Farm, Central and Southern New Mexico

An Interview with Eliana Levy

Eliana Levy, Refugee & Agriculture Partnership Program coordinator at Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, and Becca Marshall, farm manager at Tres Hermanas. Photo by Stephanie Cameron.

Eliana Levy is the Refugee & Agriculture Partnership Program coordinator at Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, a role she began in 2021. Her background is in sustainable agriculture and environmental science.

What is Tres Hermanas Farm, and how did it come to be?

The Refugee & Agriculture Partnership Program (RAPP) is funded by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, and Tres Hermanas Farm is the main site location for this program, in addition to multiple community gardens. RAPP introduces refugee families to agriculture in Albuquerque, initially through the community gardens. Then if individuals wish to grow more food beyond what their family needs and earn supplemental income, we transition them to working at Tres Hermanas Farm, where they receive a larger plot of land, as well as seeds, plant starts, tools, and training to grow and sell commercially. Were excited to welcome Becca Marshall as the new farm manager at Tres Hermanas. Becca has experience with food security and food justice, and also currently runs her own cut-flower and veggie farm in the South Valley of Albuquerque.

Refugee resettlement often makes the news in the form of statistics and broad reports on need, which can be hard to connect with or understand on a personal level. Can you offer some more intimate insight on the experience of refugees here in New Mexico? What is something people may not know, whether about a specific group of people or the experience of wearing the label “refugee”?

Refugees arrive with a variety of backgrounds and experiences, including their resettlement process in this country, which makes it difficult to share any overarching experiences. One aspect that the public might not be aware of is the rapid pace at which families are expected to become self-sufficient. Lutheran Family Services (LFS) has a case management team that works closely with refugee families for the first three months after their arrival to provide them with basic necessities. After three months, the services we provide shift toward more long-term, specified services, including employment and career development, microenterprise development, intensive case management, and RAPP, which clients are eligible to participate in for up to five years after their arrival.

Left: Residential planting at apartments where refugee families live, photo by Eliana Levy.
Right: African eggplant starts, photo by Stephanie Cameron.

During LFS’s cultural orientation sessions, clients are informed that they will likely experience a sequence of highs and lows in their resettlement process, starting with an initial honeymoon phase where they feel a sense of opportunity and optimism, followed by a challenging period of culture shock, then progressing toward cultural adjustment and, eventually, adaptation. The daily interactions clients have within the community significantly shape their resettlement experience, and we cannot overstate the impact each person can have in welcoming refugees through even the smallest gestures of kindness, patience, and hospitality.

What are some of the crops growing at Tres Hermanas that might not be found elsewhere in New Mexico? How are these foods prepared?

One of our clients brought African nightshade seeds to the farm last season and the plants thrived! The leaves are used medicinally to treat ailments like indigestion, but can also be used to replace spinach in meals. Clients also grew African eggplants, which can be cooked or eaten raw when still green; once they reach their bright orange stage, they are no longer considered edible. In our residential raised beds, we are hoping to plant edible varieties of sumac bushes, since the berry is used to add flavor to Middle Eastern dishes.

Can you talk about the microenterprise program at Tres Hermanas? How has that program, and Tres Hermanas more generally, been impacted by the pandemic?

This winter we offered cooking and nutrition classes through New Mexico State University’s (NMSU) Ideas for Cooking and Nutrition program and gardening classes taught by a graduate of NMSU’s Master Gardener Program, both of which were held virtually. In addition to keeping everyone safe, virtual classes alleviated two of the main barriers to program participation: transportation and childcare. On a similar note, we are expanding residential raised beds to make it safe and accessible for families to garden at home, and this month we are installing sixteen raised beds at four apartment complex courtyards where thirty refugee families live. As pandemic restrictions loosen, we will add in-person events at Tres Hermanas Farm and community gardens while continuing to offer virtual or hybrid classes.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with edible readers?

Tres Hermanas Farms is always in need of volunteers, mentors, and gardeners of all levels to help out with day-to-day tasks or specific event workshops. There are also opportunities to buy directly from farmers who are enrolled in our program. Feel free to reach out to Eliana.Levy@LFSRM.org to participate or for more information.

Additionally, since we know edible readers love to support local businesses and try out new restaurants, one of our clients recently opened Al Alwan Cafe in Albuquerque, which serves Syrian cuisine. We encourage edible readers to support their new business venture!

lfsrm.org/programs-and-services/refugees/albuquerque/treshermanasfarm