Huerto Tlatelolco: Restoring Land and Growing Community through Agroecology

Context:

Mexico City is a high-density city characterized by impermeable surfaces, loss of green space, and pressure on natural resources – where residents face interlocking challenges of rising food prices and socioeconomic pressures straining social fabrics.  Urban farms provide a strategic opportunity to reestablish ecological balance through water capture, improved air quality, temperature regulation, and the conservation of urban biodiversity. In addition, they produce healthy food and deepen connection with neighbors and the land.

Huerto Tlatelolco is a center of education and agroecological production for the local and extended community in Mexico City.  It is a space for civic participation, collaboration, and research as well as a model for other urban agricultural initiatives. For 14 years, the Huerto has been sustained by a small but dedicated team. Funding will help increase the capacity of the team to carry out established educational and community programs as well as launch a new program dedicated to elderly residents. 

The Project:

The Tlatelolco neighborhood is home to approximately 4700 residents over 60 years old. Many of these residents have limited access to spaces that allow contact with nature, physical activity, and socialization to support their mental and physical health. We have designed the Abuelos Semilla program to honor the experience and wisdom of older residents while providing education and opportunities to deepen their involvement in the regenerative activities of the garden. 

Participants will learn to grow food in their own homes as well as make use of elevated garden beds recently built for this population in the Huerto. Goals of this program include improving mental and physical health, self-esteem, cognitive development, healthy eating, inter-generational connections, and socialization for older residents. 

Funding from this campaign will allow us to launch our first Abuelos Semilla program this year.  In addition, funding will support Huerto Tlatelolco’s ongoing community building, education, and agroecology programs for children, youth, and adults. We plan to meet the following objectives during the 12-month period: 

• Engaging local elders through the Abuelos Semilla program: Through this 10-month program, we will provide 660 hours of training and community activities for older adult residents of the Tlatelolco neighborhood, engaging 30  elders. At least 80% of participants will report reduced isolation and increased knowledge or skills related to urban gardening.

• Environmental education for youth and children: We will serve at least 750 children and youth through environmental education programs, as well as provide education and skill-building opportunities for 5 young people with learning or developmental disabilities. 

• Closing the nutrient loop with Guardianes del Suelo (Soil Guardians): Over 100 local residents will participate in the Guardianes del Suelo program, in which they bring their organic waste to the Huerto to be converted into soil.  Through this program involving neighbors and local restaurants, we will process at least 19 tons of organic waste, returning organic nutrients to the soil and preventing the release of methane to the atmosphere.  

• Community engagement: We will carry out 8 free events for the community during the year, including seed and plant exchanges, educational workshops, farm-to-table events, and more. These events raise awareness, educate, and build deep connections between neighbors and with the land. 

Our impact:

When we work with nature’s systems rather than against them, the benefits are multiple and overlapping. At Huerto Tlatelolco we work with our community and nature’s cycles to address multiple social and environmental crises while promoting community health and resilience. The following are some of our accomplishments.

Biodiversity: Huerto Tlatelolco is home to more than 120 varieties of fruit trees, vegetables, plants, and flowers as well as 62 species of insects, 19 bird species, and 5 species of amphibians and reptiles. Our seed bank holds over 180 species and 300 varieties of seeds. 

Agroecological production: In 2023 and 2024, we produced 1,360 kg of food and medicinal herbs. Our greenhouse houses more than 100,000 plants. Food produced in the Huerto is exchanged with Soil Guardians participants and volunteers, shared with the community during events, or donated to local organizations. 

Community compost program: We process approximately 19,846 kg of organic waste per year, which is collected from neighbors, restaurants, and businesses. Through this program we have generated over 10,000 kg of fertile soil.  

Education and community: Last year, Huerto Tlatelolco held more than 50 cultural and community events, with the participation of over 60 organizations and businesses. 6,385 people have directly benefitted from our events and workshops. In the last year, 200 volunteers helped sustain the Huerto’s production and activities, and over 2000 consumers participated in our solidarity economy markets. 

Why now

Like many community and environmental projects, the Huerto has grown thanks to the persistence, creativity, and deep commitment of a small team. For many years, this team has sustained the project strategically, financially, and operationally from the ground-up.

In the process, we have learned something important: we cannot speak of regeneration when we sustain our projects from a place of burnout.  For this reason, we are seeking support to increase our capacity and move the Huerto to its next stage of maturity. 

Huerto Tlatelolco represents the future that we want and need for our community, and it provides a model to get there.  With your support, we are building a more collective, resilient, and sustainable structure so that the Huerto can continue for generations to come.