Gardening in the ‘Goldilocks Zone’

Special Projects

Gardening in the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ at the Southwest Sufi Community.

G. Schoen

On my first visit to the Southwest Sufi Community in May of 2011, I got my first look at the fallow fields and the perennial stream running through the property. It was clear that this spot had great potential for a permaculture site.

In June of 2012 I took up residence at the SSC. Since then, we have all worked to enhance and expand the existing garden into the unused fields, and to bring irrigation water directly from Bear Creek, as allowed by the original water rights. Much appreciated earthwork by backhoe and tractor has made a big difference.

Aside from the wonderful resource of a year-round stream, uncommon in New Mexico, is the unique and moderated climate of this location in the foothills of the Gila Wilderness. With the Chihuahuan Desert to the south and the Sonoran Desert to the southwest, this location near Silver City, New Mexico is also affected by a ‘tongue’ of cooler climate reaching from Colorado and down through western New Mexico and eastern Arizona. This allows for summer temperatures to be distinctly cooler than the Rio Grande valley, nearby Deming, and southeast Arizona, and the winters to be relatively mild (USDA Zone 7B). And the upslope into the Gila Mountain region captures monsoon moisture to give the area a rainfall approaching 16 inches annually, more generous than many other areas of the state.

The high spring winds characteristic of the central and southern parts of New Mexico (and most of the Southwest) are damped down by the terrain, sparing the area of the four months of buffeting suffered elsewhere.

After a brief hotter drier period in June, the summer monsoons begin and last through July and August, bringing on a ‘second spring’ and the garden crops remain lush as if in May, as afternoon clouds and rains abate the sun’s heat.

All this makes the area a ‘Goldilocks zone’—not too hot, not too cold, not too dry, not too wet…

Current Progress

The SSC property has adjudicated water rights to two parcels of creek bottom farmland, one about 1 acre, the other about 1.3 acres, along with a third, small piece near the spring.

Currently the original garden is irrigated mostly by the water line from the spring tanks, allowing growing of kitchen garden vegetables in the original raised beds and some miscellaneous herbs and native plants in the perimeter beds. A recently expanded chicken coop is active adjacent, with a small chicken flock supplying fresh eggs to the community.

The most recent development is the re-activated 1-plus acre parcel, fenced around its perimeter with 5 ft. horse fencing to keep out cattle and javelinas. Deer have not been seen in the area, or rarely so, and have not been a problem. The parcel, called the ‘lower garden’ or ‘lower field’ is irrigated by the recently developed creek irrigation.

The irrigation from Bear Creek is made possible by a diversion dam about 700 feet upstream to convey water through four inch flexible piping. This empties into a surface ditch for the last 200 feet and into a holding pond in the lower field. During a brief period of low creek flow just before monsoon season it can be necessary to use a gasoline powered pump to fill a metal water tank located slightly uphill from the garden area, allowing irrigation to be done via gravity from the filled tank.

The ditch empties into the holding pond, with a shunt box to redirect water into a system of smaller ditches supplying the various plots in the lower garden. The contour and flow volume allow irrigation water to easily reach the growing plots in this field, including the western extremity (corn and cover crops) as well as a zone along the south edge which is being developed with grapes and other small fruits.

As this lower field continues to be developed, the ditches will continue to become more defined and groomed, establishing zones of growing plots for crop rotation.

All the gardening involves organic soil amendments from manure, compost, natural minerals, and related, and no pesticides other than natural soap or similar natural insect deterrents are used if needed.

We are currently growing the more common vegetable crops, along with heirloom rainbow corn and various herbs. In the beginning stage are small fruits and experimental crops such as bamboo and thornless prickly pear cactus.

Gardening in the ‘Goldilocks zone’ is still a work of constant vigilance, as even this benign environment has multiple challenges that need constant watching. Even with these, however, Nature waits to provide, and small and large miracles continue happening.

In addition to the growing of crops for direct community use, another aspect involves the growing of specific varieties for the purpose of propagation of heirloom seed. This includes the growing of plots of heritage native corn as well as beans and related crops. The SSC is connected with a project involving Grandmother Flordemayo of the Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers, as part of The Path organization, and its associated Seed Temple project near Estancia, NM. There is additional involvement with the Native Seeds/SEARCH organization of Tucson, AZ. SSC is geographically intermediate between these two locations.

Future plans

Although the support from the existing SSC community residents is enthusiastic, we are sometimes short-handed, so the permaculture project will benefit as more folks with an affinity to gardening become involved and take up residence. One possibility is that growing areas can be set aside for ‘adoption’, for inviting local people not currently residing on the land to have the opportunity to garden on the site.

The second growing area across the creek has the remnants of an old apple orchard, and a fallow field that can also be irrigated. We will soon be starting a cover crop here to begin re-awakening the soil. This too could become productive as we expand.

Our hoped-for fencing project is intended to keep out the nearby ranchers’ cattle from further damaging the riparian zone, and also will reduce the threat to the garden areas. With the cattle impact removed, the native species will recover or can be re-introduced, and additional desirable trees can be planted.

Related projects such as earthworms, aquaculture, and beekeeping can be a possibility, along with medicinal herbs, can become market garden opportunities, and the site as a whole can serve to educate visitors in permaculture gardening.