EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – The New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE) will be hosting the New Mexico Agriculture Sustainability Workshop, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 17 and Thursday, May 18 at the Larry P. Abraham Agri-Nature Center in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque.
The free two-day workshop, “Ultra-Local Production: Micro, Small and Urban farms,” will assist farmers and ranchers in developing new ways to produce sustainable food, fuel and fiber. The workshop will also present sustainable agriculture strategies embracing WSARE’s three pillars of sustainability including profit, stewardship and quality of life.
“Our workshops aim to bring individuals together from all aspects of farming and agriculture production to learn about the importance of sustainable agriculture,” said Danise Coon, NMSU’s Plant and Environmental Sciences senior research specialist. “The workshop will focus on innovative trends in sustainability and demonstration of practices that have been successful. We also bring in Extension agents to learn and pass on the knowledge to their communities.”
The event will be divided in the following way:
- Wednesday- Participants will be given a tour of the center’s community garden and incubator farm and will have the choice to go on a weed walk or insect walk. After these field demonstrations, presentations on insect pest management, herbicides, fruit trees and bush management will conclude the day.
- Thursday- Participants will be given a tour of the center’s livestock paddock to discuss animal operation. Participants will then go to the center’s community garden for an irrigation demonstration, followed by a soil analysis demonstration at the center’s soil pit. The workshop will conclude with presentations on animal husbandry, crop production, irrigation and soil and water conservation.
Both days will include breaks for lunch and a food truck on site.
To register for this event, visit https://rsvp.nmsu.edu/rsvp/wsareclass.
