Cultivo (Community, Unity, Land, Tradition, Innovation, Vocation & Opportunity) is a nonprofit program under Localogy, a local 501(c)(3). Our mission is to grow food security, cultural continuity, and economic vitality in northern Taos County by inspiring, educating, and equipping the next generation of farmers and ranchers.
This season we’ve focused on hiring, mentoring and instructing 6 to 10 paid youth interns to work mainly at Cerro Vista Farm and sell what they produce at Questa Farmers Market. At Cerro Vista, farmer Daniel Carmona is sharing his decades of locally adapted farming experience with a regular cohort, ages 10 to 17, along with their mentors.
The goal for Cultivo in short is to “Keep It Growing,” to keep local agricultural projects vital, at Cerro Vista Farm, and more broadly, in northern Taos County.
Cerro Vista has rented field and high-tunnel space to the Cultivo enterprise and through June and July youth interns have been growing cucumbers, lettuce, kale, tomatoes, basil, zucchini and much more. They are selling this produce at the Questa Farmers Market (QFM). Cultivo has received funding from Chevron Grants For Good, a Rural Roots Grant, and has applied for additional funding. This financial support in addition to the market vegetable enterprise, helps pay the teens, their mentors, and rent the land, tractor use, wash and storage facilities, etc. We are growing carrots and cabbage for the Sangre de Cristo Valley Market in Questa, too. If we are successful this season, we hope to do more next year!
The youth interns, mentors and farmer Daniel Carmona collaboratively plan and execute the farming and marketing operations. Now that they’ve successfully grown food and begun selling the vegetables at QFM, I wanted to check in and share their voices here.
On July 2 we harvested garlic scapes from garlic planted in October 2023. Carmona has developed the Cerro Rojo land race, garlic he’s been growing for 28 years, which originally he acquired from Jack Yaple (who grew it for 15 years nearby, prior to Carmona acquiring seeds): it’s developed from Spanish Roja. It is a land race because it has been growing in this location for over 42 years.
Cultivo interns could be the next generation of farmers. Some are admittedly mainly interested in earning money at a local job that seems fun and is outdoors. Key to our success is access to an established business model, shovel-ready infrastructure, and intensive mentorship — all provided at Cerro Vista Farm with farmer Daniel and the Quintana family, Fred, Lena, and their kids Esperanza (Espe, the Fiesta Queen this year), and Elias, who have farmed with Carmona for nine years. Supporting mentors Heather Armstrong, Mikhael Oskarsson, and I work with the teens weekly to plant, weed, harvest, wash and pack the produce, and track farm data and sales along with our careful record keeper, Daniel Carmona.
At the Sunday Questa Farmers Market, Cultivo interns, along with QFM interns, are participating in a market business selling produce. This additional role for youth adds to the other youth-led micro-businesses at QFM, which include running a coffee booth and making pizza in the horno. The pizza makers are adding Cerro Vista produce, plus what they grow at the QFM gardens, to the toppings on the Sunday pizzas.
I asked Dominik Anaya-Rael if he had a quote for this article. He thought for a moment, then said, “Sometimes life gives you scapes, you just gotta make pesto.” Then he added what he felt was another meaning for his quote, saying, “take life’s opportunities in your hand.”
Interested youth may still join this farming season through early October:
Job Description: Grow and harvest food at Cerro Vista Farm, and sell this produce at the farmers market all season creating and operating a “Cultivo” farm booth.
This Paid Youth Internship offers youth the opportunity to build the local food economy. This job connects you to local food producers and helps you learn about local agricultural and vegetable farming in northern New Mexico. This program includes environmental education, small business operation, and community engagement. You will work in a supportive environment with Mentors and farm educators, gaining knowledge and skills.
To apply:
Contact: growersmakers@gmail.com, or call/text (575) 224-2102 for application form.
Pay: $15 per hour
Part time: 5-10 hours per week. During the school year, the hours will mainly be on Fridays and weekends.
Ages: generally geared toward ages 14 to 18, but older and younger folks are welcome to inquire.
Visit cultivoproject.org for more information
Interested in supporting this growing project? Visit www.cultivoproject.org
Please contact Program Director, Gaea McGahee (575) 224-2102 or email growersmakers@gmail.com
Cultivo is a program of Localogy, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) in Questa.
For more information about Questa Farmers Market
visit: QuestaFarmersMarket.org
facebook.com/QuestaFarmersMarket
instagram.com/questafarmersmarket
QFM update/announcement:
Questa Farmers Market (QFM) is no longer offering EBT or distributing Double-Up-Food-Bucks (DUFB) at our market.
In order to offer these food benefits, we joined the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association in 2017. We had followed very specific rules around vendors and NM-grown produce in order to belong to this organization and offer these food benefits. 50% (or the largest portion) of our market’s vendors needed to sell their own NM-grown local produce, this means fruits and vegetables grown within 100 miles of our market, but only from New Mexico. However, the agricultural communities of northern NM and southern Colorado are connected. It makes sense to open our market up to producers from the north, or from further south in NM. We are now able to invite vendors who are food producers in Colorado as well as Texas and Arizona. This could bring more food into our market over time. Please help spread the word!
Questa Farmers Market is a program of Localogy, a nonprofit 501(c)(3).
Our mission ~ is to support small farm, garden and food based businesses, and youth through market internships and mentorship. We remain focused on local food, and bringing more food into the Sunday market. We continue our Youth Internship and Mentorship Program, with a focus on engaging the next generation in the local food system. If you still have wooden tokens that say Questa Farmers Market on them, they have value and you may still redeem them for food at QFM. Thank you for your understanding.
