Gardening Cooperative

Seven women, all of whom live in the neighborhood near the Center, are members of the gardening cooperative. They produce vegetables for consumption by their own families using four-season micro-intensive gardens developed by Chuck O'Heron Alex of Albuquerque.

The women meet together monthly to grow together as a community and to reflect and pray about their lives.

At Christmas time all the families celebrated together with a shared meal and festivities for the children, including games and song.

In the fall the women learned to make solar ovens to use in their own homes. The model was simple, using only cardboard and aluminum foil. Solar ovens allow them to cook beans, a pot of rice or a stew without using gas or wood, both of which are very expensive to buy.

in the future we hope the gardening cooperative can grow and eventually be able to sell some of the produce to other residents of the colonia.

We are grateful to the Center for Action and Contemplation for the grant that supports this project.