Photo: Alicia Lueras Maldonado
For generations, New Mexico's farmers could read the rhythms of the seasons. They could estimate temperatures and conditions for the coming months, which helped determine when to plant their crops. But in recent years, climate change has shattered many of these age-old patterns.
"It’s changed the schedules of everything, so we don’t know when to expect the first frost, it’s very hot when it shouldn’t be, and we can’t adapt fast enough to ever-changing conditions," says farmer Alberto Romero, who has been growing organic fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms over the past six years.
Alberto's experience echoes what AFSC has been hearing from farmers across New Mexico in recent years. Across the state, farmers are confronting unprecedented challenges: heat waves, drought, wildfires, and insect infestations. These threats have threatened farmers' livelihoods and food security in our state.
Casey Holland, a farmer with 14 years of experience, has seen this transformation firsthand. Things shifted dramatically about 10 years ago, Casey recalls. "Suddenly, we got extreme heat—we've never had two weeks of over 100 degrees before,” they said.
To help water their crops, many local farmers rely on communal irrigation canals called acequias that bring water from rivers to farms and homes. But six years ago, heat and drought dried up the canals, leaving farmers uncertain when they could water from the acequia again. “The acequia system has been around for several hundred years, and that hadn’t happened before,” Casey says.
AFSC’s New Mexico Program has provided vital support to local farmers for over four decades. Today, much of our efforts focus on helping farmers work together to build resilience to climate change.
Last year, several farmers in our network lost most of their crops to record-breaking heat in late July, leaving them without food and income. With extreme heat predicted in the coming years, we worked with farmers to prevent future losses. We provided shade cloth to help farmers protect their crops. We also connected newer farmers with experienced ones who could demonstrate proper installation techniques.
We’re also helping farmers address climate change through longer-term projects. In the spring, we organized a workshop teaching farmers how to build the Johnson-Su bioreactor, a composting system that introduces beneficial fungi into the soil. And we provided them with the supplies needed to construct them. Farmers have already seen the benefits. One farmer reported a 50% increase in crop yield while using less water and labor.
Photo: Alicia Lueras Maldonado
Solar technology also plays a key role in our efforts, taking advantage of New Mexico's abundant sunshine—nearly 300 days a year. We've built 34 solar cold frames, enabling year-round growing for more farmers. We solarized a commercial kitchen run by an Indigenous partner so they can process their food and keep it cool until it’s distributed. And we helped one farmer power his well using solar panels instead of fossil fuels. After the success of his project, we held a workshop so other farmers could visit his farm to learn more about the process.
Nearly all of our climate resilience projects serve as learning opportunities that emphasize collaboration over competition. When many local farmers faced grasshopper infestations, for example, we provided them with insect netting and a farmer-to-farmer gathering to share techniques of organic pest management. At our gathering, Indigenous farmers in our network taught others ancestral methods of pest prevention, which have worked for generations.
Farmers appreciate this community-centered approach. "I really like the AFSC farmer gatherings when I can learn from other farmers how they are dealing with climate change, and we don't have to only talk about our success but talk about the real challenges we are all facing," Alberto says.
In addition to technical support, AFSC organizes wellness events for farmers and provides them with volunteer labor assistance. We also advocate for policies invest in sustainable agriculture and divests from industrial agribusiness which drives climate change. Our policy work isinformed by our direct work with farmers affected by these issues.
As climate challenges intensify, our commitment to supporting small-scale, sustainable agriculture grows stronger. By combining traditional wisdom with modern technology, we're nurturing a resilient, community-based food system that provides alternatives to big agriculture while rebuilding practices that are in harmony with the earth.
