Cultivando Sueños - Sustainable Farming Program

Need for this Program

Catholic Charities has been supporting the farmworker community in Hatch since its beginnings in 2004, by partnering with Our Lord of Mercy Catholic Church in Hatch. Agriculture has always played an important role in the economic wellbeing of the southern part of the state which is known for crops such as pecans, chile, onions, watermelon and cotton. However, annual earnings of migrant workers range between $2,000 to $13,000, with a median household income of $6,000. As such, poverty rates in southern New Mexico are some of the highest in the nation. Many of these farmworkers only have work when it is harvest season, leaving them unemployed during the rest of the year. Right now, they are working in the onion fields from 5am – 3pm, and 7pm - 11pm in the onion sheds. Long days in the field make it hard to focus on their health and learn other marketable skills. Many suffer from multiple morbidities, including Diabetes and Hypertension that develop as a result of the stressful working conditions and living in poverty. The primary language in this community is Spanish, making it difficult to obtain a job outside of farming. The state of New Mexico depends on these farmworkers for a supply of healthy produce, yet they struggle to afford and access fresh food for themselves. Cultivando Sueños (Cultivating Dreams) - Sustainable Farming Program is a sustainable food and farming co-op in Hatch, NM that will allow farmworkers to grow healthy food for their families, and make additional income through a community farm stand in Hatch and at the larger farmers market in nearby Las Cruces, where their produce and other handmade goods, can be marketed.

Details of Program Plan

This program is being directed by Executive Director Kenneth Ferrone, Social Worker Nancy Patterson, and most importantly by our Community Organizer, Dora Chairez and Community Liaison, Micaela Pallares, who come from families of farmworkers in Hatch and know the farmworker community well. Along with volunteers, Dora and Micaela already support the community with English as a Second Language classes, financial literacy and health education programs, housing assistance, food assistance, connecting farmworkers to legal aid services, leading know your rights sessions and voter registration campaigns, and networking with the local churches in Hatch and the surrounding area to better support this population.

In addition to our human resources, we have irrigated land ready to be used for this project, thanks to Father Mike Williams of the Garfield Parish. We will lease five acres from the parish, and Father Ivan of Our Lord of Mercy Church in Hatch has opened the doors of the church as a space for a farm-stand. We will also purchase a stand at the weekly Las Cruces farmers market, which is a well established and well attended event. 

We are uniquely located near New Mexico State University (NMSU) and its College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences. We hope to recruit a graduate of their Agricultural Economics and Ag Business school, for a one-year contract as our Agricultural Business Advisor. We will also hire an identified farmworker with leadership skills in Hatch to take the role of Program Manager. Together, they will manage the project throughout the first year. The NMSU graduate will impart agricultural business management skills to the farmworker community so that the program can be sustained beyond the one-year contract.

Impact and Fundraising Logistics

The expected long-term impact is to establish a sustainable source of food and income to farmworkers, which will supplement the wages they earn farming land and harvesting food that does not make it to their own tables. The dream is that it grows in size and profit, and allows farmworkers the opportunity to manage a business that directly benefits their families and local community.

We have applied for a $100,000.00 grant through the Gannett Foundation to support the program costs, but must first raise $6,000.00 to be eligible for funding. Your contribution has the potential to multiply substantially if we meet our goal! The challenge runs July 19th - August 13th at noon ET. We kindly invite you to make your donation today and share the link to this page with others! https://acommunitythrives.mightycause.com/story/Supportfarmworkers

In solidarity,

Catholic Charities of Southern New Mexico