Plant Management Systems: Urban Horticulture (Doña Ana County)

Advised on a greenhouse hoop house construction project in Alexandria, LA. I was contacted by a former student at NMSU who is currently the Keller Enterprises Director of the Good Food Project in Alexandria, LA. I advised via phone on resources and supplies necessary to build one of the NMSU greenhouse projects. The greenhouse was built on November 19, 2011 in Alexandria, LA.

Urban Horticulture:

As the urban population in Dona Ana County continues (over 200,000 residents county-wide, census 2010) to rise there are fewer acres being devoted to traditional agronomic crops. Dona Ana County continues to experience a diverse influx of new residents from all over the United States. These new residents, along with those already here, have created a surge of interest as to what can be grown in Dona Ana County either ornamentally, or as sustainable food crops. The agent of Dona Ana County is taking on the task of developing new programs to meet the needs of his constituents. This agent was involved in activities within his county, and as a result brought not only research based information to the public, but also knowledge of the role and purpose of the Extension Service.

On December 3, 2010 the Agent worked with the Under Privileged Small Farm and Ranch Outreach Coordinator Lalo Medina, and Extension Agent Del Jimenez to build a new hoop-house style greenhouse in Chaparral, NM. This greenhouse is meant to teach area small producers how to extend their growing seasons to increase their agricultural production profits through season extension principals developed at NMSU. There were about 15 people present to help build the greenhouse and learn of its value in seasonal produce extension, health benefits, and increased revenues for farmers.

On March 12-13, 2011 the Agent and Master Gardeners returned to the Las Cruces Home and Garden Show as the key horticulture component. This year the Home and Garden Show was held at the new Las Cruces Convention Center where the beauty of the facility, and the wide open spaces allowed for larger crowds to gather. As a result of this new venue the Agent and Master Gardeners were able to visit with over 1,024 people in the two days to answer their horticultural concerns. The agent also organized lectures on horticultural topics that were given throughout the Home and Garden Shows days.

This past year the agent organized and provided the first Apple and Pear Workshop, March 29, 2011 for apple/pear growers as requested in Dona Ana County. The class had approximately 15 apple producers present who were educated on the most current information on insects, diseases, culture and cultivars for Dona Ana County. The class was treated to a post trip to the Steinman Apple Orchard where pruning demonstrations were conducted.

Based on the agents' advisory committee and the partnership with Dona Ana County, extension urban programming is being focused more on school and community gardens. This push is due to the ever shrinking rural community we now live in. People living in society today are becoming less attached to their land and growing their own food and more dependent on processed foods from manufacturers. While processed food may not be bad, it has left us vulnerable to a society which cannot feed its self. One of the agents' objectives in urban horticulture is to work with his community on educational endeavors to bring food production principles back into the schools by the establishment of school gardens. Through the establishment of school gardens in elementary and middle schools, principles of soil cultivation, plant growth and care, and nutrition can be taught to our youth. Through these teachings valuable lessons will be taught and instilled in our youth that will carry over into the adult years and hopefully lead to a better quality of life for generations to come.

This past year the new school garden installed at Hermosa Heights Elementary School continued its success. Master Gardener Volunteers helped with educating teachers on garden principles such as planting time, seed selection and soil nutrition. A new manual on how to start a school garden was developed through Las Cruces City Councilor Olga Pedroza. Councilor Pedroza pulled together many agencies throughout the county, including the Dona Ana County Extension Service, to help develop a manual for schools to use in developing a new school garden. This manual is used as a guide and reference for any school interested in school gardens. Putting in a new school garden is not an easy accomplishment due to bureaucratic and legal red tape. The project of installing the gardens along with an irrigation system and timers often takes months to accomplish, this can be added to the months it takes to propose the garden and have the school system approve the project. However, it is great to see a garden finally become a reality. Although Hermosa Heights was the second garden project for District 3, the first began with Conlee Elementary School in 2008. Now that the ball has begun to roll, more schools are requesting gardens and this project will continue to grow.

Continuing results from the gardens at Conlee Elementary School are still being gathered. However, observations indicate a positive behavioral change in school children who participate in the gardens. This trend has continued at Hermosa Heights Elementary School Gardens, and is expected to continue with any others that are joining this program. These gardens are being used as an outdoor teaching lab where children learn the life processes of plants. Speaking with teachers the agent has learned that these children seem less agitated in class, have developed more interest in science, and are beginning to change their eating habits for the positive, i.e. eating more fresh vegetables and fruits. This is hoped to help curb childhood obesity and diabetes problems both now and in the future for these children.

