OUR MISSION
The Garden’s Edge supports sustainable agriculture, micro-enterprise, and education in rural communities in order to revitalize cultural knowledge and improve economic well-being.
WHAT WE DO
We provide resources and training to farmers and community organizations that fight environmental degradation, global climate change, loss of small-scale farms, and the erosion of indigenous cultural knowledge.
We support sustainable community agriculture, seed saving, micro-enterprise, education, nutrition programming, and farmer training in a way that is responsive to community needs and capacity.
Our work extends far beyond our home base in New Mexico, where we have developed ongoing partnerships with traditional farmers and indigenous communities. We have long-standing relationships with rural Mayan villages through an organization that we helped found, the Qachuu Aloom Mother Earth Association in Rabinal, Guatemala.
OUR SOCIAL ENTERPRISE MODELS ARE APPLICABLE TO COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD.
OUR NAME
Our name, the Garden’s Edge, is inspired by the “Edge Effect” in permaculture. When two different systems come together, their interaction creates a diversity that wouldn’t otherwise exist. We see this in the shallows where water meets land and many species thrive. Permaculture design compels us to create edges to promote this kind of diversity; this is the goal of the Garden’s Edge. Our mission is to highlight and support the Edge Effect, not only in natural ecosystems, but also on a cultural level, creating rich experiences by bringing different cultures together to learn from one another. Through our work, we have seen the rich diversity of agricultural practices and the thriving new “gardens” that bloom in harsh conditions thanks to constructive interactions and effective design.