The Indigenous Farm Hub will build on and enhance the capacity of existing Indigenous food systems and the intentional efforts that tribal communities are already utilizing. Through a community-guided approach led by Indigenous leadership, the Indigenous Farm Hub aims to: revitalize Indigenous languages, culture, and customs tied to land-based and agricultural experiences; renew traditional agricultural practices while developing modern day business and marketing plans that build farmer prosperity; and facilitate Indigenous food access and sovereignty with tribal communities. Although the 16 acre farm for IFH is located in Corrales, we serve students from Albuquerque Public Schools, charter schools that serve predominantly Indigenous Students (NACA) and students with disabilities (ASLA). As we grow our farmers in residence programming, we aim to be located across NM serving communities and students with access to health/land-based education through additional farmer relationships.

FoodCorps service members will be part of a team that believes in the strengths of communities and youth to create systemic shift with regard to supporting healthy food systems and access points to nutritious food options. Members will be working with a diverse set of Farm Hub staff as well as school faculty to create culturally responsive educational experiences for youth and their families. As a new organization, service members will have the unique opportunity to create and implement new programming experiences with youth and school partners. FoodCorps service members will be indispensable in the planning and implementation of our land-based and classroom based learning experiences with Native American Community Academy (NACA) and Albuquerque Sign Language Academy(ASLA). They will be responsible for convening experts in language, culture and farming to create and deliver curriculum with our partner schools’ students. The main objective of the programming will be to connect youth to the production of healthy foods, participate in food production that will be utilized within their school lunch programs and to cultivate healthy and nutritious eating choices for life-long wellness. Our program offers a unique opportunity to connect language and culture revitalization to the physical and academic learning experiences of locally grown food systems.

The FoodCorps service member at Indigenous Farm Hub is a part of the New Mexico cohort that includes 10 service members across 8 different service sites. Service sites in New Mexico are located in what has come to be known as the cities of Santa Fe, Bernalillo, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and Anthony. We acknowledge and seek to continually honor that all land within the present borders of New Mexico were originally entrusted and stewarded by Indigenous Peoples. Through a journey of cultural humility, we serve at each site with the knowledge that each of these geographical and cultural boundaries have been constructed as a result of unjust historical events. New Mexico prides itself on our population, which consists of a majority of People of Color, and the deep well of cultural assets each ethnic group adds to our communities. As a result of racist ideologies and concurrent policies that have systematically marginalized these populations, New Mexico currently has the lowest quality of life for children and some of the highest hunger and poverty rates in the nation. With this historical pretext and a systems change approach as the foundation, service members will engage with children, families and communities to offer food education through a decolonial, equitable, anti-racist lens with support from site supervisors, community, and state staff.