New Mexico Acequia Association

Programs: The new mexico acequia association operated programs and projects that made a positive difference in the lives of families and communities throughout the state. Our work resulted in protection for agricultural land and water rights, increased access to healthy, locally-grown food, and leadership opportunities for community leaders of all ages. For the nmaa, 2017 was a successful year in working toward our mission of protecting water and acequias, growing healthy food for our families and communities, honoring our cultural heritage. Nmaa built upon our long-time education and outreach work through our acequia governance project, which is designed to build capacity of acequias to successfully govern their acequias and protect their water rights, the sembrando semillas project, which is an intergenerational youth and family program, and escuelita de las acequias, which is focused on leadership development. The year 2017 was also a time when we launched a new project, los sembradores, a culturally-appropriate training program for new and beginning farmers. We also engaged in membership development, policy development, and communications and outreach. Acequia education, outreach, and organizingnmaa engages leaders in outreach and organizing to support leadership development, community-based organizing, and capacity building. This includes the acequia governance project, the purpose of which is to protect the water rights and agricultural lands of acequia communities by strengthening the capacity of acequias and community ditches to protect historic acequia water rights and to manage water for the benefit of their respective communities. This project utilizes a culturally appropriate approach to community education. This includes one-on-one technical assistance and community-based workshops in addition to creating educational materials that are updated annually based on lessons learned in the field. We coordinated numerous educational activities and engaged acequias throughout new mexico through outreach and communications through the following activities. Coordinated, gave presentations, and provided training at 35 acequia meetings and workshops with 527 participants. Nmaa staff were invited to attend several local acequia meetings to give presentations are training on water rights, acequia governance, and infrastructure funding. Many acequias received vital information from nmaa about protecting water rights and strengthening local water management. Other workshops focused on acequia governance including bylaws, infrastructure planning, and open meetings requirements. A series of specialized workshops entitled, pathways to funding: acequia financial compliance, focused on the process to secure funding for infrastructure projects and also the requirements for financial compliance with state and federal agencies. Nmaa organized, some through partnerships, 16 major educational events with 1,115 attendees including acequia day at the nm state legislature with 190 participants and our annual congreso de las acequias with 260 participants. The congreso included presentations from acequia leaders on success stories of defending water rights and from youth leaders about their hope for acequias in the future. The meeting culminates each year with voting on resolutions that articulate policy positions and election of our board of directors. Other organizing events included a partnership with taos valley acequia association to support their grassroots outreach efforts and a conference, owingeh ta, on seed saving with the nm food and seed sovereignty alliance. Published 4 quarterly, hard copy newsletters which is distributed to 6,000 recipients throughout the state. The newsletter serves as the largest communications network for acequias in the state of new mexico. Also published bi-monthly online newsletters disseminated to 2,200 individuals. Social media posts often reach over 1,500 individuals. Updated the statewide inventory of acequias throughout the state including the name of the acequia, county, water source, and contract information and expended the list to over 650. Based on this list, nmaa conducted a statewide needs assessment by conducting a survey, the results of which have been made available to state and federal agencies and policymakers. The report includes a summary of findings related to technical assistance needs of acequias in relation to acequia governance. Provided technical and legal assistance to acequias in updating their bylaws. Acequias are required by new mexico law to have bylaws and nmaa, along with partner nm legal aid, provided specialized assistance that led to the completion of new or updated bylaws for 25 acequias. Provided technical assistance to 47 acequias in the completion of infrastructure capital improvement plans (icips) which are plans used by the state of new mexico to identify infrastructure needs across the state. Assistance includes consultation on project management, sources of funding, and the state appropriations process. Partnered with the new mexico association of conservation districts and the new mexico interstate stream commission to leverage state and federal dollars for acequia projects and to collaborate on planning to improve outcomes in completion of acequia projects. Provided 325 technical assistance services, along with our partner nm legal aid, to acequias on a variety of issues related to acequia governance including water rights, water management, roles of officers, collection of assessments, enforcement, easements, financial compliance, infrastructure issues among many others. Sembrando semillasthrough our sembrando semillas project, nmaa supported local community projects that strengthen the connection between youth and locally grown food in collaboration with local organizations and schools. Nmaa provided staff and resources to four volunteer-driven sembrando semillas sites: abiquiu, chamisal, atrisco, santa clara pueblo, and los jardines/wagon mound. Each site hosts an intergenerational community food projects which include hands-on activities about acequia agriculture such as caring for gardens, preparation and preservation of traditional foods, identification and use of herbs for food and healing, and storytelling. Each site has a core group of adult volunteers and youth participants that have activities and one site also partners with local schools to host school-based field trips to local farms. In 2016, the total core participants were 30 youth and 60 adults in the six sites combined. Nmaa worked with nine local partners including chocoyle farm (chamisal), el rincon farm (chimayo), pueblo of abiquiu library (abiquiu), los jardines institute (albuquerque/wagon mound), cornelio candelaria organics (atrisco), growing the future (albuquerque), northern youth project (abiquiu), american friends service committee (albuquerque), tewa women united, and northern nm college (espanola). Along with our youth-focused agricultural activities, nmaa also worked with local partners to host the 12th annual owengeh ta pueblos y semillas seed ceremony and exchange. Along with our partners in the new mexico food and seed sovereignty alliance (honor our pueblo existence, tewa women united, and traditional native american farmers association), we hosted our annual annual seed exchange with 160 participants including numerous seed savers from acequia and native american communities. The event is instrumental in building an advocacy support base for traditional foods, traditional agricultural methods, and protection for heirloom (non-gmo) seed varieties specific to the region. The event also promotes community health, based on food security provided by increased access to healthy, fresh, locally grown food. Los sembradores acequia farmer training projectin 2017, nmaa initiated a new farmer training project intended to provide intensive training for new and beginning farmers. The program consists of two co-trainers and three or more apprentices who work over a ten-month period to learn small-scale agricultural production on acequia farmland, farm viability and business planning, and the cultural aspects of acequia agriculture including acequia maintenance, water sharing, and stewardship. The goal is for each apprentice to gain the knowledge and skills to operate a small farm of their own upon completion of the program. During the course of the year, the program included instructional days 3 days a week for 10 months. The project also included educational opportunities for the general public including five on-site workshops on soils such as business planning, soils management, irrigation techniques, and cold storage. Nmaa also hosted a statewide workshop, entitled protecting farmland and water rights: tools for land restoration, which had 118 participants. Policy advocacy and leadership developmentnmaa engages members and supporters in identifying issues of importance to acequias statewide through our v