At La Semilla Community Farm in Anthony, residents don't have to be experienced farmers to get their hands in the soil. Every Tuesday, volunteers can help grow crops, care for the land, and learn how fresh food makes its way from the farm to the community.
Operated by the nonprofit La Semilla Food Center, the farm welcomes volunteers each Tuesday to care for crops, prepare planting beds and maintain the soil. The gatherings are part of the organization's efforts to connect residents with local agriculture and food production.
Haylee Chavira, La Semilla's farm education assistant, said the volunteer days bring together residents from Anthony, Las Cruces and El Paso, including people who may have little experience working on a farm.
“We host volunteer days to create community and so people can know where their food comes from, and they can get a sense of the whole process from seed to table,” Chavira said.
The work changes with the season. Volunteers may pull weeds, fertilize crops, prepare planting beds, or irrigate fruit trees. Staff also conduct farm walks to identify which areas need attention, giving participants a role in the farm's regular upkeep.
During an Oct. 13 visit, staff and apprentices prepared to transplant lettuce started in a greenhouse. Workers spread chicken-pellet fertilizer and compost across planting beds before arranging the young plants in the soil.
The lettuce was one part of a growing operation that also produces eggplants, squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Much of the work involves preparing the ground and keeping it productive between harvests.
Marc Lopez, La Semilla's mobile toolkit coordinator, explained how the farm makes compost using spent mushroom-growing blocks supplied by Full Circle Mushrooms. The blocks are broken apart and added to piles of decomposing organic matter that will eventually be returned to the fields.
Steam rose from one of the farm's four compost piles as Lopez described the process. Staff monitor temperatures, turn the piles, and add material regularly. Producing usable compost generally takes four to six months.
The farm also plants cover crops to help restore nutrients between growing cycles. Lopez demonstrated a BCS walk-behind tractor, which can use different attachments to prepare planting beds and manage vegetation. Through La Semilla's mobile toolkit program, he helps small-scale farmers access equipment for similar work.
Beyond the farm, La Semilla connects residents with produce from regional growers through its Farm Fresh program. The program offers weekly boxes for purchase, combining vegetables from different small farmers rather than relying solely on La Semilla's harvest.
Chavira said access to fresh food is especially important in southern New Mexico, where some communities face challenges involving food availability and limited water resources.
“I think, to me, food justice means equal food distribution for everyone, especially in food deserts and where we have less water coming in, and more thought into those areas, like our desert area,” Chavira said.
La Semilla also works to introduce young people to agriculture through its Food & Farm Youth Apprenticeship program, which offers training, mentorship and hands-on experience with local producers.
Kiana Espino, a La Semilla staff member, said she joined the organization through the apprenticeship program in 2022. During the farm visit, she described how participants can work with different agricultural producers and learn growing practices beyond those used at La Semilla.
Espino identified Colores Farm, OG Farms and Tiwa Women's Circle as examples of farms involved in apprenticeship placements.
According to La Semilla's website, the program generally accommodates two to four apprentices at a time, depending on staffing, funding and interest. Participants receive stipends and may gain experience in farm production, farmers market sales, and agricultural leadership. Applicants must first complete a session of the organization's Raíces Youth Program.
The weekly volunteer days provide a less formal way for residents to participate, although attracting enough people can be difficult. Chavira said summer heat can discourage volunteers, leaving fewer people available to help with farm work. Farm staff also said rain can make access roads difficult to navigate.
Despite those challenges, Chavira hopes the weekly gatherings will continue bringing residents together and strengthening their connection to local agriculture.
“I'd like to see more people join the volunteer days just so people can get to know each other more and be more involved in where their food comes from,” Chavira said.