In April 2011 the agent partnered with Bertha Silva of the ICAN, (Ideas in Cooking and Nutrition), program to provide an educational opportunity for the La Mesa pre-kindergarten classes. The agent provided a working demonstration of how to plant sunflower seeds, cultivate them, grow the seedling, and then harvest the sprouts for consumption. The ICAN program used the sprouts to teach the children how to harvest the sprouts, prepare them, consume them, and how tasty and healthy these sprouts are for them. The purposes of these educational opportunities are to instill within our youth at a young age the ideas, principles and health associated with producing your own produce.

Community Gardens have been established in the Mesquite Historic District, Chaparral Community Center, Anthony, Vado and elsewhere. These gardens are important for communities, however, unlike school classrooms direct information can be difficult to monitor because those that participate are scattered throughout their own communities. Community gardens serve as insurance that those who participate in them are getting a healthier selection of produce to choose from and this will translate into healthier participants.

Since March 2011 the agent has worked with the Anthony Youth Group, Aurora Martinez, and Dan Darbyshire on growing vegetables at the new 14 acre Agricultural Business and Training Center facility located in Anthony, NM. There is a lot of enthusiasm from the youth participating in this project who want to learn how to become farmers. Youth range in age from 14-19 years of age, and there are about 15 youth participating in the program at present.

The agent continues work with the Youth Conservation Corp in Chaparral, NM to provide educational materials for the youth. The agents contact is Wendy Kent, Executive Director for the YCC. The agent provides information on plant propagation and plant selections as specified by the YCC to 12 youth participants. The agent also discusses business opportunities on growing native plants to these youth participants. Several of the youth have expressed an interest in beginning a native plant nursery.


Some of the other events and programs the agent provided throughout the year were: Pecan Education at Kids, Kows and More 4-H; Lunch and Learn monthly lecture series held at Branigan Library in Las Cruces, NM; National Night Out, providing activities for families to share together for this Las Cruces city event; the Southwest Hispanic Farmers and Ranchers Conference; the county, regional, and state 4-H contests; the Hatch Chile Festival; the 2011 State Iris Conference; the Southern NM State Fair to showcase agriculture in Southern NM; the Las Cruces Home and Garden Show; the annual Master Gardeners Classes; and providing teaching assistance for the Pesticide Applicators Workshop.


DONA ANA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM:

MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM (2010-11): This is perhaps one of the agent’s most important programs. Ordinary citizens are encouraged because of their love of plants to enter into the MG class where they undergo intense training in horticulture. Because of the expertise and education provided by Extension Specialists and other noted individuals, these ordinary citizens are transformed into a volunteer force for the promotion of urban horticulture and agriculture. While a lot of effort is needed by these individuals to learn and assimilate all that the course provides, they seem to do it with a joy in their hearts. The class encompasses varied citizens from those who have no more than a high school education, to retired Professors of Agriculture. The one thing they have in common is a desire to learn and help others. This course provides both learning, and community outreach. As a requirement for MG certification the class must first complete the 16 week course work and then fulfill community service requirements. This community service, directed by the agent, provides a larger conveyance of the extension service through its MG’s participation in community events. MG’s provide an invaluable resource in volunteerism at many of our larger events, including the Chile and Pecan Conferences. MG’s also provide a huge service through our office by way of the MG hotline to answer community questions about gardening. Their contribution allows the agent time to meet other obligations while still directing the MG’s activities. It is clear that the Master Gardener program benefits this community through its outreach. Residents living in Dona Ana County are knowledgeable that if they have a question regarding horticulture, a good source for information is the Master Gardener organization. This speaks highly of our office and its training of the public, we help our citizens grow, who then go on to help others in their community, this in turn leads others back to our office for training, who then go out to help others grow in their community, etc., etc., you see, the circle of knowledge keeps growing ever outward, that is this agents mission and objective.

This past year 2010-2011, Doña Ana County Master Gardeners contributed over 4,872 volunteer hours towards helping the people of Dona Ana County. Based on the national volunteer hourly wage rate from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of $20.85, these volunteer hours translate into $101,581.20 dollars. This is also equivalent to hiring three full time employees at a living wage salary, or seven minimum wage employees. Under the direction of the Dona Ana County Agent the Master Gardeners have also improved their MG Newsletter to become more of a small magazine with important educational information than simply a letter of informational facts.

