World Food Day 2019 (Part 2): Resiliency and Use of Local Resources

Achieving Zero Hunger is not only about working to alleviate hunger, but also nourishing people, while nurturing the planet.  World Food Day 2019

Our World Food Day event began outdoors by with a focus on sustainability and the organizations that place importance on local food production, sound environmental practices and resiliency.  We hope you enjoy these stories.

East Valencia Urban Garden Program
Lindsey Diaz related the first story about the communities of Meadow Lake and El Cerro-Monterey Park, which created a food system and community enhancement model in an area that had long been a food desert.

There was consensus that one of the best ways to build a stronger and more resilient community to climate change was for the area to produce its own food locally, and that this would also help the economy. And that these efforts these efforts should be emphasized working with youth and kids.

The Garden's Edge and Qachu Aloom
The Albuquerque-based organization provides resources and training to farmers and community organizations that fight environmental degradation, global climate change, loss of small-scale farms, and the erosion of indigenous cultural knowledge. Qachuu Aloom Mother Earth Association, based in Rabinal, Guatemala, works closely with The Garden's Edge on these same goals. In this video, Sarah Montgomery and Josselin Chun Cojom spoke of the work of the two organizations, offering a presentation on the use of amaranth. 

We've had a lot of success working with amaranth. It's native from Mesoamerica, but it's also grown in New Mexico. It's very weedy. You'll find it a .lot of growing in cracks, and it's probably one of the plants that you pull out of your garden when you're weeding. But it's also super highly nutritious. You can eat the leaves and you can eat the seeds.

The Garden at St. Therese Catholic School 
Principal Donna Illebrun and students Hayden Rodriguez and Willow Luna spoke about the vegetable garden and greenhouse located on the grounds of St. Therese School in Albuquerque. 

When we got here, (the site) was in rubbles--all of this was all asphalt, falling apart. We knew that we needed a safe place for our children to run and play and learn about the many blessings that our Earth has for us. Over 10 years ago, a grant was written, and we got our greenhouse that is very active in the lives (of our students).

Agri-Cultura Network 
Helga Garza spoke about the challenges facing farmers in the South Valley of Albuquerque and also the work of the Agri-Cultura Network, which provides access to local produce to promote nutrition and economic development through traditional and innovative agricultural practices. This presentation took place indoors in the church (so please pardon the echo).

As small farmers, we came together because we were on our last generation of traditional farmers, reaching (the ages) of late 50s to late 70s, and no longer having the strength to keep up their farming.  So in 2008, we sought farm techiques and a new generation of farmers.  In 2010, three of those farmers formed the cooperative.