La Semilla Youth Farm is Hiring Youth Ages 14 to 22 for our 2013 Raices de Tradicion y Salud Program! Click here to find out more information and to apply. The application deadline is May 13.
 By Rebecca Wiggins-Reinhard IATP Food & Community Fellows Blog Posted April 7, 2013 One of my greatest joys is watching young people bloom. In my professional life, I am a fortunate witness to this every day. I see the happiness that comes when kids plant seeds for the first time, or taste turnips that they grew themselves, and the confidence that builds in our young service members as they become teachers and role models for other youth. Continue reading here.  LAS CRUCES SUN-NEWS By Andi Murphy, 10/3/2012 ANTHONY, N.M. — A 14-acre patch of brown dirt in Anthony, N.M., is broken up by a few weeds and long-dead cotton stems. By spring, it will be sectioned into zones that will harbor corn, watermelon, squash, flowers and more. La Semilla Food Center has many plans for that piece of land, donated to them by Kent and Martha Halla. But first things first: they have to build a water well. "In order to start that project in the spring, we're going to need a well," said Cristina Dominguez-Eshelman, co-director of La Semilla. "In a way, that well is a community project." Read more... La Semilla: Bringing Families and Community Together with Food Today, La Semilla Food Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico (La Semilla is Spanish for “the seed”), is operating within the region to address these serious issues. La Semilla’s programs range from involvement in school gardens and curricula, including a youth farm, to policy reform and much more. Staff at the center have seen young people literally transformed by being able to take charge of their own food system as well as that of their community. “La Semilla is really about creating a vibrant, sustainable and equitable food system in the Paso del Norte region, in which our focus is mainly El Paso to Las Cruces,” Aaron Sharratt, co-founder of La Semilla Food Center, told Organic Connections. “It’s ensuring that all residents in our region can have access to healthy and affordable food. That’s a huge challenge and something that motivates us daily—figuring out how that looks and what we can do to improve the situation.” Read the full article at Organic Connections... Get Voting for La Semilla Youth Farm06/22/2012 
La Semilla Youth Farm Needs Your Votes! We can win $15K and technical design assistance. La Semilla Food Center applied for a $15,000 Nature’s Path Gardens for Good organic garden grant to support La Semilla Youth Farm. Show your support by voting once per day until June 30: http://bit.ly/MavJb1 La Semilla Youth Farm will take root on 14 acres of farmland donated to La Semilla in 2011. Our idea is to educate & empower young people to create a vibrant food system that helps improve our individual, community, and environmental health. The Farm will incorporate agroecological and dryland farming practices and focus on plant varieties appropriate for the Chihuahuan Desert where we live. On the Farm, we will conduct a three part youth program growing nutritious food, conducting family healthy cooking workshops, and selling produce that is grown. Profits from the Farm will be reinvested in growing the next generation of farmers, food activists, and engaged community members. With your support, we will be $15K closer to implement our first year of programming on the Farm the spring of 2013. Cast your vote today to support youth in agriculture. You can vote once per day until June 30: http://bit.ly/MavJb1 Thank you!!  Help us build La Semilla Youth Farm and become a charter member today. Join us as we co-design a more equitable food system in which we all have access to affordable, nutritious food and the tools to prepare healthy meals for our friends and families. Together, we can make access to healthy, affordable food a reality for everyone. We can get healthy, fresh food into the schools and reduce rates of diabetes and other diet related diseases in youth and families in our community. You have until Friday, July 6th to join the first community of La Semilla supporters. Please consider becoming a charter member today. To make a secure online donation, please visit http://www.lasemillafoodcenter.org/donate.html. You can also send your donation by mail with a membership form.
