By Nicholas Cruz Torres, 2024 Sembrador Apprentice
Introduction: After four months of participating in Los Sembradores, I’m excited to share one of the biggest lessons I’ve come to understand: being a farmer is a lot like being a scientist. There’s a certain gracefulness in how we approach challenges, collect information, hypothesize, experiment, and observe. Below are a few of my hypotheses and observations from the past four months.
Hypothesis 1: Learning Through Los Sembradores In nine months, I will become a responsible and conscious land steward/farmer/cowboy in Northern New Mexico, a journey that would take me many years on my own.
Observation 1: Holistic Stewardship Through Los Sembradores, I have practiced skills and traditions to become a holistic steward of the land. I’ve learned the importance of a healthy environment and ecosystem within the flora and fauna of the land and within our communities. My peers, mentors, and the local community demonstrate qualities of mutual aid, kindness, reciprocity, curiosity, playfulness, resourcefulness, and gentleness. Being a Sembrador goes beyond tending to a geographic piece of land; it allows us to see higher connections.
Hypothesis 2: My War with Squirrels and Milk Thistle If I cut down Milk Thistle and lay it around my garden, it will help manage weeds, add biomass, and protect the garden from critters.
Observation 2: Mixed Results Initially, critter activity cooled down where Milk Thistle was spread. However, this didn’t last long as critters found new ways to invade. Milk Thistle will grow back and try to flower if not monitored. While this hypothesis was fun, and chopping down milk thistles with a machete felt like a video game, the energy input wasn’t worth the results. Critters seem to chill out more with a manicured area and the planting of flowers and herbs.
Hypothesis 3: Community Health Community health is related to soil health.
Observation 3: Ongoing Exploration I am still collecting information on this one. Communities with active local land stewards who care for soil health and water, where the production of healthy food is celebrated, and where healthy acequias flow, seem to have a happier and more connected community experience than other places I’ve observed.
Conclusion: I am so grateful for the opportunity to be part of Los Sembradores and the incredible group we have this year. I look forward to what the rest of the program has in store and the many experiments to come. I’d love to hear about your hypotheses, experiments, and observations as a land steward. Please share them to nickleyasss@gmail.com.
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