Del Norte Open Space
History:
In 2007, the Village of Los Ranchos purchased 26 acres of prime farmland and adjacent open space north of Paseo del Norte, west of 4th Street. The lands are contiguous with parcels owned by the New Mexico Department of Transportation along Paseo del Norte, and Bernalillo County which the Village manages through cooperative agreements. Collectively the approximately 40 acres are the del Norte Property.
The Village of Los Ranchos purchased the property with approximately $2.4 Million of State of New Mexico Capital Outlay.
From 2007 to 2018, local farmer and resident David Montoya managed the property through a lease agreement. He grew alfalfa, grazed and bred cattle, and managed non-farmed parcels, trails, and roadways.
Following State of New Mexico procurement processes, the Village of Los Ranchos issued a public Request for Proposals in the Fall of 2021. Jacobo Sanchez of Southwest Soil Health, LLC was the successful offerer.
Paseo del Norte Open Space Farm Plan
New irrigation infrastructure coming soon
Meet the Farmer: Jacobo Sanchez
Jacobo Sanchez
As a fifth generation New Mexican, I have grown up helping family and friends with farm and construction-related projects my whole life. Years later, I have turned those experiences into a career that allows me to keep the lights on as a journeyman lineman and keep fields green for families and communities in the North Valley and across the state.
My first farming experience began helping my grandfather on his 3-acre farm off Campbell Rd. the property he purchased n the 1970’s was previously a nursery that had fallen into disrepair. During the 50 years he owned the property, I watched and learned, as he restored the property into a diverse farm that sustained our families and neighbors on fruit, vegetables, chickens, and pasture-raised cows.
Having been raised during the Depression, my grandfather carefully tended to the land, always making sure he left more than he took, never wanting to take for granted the privilege to provide for his family as a steward of the land. This is a lesson passed down through the generations that sticks with me to this day.
Farming is not my career, it is my passion, and it is in my blood. Those legacies and lessons passed down have taught me how to start from scratch and build a dream that supports the ones you love. Now I am uniquely positioned to do the same and share that knowledge with others.
Farm Plan:
Management Approach:
Before any farming begins, it is essential to establish clear standards and expectations of how the properties will be maintained. Working in partnership with The Village, we would assiss the current condition of ditches, facilities, debris, and any deferred maintenance to identify corrective actions and develop mutually agreed-upon plans and timelines.
…Soil health is the heart of the plan. For people like my grandfather, soil health is just another way to say “leave more than you take.”
…Using the 5 Soil Health Principles as a guide, (my) plan will do the following to improve the properties’ current condition:
Use new, reduced-tillage implements, practices, and proper grazing management, to minimize disturbance.
This plan will support multi-species plants and animals, both above ground and below, to maximize biodiversity.
By planting perennial grasses and cover crops, we will maintain a living root.
Keep the soil covered.
And then integrate livestock of various kinds to mimic nature and further support principles 1-4.
…Of the 25 or so farmable acres of the property, half of that acreage will be harvested each year, with the other half being rested, cover cropped, incorporated back into the soil, and rotated into production the next year. This approach is important, especially during times of continued drought.