Add Comment Rebecca Wiggins-Reinhard beleives in the transformative possibilities of young people learning about and growing food in New Mexico. Program Harvests Healthy Food Choices05/07/2012  Three new community garden projects are helping children develop their green thumbs while teaching them valuable lessons about nutrition, physical activity and volunteerism. Read more at http://newsuc.utep.edu/index.php/research-news/308-program-harvests-healthy-food-choices. Ingredients Film Screening May 1904/19/2012  La Semilla is hosting a screening of the film Ingredients at The Fountain Theatre in Mesilla on May 19 at 4pm. At the focal point of this film are the farmers and chefs who are creating a truly sustainable food system. Ingredients is a journey that reveals the people behind the movement to bring good food back to the table and health back to our communities. Tickets are $10, $5 for students. All proceeds benefit La Semilla Food Center and the development of La Semilla Youth Farm. La Semilla Food Center works with youth and families to reestablish the connections between food, health, the environment, and local economies. La Semilla Youth Farm is situated on 14 acres of farmland in Anthony, NM. On this site La Semilla is developing a demonstration and education site for a three part youth program growing vegetables, preparing healthy meals, and selling the remaining produce at farmer’s market stands and restaurants in the area. At La Semilla Youth Farm, youth will have the opportunity to learn about sustainable agriculture and where their food comes from, try new fruits and vegetables while learning how to prepare healthy meals, and gain important entrepreneurial skills through marketing the produce they grow. Call us at 480-277-5312 or email lasemillafoodcenter@gmail.com to reserve tickets. SeedShare Las Cruces February 4th01/10/2012  Join Local Solutions LC and La Semilla Food Center at Mountain View Market Co-op on February 4th from 12-3pm for the annual SeedShare Las Cruces. A seed bank stores seeds that are grown and saved locally. These seeds are adapted to our growing climate and are an invaluable resource. By placing collective seeds in a bank, a community protects unique vegetable and flower varieties that may be otherwise discontinued by commercial seed sources. Goals of the Seed Bank · To provide community access to quality, local seeds. · To preserve local, heritage and heirloom seed varieties. · To promote seed saving and food gardening. · To develop and distribute seeds that are optimum for our unique Southern New Mexico soils and climate. · To collect the social histories of our local seeds. Supporting the Seed Bank Mostly, we are seeking growers for our seeds. If you enjoy growing vegetables, herbs, or flowers and would be interested in growing some of our Seed Bank seeds, please contact us! We can provide seeds, starters, technical support and even save the seeds for you. We could also use some supplies such as mason jars (1/2 pint and pint), lids/rings, small (seed/stamp/coin) envelopes. If I grow for seed saving, can I still have yummy veggies from my garden? Yes. Most plants produce an abundance of seeds, and so there is usually plenty of product to be harvested and eaten. Can anyone grow seeds for the Seed Bank? Yes. There are some requirements (listed below), and we prioritize seeds that are grown locally. However, you do not need to be a commercial or professional grower - families, school groups and others are encouraged to grow seeds for the Seed Bank. Will the Seed Bank provide me with seeds if I'm a grower? Yes. We are interested in getting as many different growers as possible, and want to help you help us! We will provide you with seeds and may even have some starter plants available in the early growing season. Be sure to contact us for more information obtaining seeds or starts. How do seeds enter the Seed Bank? · Anyone may contribute seeds to the bank. · Individuals who contribute seeds must be the original grower. · Seeds must be grown using organic methods and practices. · Seeds should be accompanied by a short written description, including history of variety if known. · No genetically modified or hybrid seeds are accepted. How do seeds get distributed into the community? · The amount of seed distributed is determined by the total amount and quality of seed in the Bank. · Seeds are distributed to Seed Bank Growers, school / community gardens, and the general public directly or at our seed events. Plans include early spring, spring, and fall seed events, and we participate in various community events such as Earth Day. · Seed Bank Growers are given priority for seed distributions. · Seeds grown from Seed Bank seeds are labeled and distributed as "Bank Seeds." Contact Jon Simmons with Local Solutions LC for more information: jonsimmons@yahoo.com or 575-640-4288 Like SeedShare Las Cruces on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SeedShareLC | News
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