The agents' 4-H involvement for this past year has been in hosting the county, district, and state 4-H Horticultural Contests. The agent has also been involved in assisting with several 4-H events i.e. Kids, Kows and More, Pecan Education; 4-H Expo, judging; and Southern NM State Fair, 4-H livestock assistance and pre-operational activities.

Urban Horticulture:

As the urban population in Dona Ana County continues to rise there are fewer acres being devoted to traditional agronomic crops. Dona Ana County continues to experience a diverse influx of new residents from all over the United States. These new residents, along with those already here, have created a surge of interest as to what can be grown in Dona Ana County either ornamentally, or as sustainable food crops. The agent of Dona Ana County is taking on the task of developing new programs to meet the needs of his constituents. This agent was involved in activities within his county, and as a result brought not only research based information to the public, but also knowledge of the role and purpose of the Extension Service.

Based on my advisory committee and the partnership with Dona Ana County, extension urban programming is being focused more on school and community gardens. This push is due to the ever shrinking rural community we now live in. People living in society today are becoming less attached to their land and growing their own food and more dependent on processed foods from manufacturers. While processed food may not be bad, it has left us vulnerable to a society which cannot feed itself. One of my objectives in urban horticulture is to work with my community on educational endeavors to bring food production principles back into the schools by the establishment of school gardens. Through the establishment of school gardens in elementary and middle schools, principles of soil cultivation, plant growth and care, and nutrition can be taught to our youth. Through these teachings valuable lessons will be taught and instilled in our youth that will carry over into the adult years and hopefully lead to a better quality of life for generations to come.

This past year saw a new school garden being installed at Hermosa Heights Elementary School. With a grant from the Rio Grande Basin Initiative of $2400, Master Gardener Volunteers, School and Teacher help, and donations from the community the garden became a reality. Putting in a new school garden is not an easy accomplishment due to bureaucratic and legal red tape. The project of installing the gardens along with an irrigation system and timer took four months to accomplish, this can be added to the eight months it took to propose the garden and have the school system approve the project. It was great to see the garden finally become a reality even if it was after the school system had been let out for the summer. This garden project was the second such garden established in this district, the first began with Conlee Elementary School in 2008.

Results from the gardens at Conlee Elementary School are still being gathered. However, early observations indicate a change in school children who participate in the gardens. The gardens are being used as an outdoor teaching lab where children learn the life processes of plants. Speaking with teachers I have learned that these children seem less agitated in class, have developed more interest in science, and are beginning to change their eating habits for the positive, i.e. eating more fresh vegetables and fruits. This same process is being implemented now at Hermosa Heights Elementary School and in the future at other participating schools.

In April 2010 I partnered with Bertha Silva of the ICAN, (Ideas in Cooking and Nutrition), program to provide an educational opportunity for the La Mesa pre-kindergarten classes. I provided a working demonstration of how to plant sunflower seeds, cultivate them, grow the seedling, and then harvest the sprouts for consumption. The ICAN program used the sprouts to teach the children how to harvest the sprouts, prepare them, consume them, and how tasty and healthy these sprouts are for them. The purpose of these educational opportunities is to instill within our youth at a young age the ideas, principles and health associated with producing your own produce.

Community Gardens have been established in the Mesquite Historic District, Chaparral Community Center, Anthony, Vado and elsewhere. These gardens are important for communities, however, unlike school classrooms direct information can be difficult to monitor because those that participate are scattered throughout their own communities. Community gardens serve as insurance that those who participate in them are getting a healthier selection of produce to choose from and this will translate into healthier participants.

Since March 2010 I have been working with the Anthony Youth Group, Aurora Martinez, and Dan Darbyshire on growing vegetables at the new 14 acre Agricultural Business and Training Center facility located in Anthony, NM. There is a lot of enthusiasm from the youth participating in this project who want to learn how to become farmers. Youth range in age from 14-19 years of age, and there are about 15 youth participating in the program at present. A new hoop house style greenhouse is scheduled to be built on this site in order to extend the winter growing season, the original date for construction was November 5, 2010, however, due to scheduling problems at the facility this date is being postponed until spring 2011.

