TCEDC Community Garden Project prioritizes supplying healthy foods to disadvantaged community members, provides an alternative to social isolation for the elderly and emarginated, educates youth with our partners UNM Taos and local K-12 schools and promotes turning produce into a marketable product with the free services provided since 1986 of marketing advice, brand development, certification and a community commercial kitchen in support of local economic development in the food sector. On May 15th community volunteers initiated the program by rejuvenating the 1 acre garden and 2 green houses in an effort which has united all cultural, age, ethnic and socio-economic groups to our common cause of feeding our community. The validity of the project has been emphasized especially after Covid where we are seeing the need to become food self sufficient, especially in Taos County which is well below the national poverty level and high above that of child hunger. Our volunteers and many local sponsors have been activated in addressing this problem with a community solution both at the TCEDC garden and installing garden beds in homes of volunteers who will donate a percentage of produce yield, especially winter crops, to our many community food programs.
Our mission is to support the food, land, water and cultures of the people of Northern New Mexico. Taos County Economic Development Corporation (TCEDC) has focused on maintaining equity and ownership for land-based people, combatting poverty, as well as providing access to education, businesses, and other sector opportunities.
TCEDC’s efforts are to support sustainable livelihoods in agricultural and food-related enterprises. We provide successful strategies for limited resource food producers, particularly women and people of color.