The New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division (ORD) of the New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD) has announced funding of $975,142 in new Outdoor Equity Fund (OEF) awards to 33 organizations.
Source: New Mexico Economic Development Department (Photo: Courtesy La Semilla Food Center Website)
These awards will be distributed to 16 rural, 13 urban, one land grant, and five Tribal communities. Of those awarded, 28 are first-time recipients of OEF funding.
The first-of-its-kind Outdoor Equity Fund (OEF) was created in 2019 to enable all New Mexican youth equitable access to the outdoors. The grant supports programming that provides outdoor experiences that foster stewardship and respect for New Mexico’s land, water, and cultural heritage.
Since Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the Outdoor Equity Fund into legislation, the program has granted over $5.7 million to nearly 250 organizations throughout the state, actively introducing over 72,000 young New Mexicans to the outdoors through hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, horsemanship clinics, and rich lessons in wilderness safety and water conservation.
“The Outdoor Equity Fund is a powerful engine that benefits our outdoor recreation economy by creating jobs in recreational activities throughout New Mexico,” Gov. Lujan Grisham said. “This funding source also introduces New Mexico youth to the great outdoors, often for the first time. Through this program, more children are discovering our state’s rich outdoor beauty and becoming the next generation of protectors of our unique lands, waters, and cultures.”
“This cornerstone program of the Outdoor Recreation Division continues to have a major impact on the state’s outdoor recreation industry,” Acting EDD Cabinet Secretary Mark Roper said. “It not only increases equitable outdoor access for youth, but it also supports outdoor recreation businesses through equipment purchases and guide contracts, creates jobs, and diversifies the economy, especially in rural communities.”
For the third round of the FY24 Outdoor Equity Fund grant cycle, recipients were awarded $975,142 with grants averaging $30,000. Awardees bring an additional total match of $698,401 and serve 14 counties across New Mexico benefiting 8,879 youth through their combined efforts.
“ORD’s programming is helping raise the next generation of stewards of our natural environment,” ORD Director Karina Armijo said. “Through strategic investments in transformative outdoor experiences, New Mexico’s youth are developing a deep connection with the outdoor industry, which may pave the way for their future success within it. With the financial support of OEF funding, these programs are creating equitable opportunities that will positively impact the lives of nearly 9,000 young individuals in this funding cycle alone. We are honored to be part of these efforts.”
Total FY24 OEF awards have reached an impressive level with $3,730,528 in grant awards — a level nearly 4.7 times greater than funding the prior fiscal year — with 115 organizations generating $2.8 million in matching funds and reaching over 36,000 youth.
“The Mountain Movers program isn’t just about outdoor activities; it’s about empowering our youth in Santo Domingo Pueblo,” Santo Domingo Pueblo Rosemary Reano said. “Through mentorship, education, and access to the outdoors, we hope to ignite a passion that transforms lives. We are grateful for the Outdoor Equity Fund’s support in helping us create opportunities for our children to connect with nature, their heritage, and ultimately, themselves.”
“Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps Hiking Clubs promote environmental awareness, healthy living, and cultural reconnection for local Indigenous youth from the Navajo Nation and Pueblos of Acoma and Isleta,” Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps Director Chas Robles said. “The award from the Outdoor Equity Fund will facilitate building deeper community connections with elders and knowledge keepers to create expanded and more impactful opportunities for Indigenous youth to engage with their ancestral homelands while sparking a life-long love of and desire to protect the environment.”
Outdoor Equity Fund awards were made possible through both state and federal funding this year, including junior bill and special appropriations funds and over two million in American Rescue Plan Act money. Funding for the Outdoor Equity fund for fiscal year 2025 will be provided by the state’s Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund, a bipartisan land and water conservation initiative.
The grant applications were reviewed and scored by a six-member panel that included: ORD Director Karina Armijo, The Wilderness Society New Mexico State Senior Manager Kay Bounkeua, ORD Deputy Director AJ Jones, Outdoorist Oath Executive Director Gabaccia Moreno, Disability Advocate and Social Impact Consultant Kyle Stepp, and New Mexico Youth Conservation Corps Commission Executive Director Sarah Wood.
The local recipient of $40,000 in funding is La Semilla Food Center. La Semilla Food Center’s Descubrimientos Del Desierto Program links middle and high school youth in southern New Mexico to the outdoors while learning about native plants and their historical and present uses for food, medicine, art, and culture. Through hikes and outdoor excursions, youth deepen their relationship with the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem, practice ethical foraging, and work with local knowledge holders to learn traditional practices for using plants as food, art, and medicine.
From the La Semilla Food Center website:
Established in 2010, La Semilla Food Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Anthony, NM. Our mission is to foster a healthy, self-reliant, fair, and sustainable food system in the Paso del Norte region of southern New Mexico and El Paso, TX. We are committed to building strong relationships and creating empowering spaces for youth and families to grow and cook good food, create positive change, and foster connections among food, health, and local economies.
We do this through six vibrant, community-centered, and land-based programs: Community Farm, Farm Fresh, Edible Education, Community Education, Policy, and Storytelling. We utilize storytelling to craft intentional narratives and create spaces for our community to share their stories and knowledge to uplift community dignity and promote equity and justice in our organization, region, and national food system.
Through our six programs, we are committed to building robust relationships and creating empowering spaces for youth and families to grow and cook healthy and culturally-relevant food, create positive change, and foster connections among food, health, and local economies. Our Community Farm serves as a production, education, and demonstration site guided by agroecology principles. As a space for healing and creation, the farm also serves as a community space for cultural and educational projects. The Farm Fresh program offers access to fresh and local produce and products by supporting and working with partner farmers and vendors, as well leading our Food Safety training model. Education is central to all of our programs and endeavors. Our Edible Education and Community Education programs are organizational pillars working within public schools and with community organizations to provide hands-on programming and resources for youth and the broader community. Both programs focus on topics related to cooking nutritious meals, culturally and historically relevant food, gardening, ancestral knowledge, and more. Our Policy and Community Development program leads efforts to advocate for policies that address the root causes of hunger and inequitable food access while also creating local economic opportunities. Check out our program pages for more information.
Our vision of a vibrant food system that prioritizes community and environmental health also includes the crafting and centering of narratives that uplift community dignity and promote equity and justice. With our Storytelling program, we have embarked on a storytelling journey to gather and center the narratives that have existed in our communities for generations. Through respectful and relational storytelling efforts, we aim to understand our literal place in the world, name and reconcile past harms, and channel resources to support the continued creation of life-affirming food systems.
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