can access seed through the Taos Soil and Water Conservation District Soil Health Program.
Through the Healthy Soils Program, you can receive up to 5 acres worth of winter cover crop seed that can be planted now. The program requires a deposit of $100 per acre. Upon proof of planting, you will be reimbursed for your deposit and you will receive $110 to mitigate the equipment costs. Seed must be in the ground by December 1st to qualify for reimbursement. Seed is limited, so it is important to apply ASAP.
This is an excellent opportunity to improve the health of your soil, help your land be more resilient in the face of climate change and drought, and increase yields for agricultural producers. Our short workshop will explore the benefits of cover cropping, how the Taos Soil and Water Conservation District program works, and opportunities to apply for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture Healthy Soils program in the future.
This event is a collaboration led by Taos County Soil and Water Conservation District with support from Alianza Agri-Cultura de Taos, Taos County Economic Development Corporation, and Taos Valley Acequia Association.
Calling all ranchers, farmers, acequeros, agriculture service providers and advocates, and conservation service providers and advocates -come join us for an informal evening - see old friends, meet new friends, learn about what is going on in the community, and raise a glass to our lands and waters.
What: Land Stewards Happy Hour
When: October 11th
Where: Sagebrush Cantina patio in Taos
Please RSVP here so the Sagebrush can prepare for our numbers!
This event is co-sponsored by us, Taos Valley Acequia Association, Quivira Coalition, and Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
We are excited to announce another partnership with Holistic Management International. This day-long training will explore success for small-scale (think five acres down to fewer than one acre) diversified regenerative systems working with smaller animals. Christine Martin, owner and operator of the Regen Ranch in Oakwood Texas and certified HMI instructor will provide instruction. We will spend the afternoon at Rancho la Fina, a small, regenerative farm in Cañon, owned and operated by Patricia Quintana. The full day will cost $30, which includes a locally-sourced lunch. For more information and to register, click here.
For more fun and time with our land steward community, Christine, and Patricia, join us at the Land Stewards Happy Hour at the Sagebrush at 5:30!
This event is hosted by Holistic Management International, Alianza Agri-Cultura de Taos, Taos Soil and Water Conservation District, Taos Valley Acequia Association, and Taos County Economic Development Corporation.
