Community & School Gardens

Campus Farms & Gardens with Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) & Charter Schools

For Educators

Housed under APS Curriculum and Instruction, there is one resource instructor that serves all gardens in the district, Susan can be reached at [email protected]. Many organizations and coalitions have come together over the years to support campus farms and gardens, and some valuable resources have resulted from these collaborations. In addition to the online information below, many local farmers and organizations visit schools, or welcome group field trips to their sites. Refer to our resource list to explore potential partnerships for your classroom, and check out the links below for curricula, and lesson plans to use with your students.

• American Friends Service Committee
• New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom
• New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum
• The Edible Schoolyard Project
• FoodCorps
• LifeLab
• Ciclos De La Tierra Curriculum

Getting Involved

There are currently dozens of active school gardens within Albuquerque Public Schools and charter schools, many of which accept the help of community volunteers. School gardens often need assistance with general maintenance, technical irrigation and soil expertise, and workshops for their students. In order to volunteer at a school you must have a verified APS background check. Although the map below is not up-to-date, it is a great place to start if you are interested in finding a school garden near you.

FoodCorps New Mexico is a service-based organization and long-standing partner of school gardens in Albuquerque and throughout the state. Along with working directly on campuses to support outdoor classrooms and school gardens, FoodCorps collaborates on policy efforts to increase access to healthy and fresh school meals for students on campus. If you are looking for service-based work opportunities, FoodCorps hires new cohorts every year and can place you at a site in Albuquerque, New Mexico, or across the nation. You can apply online at www.foodcorps.org.

Community Farms & Gardens

You can access a community garden or farm through many private and public institutions throughout the city. As you engage with a specific site, please remember that every garden and farm experiences ups and downs as resources and capacity shift- that is why your contributions could be invaluable! Everyday tasks of weeding and plant maintenance can be the most impactful, but sites often welcome technical expertise in irrigation and soil management, and educational opportunities. Please refer to our resource list and navigate to the column "has a garden or farm site" to find program that fits your interests.

Are You Interested in Starting a Community Garden or Farm?

Starting a community garden is important endeavor. There are several successful community projects that are worth visiting to gain an understanding of their scope of work and community engagement techniques (such as Rio Grande Community Farm or Project Feed the Hood). City of Albuquerque is dedicated to supporting gardens and farms, contact our Local Agriculture Community Coordinator at [email protected] if you would like a consultation or site visit.

An important step for starting a project is to investigate the zoning designation for your plot of land. You must acquire permits for any structures to be built at your site. To see if the land you have access to is zoned for your desired farming purposes, please investigate the IDO Zoning website. For more detailed information about the zoning classification of your lot and what it means, please contact the COA Planning and Code Enforcement Department.

1. Go to the City of Albuquerque Advanced Map Viewer, locate your lot, and click on the map for specific details.
2. Go to the Address Report page and enter the UPC number into the search bar.
3. Go to the "Albuquerque Planning and Zoning Data" and download the form next to "IDO Zone District"