Presidio Planters
Presidio Planters is a program that promotes small garden installations throughout Presidio for education and engagement in growing local. The program is rolling out in phases with several projects, which are located at central community gathering spots with the potential to engage students, families, and elders in gardening.
“No Bend” Beds for the Presidio Activity Center
The Presidio Activity Center houses the local library and senior center. Two raised beds have been installed, so that elders and families can be engaged in planting demonstrations and volunteerism to help take care of the small garden.
Elevated planters have been installed at the Presidio Activity Center for a small vegetable garden.
The beds are elevated to standing height making it easy for seniors to work in the garden because there is no need to lean over. Planters sit between the entrances to the library and senior center and located in a constant hub of activity. This area gets partial shade during the day, which is beneficial for the plants in Presidio’s harsh conditions.
Third Grade Garden At the Elementary School
Third graders in Ms. Gonzalez's class are tending to a new outdoor garden. Students helped spread out the soil and set the drip irrigation and they planted broccoli, carrots, spinach, cilantro, radishes, chard, and kale. The class will continue to tend the garden throughout the school year.
Workshops
Held at the Presidio Activities Center, these workshops were taught by María Félix Vázquez Santa Cruz. Félix originates from Santa Cruz Guadalupe, Tlaxcala, Mexico. New to Presidio, she's a creative person with extensive knowledge about gardening. Subjects included how to beat the heat, DIY gardening tips, composting, tours of the garden beds, home remedies, and more.
Participants at one of the workshops selecting seeds for growing at home.
Project Background
Presidio sits at the US-Mexico border in “La Junta de los Ríos,” the fertile region surrounding the juncture of the Río Conchos and the Río Grande, which has been continuously cultivated longer than any other area of Texas. Even with this rich history, growing in Presidio has significantly declined since the 1990s owing to economic and environmental factors—labor costs have risen considerably, stringent border policies have reduced the availability of workers, and the water table is falling with the wetlands around the Rio Grande and the river itself drying.
The town is a challenging environment in which to farm or garden. While the areas near the river are more fertile, the majority of Presidio sits within the dry and sandy Chihuahuan Desert and temperatures are extreme—well below freezing in the winter and upwards of 120 degrees in the summer. The area regularly experiences extreme drought conditions lasting months at a time. There is one grocery store with a limited selection of produce; organic is not available owing to the town’s remote and rural location with limited distribution options.
The community of Presidio has expressed interest in access to fresh and local produce, but previous efforts to bring a community garden together have not been sustainable; one effort started with enthusiasm, but volunteerism declined quickly and the effort could not be continued.
A community survey was undertaken to better understand the situation prior to programming development.
BBCA worked to better understand the situation to develop relevant and sustainable programming related to growing. A community survey was launched with an incentive—anyone completing the survey would be entered to win a box of organic produce. 112 members of the community would complete the survey.
90% of respondents would say they were interested in growing vegetables, but 75% of those indicated they’d rather do that at home rather than a centralized community garden. While 70% indicated they’d volunteer in a community garden effort, the answers to the question “What do you find difficult about growing in Presidio?” proved to be the most interesting: 67% needed more knowledge, 47% said it was too hot, 25% needed more leisure time; and 20% felt that shopping was more convenient. There is strong interest, but knowledge and the heat are barriers. Results indicate it’s easier to grow at home or shop at the store.
The data helped us understand what a successful community growing program might look like and, as a result, the data points to a multi-pronged approach focused on education, innovative ways to grow to beat the heat, located in homes and/or areas where people already gather, and something less time consuming than a traditional garden.
Press
Big Bend Sentinel, “Presidio’s seniors get green thumbs with new garden at the Presidio Activities Center” by Sam Karas. July 27, 2022.
Big Bend Sentinel, “Big Bend Conservation Alliance kicks off free gardening workshop series in Presidio” by Sam Karas. February 8, 2023.
The Presidio Planters program is generously funded by Wellpoint. Seeds for the elementary school garden were donated by Native Seeds through a Community Seed Grant.