This garden honors the history of the first farmers who worked the land we know as the Mesilla Valley.
Source: New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs
Images: Courtesy
Las Cruces, NM — Celebrate the unveiling of Jardín de Tortugas Pueblo at New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum (NMFRHM) on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. After three years of construction and improvements, the redesigned education garden includes a kiva, spiral garden, and native plants used by Tortugas Pueblo.
Join us on Saturday, Sept. 19, starting with a procession from the Witte Cabin and Blacksmith Shop to the Jardín de Tortugas Pueblo for a blessing and dedication. Tortugas Pueblo will have traditional activities for children, as part of the Ag Wagon program. Light refreshments will be provided, and admission will be free until noon.
“This hands-on educational garden helps us show the interplay between culture and technology,” NMFRHM Executive Director Steve Loring said. “The technologies that allowed people to address environmental challenges in the past still work and can coexist with technological innovations. It’s all part of our agricultural heritage.”
“We are honored to welcome everyone to the Jardín de Tortugas Pueblo,” Cacique Patrick Narvaez said. “We are grateful to the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum for this opportunity to view and present plants and traditions, which are rooted in Mother Earth and nourished by Father Sun.”
“We were, we are, we will always be the first people of this land,” Narvaez continued. “Accompanied by ancestral throbbing drumbeats and chants, Tortugas Pueblo continues to find ways to accommodate the religious beliefs of its members, regardless of tribal ancestry or branch of Christianity, while preserving its Native American traditions.”
This garden honors the history of the first farmers who worked the land we know as the Mesilla Valley. The nearby Tortugas Pueblo agreed to share their name, cultural traditions, and partner with the Museum on the garden. The Pueblo has been actively involved with the Museum since it opened in 1998 by leading cultural events like Blessing of the Fields and volunteering for workdays on the actual garden.
The garden is also home to the Moon Tree, a loblolly pine grown from a seed that traveled into space and back on NASA’s Orion Spacecraft for the Artemis I project. The museum’s intention is for this garden to emphasize living traditions and new innovations.
About the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum:
The New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. The 47-acre interactive museum brings to life the 4,000-year history of growing food and fiber in this region. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, it features livestock, indoor and outdoor exhibits, barns, greenhouse, and demonstrations. The Museum is supported by the independent non-profit Friends of the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.
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