MESA Project

Pata Viva Farm / Bryce Richard

Funding Received: 2016
Las Cruces, NM
$250,000
Funding Period: 2 years and 5 months
https://www.facebook.com/Pata-Viva-Farm-1475528562757820/
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November 27, 2020

Pole barn and pasture at Pata Viva

Apart from the very first MESA Meal, which was held indoors because of a surprise monsoon, all of the MESA Meals were held at a working farm, Pata Viva, that could demonstrate multiple sustainable agricultural techniques thanks to funding from ArtPlace America. Participants at the MESA Meals could see the water-saving drip irrigation systems, the specialized composting equipment that produces beneficial soil microbes, the permanent pollinator habitat, the low-till/no-till farm beds and equipment, and more. Hosting the MESA Meals at a working farm helped shape the spirit of the events, and ability to demonstrate techniques may have contributed to the surprisingly high rate (84%!) at which participating producers were able to implement sustainable practices that they learned about through the MESA Project.