Preserving Agricultural Land Through Community Engagement

Bernalillo County, New Mexico is working to preserve agricultural land and expand access to land-based opportunities. The FUSE Executive Fellow will develop and implement strategic recommendations to strengthen landowner-grower connections, enhance public outreach, and support inclusive engagement practices within the Assessor’s Office. Ultimately, this will help Bernalillo County protect its agricultural heritage, foster intergenerational land stewardship, and build a more resilient and community-centered local food system.

Fellowship Dates: October 27, 2025 – October 23, 2026

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual base salary of $80,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. Compensation for this year of public service is not intended to represent market-rate compensation for the experienced professionals in our program.

PROJECT CONTEXT

Preserving agricultural land is essential to protecting cultural heritage, supporting local food systems, and advancing access to land-based economic opportunities. In Bernalillo County, New Mexico, many agricultural lands have been stewarded by Latino families for generations and they face increasing pressure from urban development and generational transitions. Many older landowners are no longer able or willing to farm and without clear, accessible options for succession or land leasing, these properties are often sold or sit fallow. At the same time, a new generation of aspiring growers is eager to farm but lacks access to land and the technical knowledge needed to navigate lease agreements, water rights, and tax exemptions. These dynamics create disparities in land access and can further displace historically rooted communities.

Bernalillo County will partner with FUSE to help build a more accessible and community-centered approach to agricultural land preservation. The FUSE Executive Fellow will: conduct a landscape analysis and listening tour; lead stakeholder engagement and community outreach; map opportunities for connecting landowners and growers; help design technical assistance resources, particularly for vulnerable groups like seniors and Spanish-speaking communities; and support the implementation of the Assessor’s internal restructuring process. Ultimately, this will help the county create a more inclusive and proactive strategy to protect agricultural land, foster intergenerational land stewardship, and strengthen local food systems, thereby laying the foundation for a more resilient future for all residents.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Beginning in November 2025, the FUSE Executive Fellow will work with the Bernalillo County Assessor’s Office, local landowners, growers, and community stakeholders to preserve agricultural land and promote accessible land access across the county. This will help Bernalillo County foster intergenerational land stewardship, expand access to land-based economic opportunities, and strengthen local food systems, particularly within historically Latino communities.

The fellow will begin by conducting a comprehensive listening tour with internal staff and external stakeholders, including but not limited to agricultural landowners, the New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, the Bernalillo County Open Space “Grow the Growers” program, and the Land Link NM initiative. The fellow will also engage community-based organizations, aspiring growers, and technical assistance providers such as “Teeniors” program to understand barriers and opportunities related to land access, succession, and agricultural exemptions. This tour will aim to surface key insights into the needs, concerns, and aspirations of both landowners and growers, especially those who have historically lacked access to resources and support such as older adults and Spanish-speaking communities.

The fellow will conduct a landscape analysis of Bernalillo County’s ~3,700 agricultural properties to identify fallow lands, properties at risk of development, and those eligible for agricultural tax exemptions. The fellow will also research successful agricultural preservation and land-matching programs from other jurisdictions to identify best practices in outreach, education, and public-private coordination. The fellow will then develop specific project goals and deliverables for the Assessor’s Office to review and approve before moving into implementation.

The fellow will use these collected insights to lead the design and implementation of a coordinated strategy to preserve agricultural land and strengthen the county’s landowner-grower pipeline. This may include launching targeted outreach campaigns, designing and delivering workshops, and producing plain-language educational materials on land leasing, wa