By Juliet Garcia-Gonzales, Sembrando Semillas Project. In a couple of weeks, the Sembrando Semillas youth and youth from other  communities will be attending the NMAA first annual La Escuelita de las Acequias.  The Escuelita is a 3 part series that will be held between the months of February and September 2012. The formation of La [...]

By Quita Ortiz, Land and Water Program, New Mexico Acequia Association The New Mexico Acequia Association has partnered with researchers from NMSU and UNM on an interdisciplinary acequia study funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), under their Dynamics of Coupled Human and Natural Systems program which promotes the interdisciplinary analyses of the interaction and [...]

Pedro A. Casados Sr. 81 a lifelong farmer and rancher of El Guique, New Mexico passed on peacefully on January 20th. He and his wife Juanita Archuleta de Casados are notably known for their family’s widely recognized indigenous New Mexican food business known as the Casados Farms. He was influential in politics and in civic [...]

I would like to write about a community that I have had worked with on a project for about a year now. Acequia de Tecolotito, not to be confused with Acequia de Tecolote, this acequia begins in San Miguel County and continues for 7 miles into Guadalupe County. This acequia runs approximately 7 miles into [...]

Activities preparing for the Holidays are always so tedious, but the cooking with my family is always the most important. Along with raising our animals, and harvesting crops, is the importance of preparing these ingredients so we can eat and enjoy them with our families.  I have memories of my childhood, with my Mom, Dad, [...]

The following is an excerpt from a story written by Kenny Salazar, illustrating how the coupling of patience and unwavering determination among acequia leaders in Cordova lead to the completion of a project that will serve its community for many years to come. After the workshop ended, three gentlemen approached me and introduced themselves as [...]

La Luz de Nuevo México: Rituals of Seasonal Change in Acequia Communities   Al pie de la montaña Sale el sol muy de mañana Ya viene amaneciendo La luz de Nuevo México. -Jeremiah Martínez Yesterday, December 21st marked the winter solstice in Earth’s northern hemisphere. It is a special period for many Acequia communities who [...]

On Thursday, December 8th we held a workshop on acequia easements. It was well attended with 42 participants plus NMAA staff and NM Legal Aid attorney David Benavides. In this meeting we tried a new approach to presenting information and problem solving. Using an assessment tool from La Escuelita de las Acequias model we were [...]

  The first week of November, we held a Pumpkin workshop. It is late in the season to expect anything to dry outside, but with harvest behind us, more time available, and a nice crop of native pumpkins, it was perfect. The practice of making tasajos  I have only ever  heard about.   My father remembers [...]

Our 2012 Acequia Calendar, featuring photos submitted by acequieros throughout the state, is now available for purchase online. The calendar includes saint days, pueblo feast days, and other important dates that you won't see in a conventional calendar. Order now, supplies are limited!