In July 2010 I worked with the Youth Conservation Corp in Chaparral, NM to provide several educational lectures/powerpoints for the youth. My contact was Wendy Kent, Executive Director for the YCC. I provided information on plant propagation and native plant selections as specified by the YCC to 12 youth participants. I also discussed business opportunities on growing native plants to these youth participants. Several of the youth expressed an interest in beginning a native plant nursery.

This past year I worked with Dr. Michael Patrick on presenting a Farmers Market Workshop in January 2010. I was asked to present a lecture on season extension using a hoop house style greenhouse. I gathered information for a powerpoint and presented the information to about 85 people in attendance. The remainder of the programs dealt with vegetable and fruit productions geared toward the smaller farmers market gardens. The workshop was a great success and this is where the greenhouse project for the Anthony Youth Group began. Prior to this workshop I worked with Del Jimenez, Ag Agent from Acalde, NM, and Jeanine Castillo, NMSU Small Farms Coordinator to build a hoop house style greenhouse at Jeff Graham’s organic farm here in the Mesilla Valley. The construction involved recruiting volunteers, providing food and water, equipment, and the building expert, Del. The hoop house went up in one day and was a great success. This was the first time I was involved in the construction of this particular style of greenhouse. Since the building of this greenhouse there has been several requests for construction projects of this type in other locations of Dona Ana County.

Some of the other events and programs I provided throughout the year were: Cotton Production Filming for KRWG-TV’s ‘Road Trip’ PBS series; Honey and Pistachio products filming for KRWG-TV’s ‘Road Trip’ PBS series; High School Job Fair at Las Cruces High School; Lunch and Learn monthly lecture series held at Branigan Library in Las Cruces, NM; National Night Out, providing activities for families to share together for this Las Cruces city event; the Southern NM State Fair to showcase agriculture in Southern NM; the Green Infrastructure Conference to find solutions for storm water runoff and rainwater harvesting; and providing teaching assistance for the Pesticide Applicators Workshop.


DONA ANA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM:

MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM (2009-10): This is perhaps one of the agent’s most important programs. Ordinary citizens are encouraged because of their love of plants to enter into the MG class where they undergo intense training in horticulture. Because of the expertise and education provided by Extension Specialists and other noted individuals, these ordinary citizens are transformed into a volunteer force for the promotion of urban horticulture and agriculture. While a lot of effort is needed by these individuals to learn and assimilate all that the course provides, they seem to do it with a joy in their hearts. The class encompasses varied citizens from those who have no more than a high school education, to retired Professors of Agriculture. The one thing they have in common is a desire to learn and help others. This course provides both learning, and community outreach. As a requirement for MG certification the class must first complete the 14 week course work and then fulfill community service requirements. This community service, directed by the agent, provides a larger conveyance of the extension service through its MG’s participation in community events. MG’s provide an invaluable resource in volunteerism at many of our larger events, including the Chile and Pecan Conferences. MG’s also provide a huge service through our office by way of the MG hotline to answer community questions about gardening. Their contribution allows the agent time to meet other obligations while still directing the MG’s activities. It is clear that the Master Gardener program benefits this community through its outreach. Residents living in Dona Ana County are knowledgeable that if they have a question regarding horticulture, a good source for information is the Master Gardener organization. This speaks highly of our office and its training of the public, we help our citizens grow, who then go on to help others in their community, this in turn leads others back to our office for training, who then go out to help others grow in their community, etc., etc., you see, the circle of knowledge keeps growing ever outward, that is this agents mission and objective.

This past year Doña Ana County Master Gardeners contributed over 5,067 volunteer hours towards helping the people of Dona Ana County. Based on the national volunteer hourly wage rate from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of $20.85, these volunteer hours translate into $105, 646.95 dollars. This is also equivalent to hiring three full time employees at a living wage salary, or seven minimum wage employees. Under the direction of the Dona Ana County Agent the Master Gardeners have also improved their MG Newsletter to become more of a small magazine with important educational information than simply a letter of informational facts.

Medium-term successes

Eddy County
Living Desert State Park, Eddy County Cooperative Extension, and the NMSU Extension Horticulture Specialist offered a Water Wise Landscape workshop attended by 38 citizens. This is an annual event that has resulted in increasing knowledge of plants and techniques to conserve water in Southeastern New Mexico landscapes. Attendees report successful changes in their landscape and irrigation practices as a result of this annual workshop.

