A taste of
edible conservation the Americas
The Rio Grande traces lazy curves through Alamosa, a town in southwest Colorado’s San Luis Valley. On a quarter acre of rich soil along the meander- ing river, Francisco Lucas has planted enough vegetables to stock a farmers market for weeks: “We’re doing corn, green beans, lettuce, onions, cauliflow- er, cilantro, pumpkins … plus, all kinds of vegetables from Guatemala—I don’t know their names in English.” Lucas and his wife, Lucia, immigrated to the San Luis Valley from Guatemala. Like many members of the large but close-knit Guatemalan community here, he and his family have put down roots— literally—in the fertile ground of a 38- acre property once owned by the school
district. Today, it’s land where families like the Lucases can grow vegetables to bring home to relatives and neighbors. It’s more than a hobby garden. Though the San Luis Valley is one of the most productive farming regions in Colorado, almost 90 percent of the food grown here—mostly potatoes, wheat, and barley—is shipped elsewhere. Despite living in the state’s breadbasket, many people in Alamosa struggle to find and afford fresh produce.
So when the school district decided to sell the property about five years ago, locals like Lucas saw an opportunity. The site had garnered interest from a developer who planned to build an RV park, but the community had another
rio grande farm park, alamosa, colorado
vision: a permanent farm on the banks of the Rio Grande, just blocks from the center of town. The Trust for Public Land worked with the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition to buy the land for the public and help local residents make a plan for their new space. This spring, the first seeds were planted in the ground that is now the Rio Grande Farm Park. Lucas says the farm has already grown into a source of affordable, healthy food for people who need it. It’s also a place to pass on the traditional recipes and farming practices he learned as a boy in Guatemala. “We’re happy with everything that we’re growing,” he says. “Now, we’re just waiting for the harvest.”
18 · LAND&PEOPLE · FALL/WINTER 2016
theo stroomer
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