This week we are thrilled to showcase one of our newer partners and our first ever in-person* interview participant – Rocket Punch Farm! We sat down with Amelia and Jason, the team behind this new farm that has garnered a lot of success in their short time since inception.
They moved to New Mexico back in November 2019 after reckoning with the unsustainable nature of their previous work in Washington DC and finding fulfillment in the urban and community garden programs they became involved with after completing the Master Gardener program. The property they are now settled in was a blank slate and perfect for what they envisioned.
This vision began with building a foundation. Rocket Punch Farm does not use pesticides or chemicals, so instead they opted for the method of sheet mulching to prepare the soil. This involved layering cardboard (obtained from local businesses) with wood chips (picked up for free from the incredible Whitfield Wildlife Center) and watering regularly to start the decomposition process, kill the weeds, improve the soil, and feed the earthworms!
Something that definitely was not part of their vision was starting up a small farm in the middle of a global pandemic. When the regulations and shutdowns were put in place, Amelia and Jason opted to stay away from public settings and farmers’ markets and instead focus on building up their infrastructure. They spent the seasons continuing to mulch, building tube-house structures, connecting rain barrels, planting perennials, and even building a bioreactor to make their own compost.
Their commitment to building up their farm and following safety regulations still didn’t impede them from quickly connecting with their new community. They first collaborated with the East Valencia Urban Garden Program and learned of the many great programs available through the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District (VSWCD). Thanks to the information, the team with Rocket Punch Farm applied and won grants from the VSWCD financial assistance program, the New Mexico Healthy Soil Program, and the farmers’ market COVID-19 relief fund. These funds helped to pay for infrastructure improvements like their drip irrigation system, their greenhouse, and compost.
Aside from these incredibly helpful programs, their established connections – maintained safely through social media – were also what got them into the Valencia Water Watchers movement. These grassroots efforts successfully stopped a planned water bottle facility from being approved to be built in the area and furthermore brought attention to the need to conserve our limited water supply. While Rocket Punch Farm is incredibly mindful of conserving water – using drip irrigation, using mulch, using rain barrels with a combined 850 gallon capacity of stored water, and watering in times when evaporation is reduced – they hope to see a more widespread effort being made from the community level up to state policies, especially in light of facing one of the worst droughts in recent years.
For now, Amelia and Jason are looking forward to building up their farm – including potentially going solar in the future – and continuing to be involved with their community. If you’re in the area, feel free to pay them a visit from 9 am to 5 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. They are also taking part in a movement to start a local Healthy Soil group in Valencia County, so if you’re interested in getting involved you can reach out to them at info@rocketpunchfarm.com and they can add you to the information list. We here at ReNew Mexico are grateful for their partnership and look forward to elevating their efforts!
Stay up to date with their produce here!
*All participants were fully vaccinated against COVID-19