Santa Fe (on-going projects) -
Habitat for Humanity has been using Santa Fe County Master Gardeners to design and install water efficient landscapes at the homes they build. The Master Gardeners then teach the new homeowners how to garden appropriately and conserve water.
El Rancho de los Golondrinos has worked with Master Gardeners maintaining a heritage apple orchard to demonstrate historical gardening practices to visitors.
Master Gardeners have maintained demonstration gardens and collaboration with NMSU Extension faculty (George Dickerson’s herb garden and Curtis Smith’s olla garden). This provides hands-on experience for the Master Gardeners who then teach this to their fellow citizens and to visitors to the demonstration garden site adjacent to the County Extension Service office.

CNM (formerly TV-I) – as chairman of the advisory committee for the Landscape Horticulture training program at CNM the NMSU Extension Horticulture Specialist was in a position to encourage cooperation between NMSU and CNM. Dr. St. Hilaire on the NMSU end and Paul Zalesak at CNM have developed articulation agreements between NMSU and CNM. Distance learning venues were developed so that NMSU professors could teach some of the classes at CNM and some CNM teaching could be made available to NMSU students as desired by the faculty.

Short-term successes

As reported in County Agents’ impact statements, specialist support of county agents and county Master Gardeners has enabled them to meet the changing needs of the nursery industry and home gardeners in their counties, to develop educational programs in schools and among the public.
Specialist support of county Extension programs have enhanced agent respect within the counties to the point that they are often the primary source of information that cities, counties, and other organizations use for referrals.
With specialist assistance Master Gardener programs in the counties are growing and providing increased assistance to the Extension Service agents as stated in the Agents’ impact statements. Master Gardener programs have resulted in significant teaching opportunities for county residents:


Lea Co. – Waite House – the oldest residence in Lovington was donated to the Historical Society and Museum. The museum then gave access to this house to Lea County Master Gardeners to develop a demonstration garden and access to the house as a classroom. This is a long-term and continuing project that provides landscape design and management demonstrations to citizens of Lea County.
NM Jr. College in Hobbs has been impressed by the Lea County Master Gardener program and has offered to provide classroom space for teaching Master Gardeners, advertising for the Master Gardener classes, and willingness to offer Junior College continuing education credits to people who take the Master Gardener classes. This collaboration began in 2009 and is continuing and growing. The New Mexico Junior College experienced a 60% increase in enrollment as a result of collaboration with NMSU and Lea County Master Gardeners.
Otero - Otero County Master Gardeners provided 6 educational programs to educate local gardeners about techniques for landscaping and gardening in a water conserving manner. They were provided NMSU publications and information. Through the year 49 Otero County Master Gardener volunteers provided 2269 hours of horticultural educational service to their fellow citizens.
Sandoval - A demonstration garden in developed in cooperation with city of Rio Rancho, Sandoval Extension Service, and Master Gardener has been highly regarded locally and nationally. In 2009 Master Gardeners had donated by the time of the county report over 2000 pounds of vegetables from this garden to two charities that distribute vegetables to people in need. The provision of fresh vegetables was a much needed addition to the foods available and the nutrition of program participants.
Master Gardeners provided well-attended plant clinics to answer gardening questions from 200 citizens annually. They conduct numerous educational programs for 500 county residents utilizing Master Gardeners, County and State Extension professionals as instructors. These have resulted in ongoing changes in gardening practices in Sandoval County.
Over 100 active Master Gardeners have contributed more than 5,000 hours of educational service to Sandoval County.
Bernalillo- About 200 active Master Gardeners assist the Bernalillo County Extension Program in offering horticulture education programs to the public. Many contribute more than the required 40 volunteer hours due to their commitment to the success of the program and desire to teach their fellow citizens. Volunteer activities exceed 10,000 hours in providing gardening information at libraries, the Downtown Growers Market in Albuquerque, 4-H Seeds program, the Organic Demonstration Garden, Tomato Fiesta, and various joint activities with the Albuquerque Council of Garden Clubs.
Valencia- Twenty-one Master Gardeners contributed 1, 297 volunteer hours in support of the Valencia County Extension horticulture educational program. The Master Gardeners maintained a demonstration water harvesting/container garden at the Valencia County Extension office using information provided by the NMSU Extension Horticulture Specialist and the County Agent. Master Gardeners conducted 50 plant clinics to provide educational outreach to Valencia County residents.
Los Alamos- Forty-two Master Gardeners volunteered 688 hours of a variety of horticultural educational service to county residents.