2025 NMCEWL Annual Summit
April 3-4
Institute of American Indian Arts
83 Avan Nu Po Road
Santa Fe, NM 87508
ABOUT
Our annual summit offers a welcoming and creative space where we can put our words into action, and step into another year of adapting to a changing climate.
We are excited to bring focus to the importance of relationship- and tool-building for New Mexico producers. Topics such as best technical assistance practices, grant funding procurement, and the collaborations that support their strength, will be highlighted during presentations, peer-to-peer activities, and more.
The annual summit is a FREE in-person event for navigating challenges in our community, finding peer support, and building resilience in a challenging climate. We are offering producer travel stipends ($140) and producer hotel stipends ($150) to help offset costs. Please email coordinator@nmcewl.org to inquire.
This summit is in-part funded by a USDA Conservation Technical Assistance grant and the Tauck Family Foundation.
CONTACT
Email coordinator@nmcewl.org with any questions.
SCHEDULE
Day 1, April 3:
Programming will take place in the Hogan building. Attendees should park in the parking lots near Entrance #1. There is a small parking lot near the Hogan for attendees needing ADA accommodations. Click here for more information and a map of the IAIA campus.
9 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Arrivals, coffee and refreshments provided
9:30 - 10:00 a.m.
Welcome and introductions
10:05 - 11 a.m.
Storytelling and Leadership Advocacy for Young, Beginning, and Marginalized Farmers
Alicia Thompson – West Region Organizing Manager, National Young Farmers Coalition
Joseluis Ortiz y Muniz – ¡Sostenga! Center, NNMC
Join us to explore farmer advocacy through storytelling, empowering farmers into leadership roles, and ensuring equitable access to water, land, and other essential agricultural resources.
11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Conservation Planning on Navajo Nation
Yolanda Benally – producer and advocate, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
12:05 - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch at Institute of American Indian Arts and Seed to Bloom audio project
Davon Collins – RAY Fellow, Institute of American Indian Arts Land Grant Program
1:35 - 2:30 p.m.
Adapting to Shifting Climates and Policy Change
Sarah Wentzel-Fisher – Land and Agriculture Policy Director, Thornburg Foundation
2:45 - 3:30 p.m.
Creative Communication: Pitching Project Ideas
Melanie Kirby – Institute of American Indian Arts Land Grant Program
As we navigate a precarious funding climate, gain techniques to set your grant proposal apart and for integrating creative objectives.
3:35 - 4 p.m.
Closing
Day 2, April 4:
9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Join NMCEWL and the NRCS Santa Fe team for a field day at a farm in Santa Fe County to hear about best practices for relationship building between producers and their technical assistance providers.
Khalsa Family Farms, 10 Narayan Ct, Española, NM 87532
Parking Directions:
After turning onto Narayan Court, there is a parking area to the right of the dirt road with a sign that says “Guest Parking”. There is also parking available above that area where the farm crew parks.
Share a Seed New Mexico is coming to the
2025 NMCEWL Summit!
Share a Seed is a mutual aid seed sharing and food access program. Share a Seed re-distributes resources directly to community members, gardens, and small farms, providing both the tools and educational resources to get more folks growing.
Share your spares with the project:
- viable, well-labeled seeds (vegetables, flowers, fruits, etc…)
- how-to books related to gardening, farming, ranching, and/or food preservation
- gently used garden equipment (gloves, spades, sun hats, drip tape, etc…)
- bags of soil or compost
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