3. East
Valencia
‘East Mesa’
• Meadow Lake and Cerro
Mission
• 10,000 people
• 100% elementary students
receive free or reduced lunch
• $27,608 medium income
• 50% below poverty level
• Over 50% Spanish-speaking
homes
4. Background
VSWCD Co-Chair of the
Board surveyed door-to-
door
Climate Change Resiliency
Community Meetings
NACD Urban Ag Grant in
2016 to implement East
Valencia Urban Gardens
Program (EVUGP)
29. Financial and Technical Assistance
Program
Summary of Program:
Funds projects that conserve soil and
water resources and provide habitat for
wildlife and pollinators.
Reimburses projects up to 75% of cost.
Must be VSWCD Mil Levy taxpayer.
Ranking process.
https://www.valenciaswcd.org/
30. Examples of Projects
• Water harvesting tanks
• Hoop houses
• Cover crops
• Native plants
• Soil erosion project
• Stream restoration
• Irrigation using water
conservation
• Regenerative
agriculture practices
• Holistic grazing
practices
31. Program
Sustainability
2017 Recipient of grant through The
Conservation Fund (Kellogg Foundation funding)
2018 Recipient of Permaculture Grant through
New Mexico Community Foundation
2020 Recipient of NACD Urban Agriculture
Conservation Initiative Grant
Partially funded through VSWCD Mil Levy Tax
2018 – July, 2020
Donations
Programming for Sustainability
CAB
Youth Leaders
Community Leadership
Partnerships
32. Partnerships
NMSU Valencia County Cooperative Extension
Services
I-CAN (Ideas in Cooking and Nutrition)
Valencia Community Government
Youth Development Inc.
Valencia Community Action Network
Valencia Community Gardens
Community Wellness Council
Friends of Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area
Valencia County Master Gardeners
New Mexico Farmer’s Markets
Young Farmer’s Coalition
Rural Farmer’s Coalition
Farm To School
Rio Grande Agricultural Land Trust
Natural Resource Conservation Service
33. Looking
Ahead!
Garden Expansion
El Cerro Mission – 3x larger, fruit trees, private
plots, kids section
Community Advisory Boards
Food distribution
Donation systems, develop growers’ market
Kids Groups
Each garden, Partner w/ NMSU Extension
School Garden and Greenhouse Network
Develop partnerships to create District-wide
farming youth internships, apprentice and
training opportunities
2020 NACD Urban
Agriculture Conservation
Initiative Grant Recipient