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Carolina “Lina” AlegreEl Rito, NM

Carolina (Lina) Alegre

El Rito, NM

East Rio Arriba Soil and Water Conservation District

Lina Alegre was born and raised in Argentina and came to the U.S. in 2014. She has been living in El Rito, NM for over five years on five acres of land in the northern part of the state. The land has a mixture of both trees and bare ground.

For the first few years, Alegre followed the steps that the landowner was taking towards improving the health of the land. On the east side of the land, there are strawbales against the perimeter to prevent weed seeds from coming in. The design allows her to put all the parts of the weeds she doesn’t want in between the strawbales, concentrating them in one area and preventing the spread of these invasive seeds. She is also shading what used to be barren soil while containing plant material that slowly feeds the ground and is very low maintenance.

The biggest mistake Alegre found when she moved to this property was trying to treat the invasive elm trees with Round Up. Through research, she discovered that a better way to deal with this invasive species was to girdle the tree’s trunk, killing it slowly. With that knowledge, she convinced the landowner to switch to this method.

As the years passed, Alegre has become more confident, taking on projects on her own with very good results. She began burying logs halfway into the ground to prevent erosion and to demarcate different areas. Additionally, she dug a ditch to address what she calls the “muddy season” on the property. The ditch was a success in capturing the rainwater and allowing it to slowly infiltrate the ground which would have otherwise flooded as it had in years past. Alegre planted buckwheat and radishes in the ditch, and by the end of the season, the ditch was no longer visible because of the plant growth.

Alegre utilized a large pile of tree debris that had been chipped by dispersing it on pathways, gardens, and bare soil. She found that having so much material was a pleasant surprise and she was able to spread inches of mulch at a time. Alegre specifically left a thick layer over the very barren areas, resulting in a “mud free” season.

Alegre created additional mulch from rotting logs which also introduced living organisms they contained into the soil. Through sowing seeds and spreading this mulch, the soil now has living roots which helps increase water infiltration and reduce erosion.

Alegre also added wood to the north fence of the property, creating a protective barrier against weed seeds and winds. It also created a great habitat for wildlife such as snakes, spiders, moles, skunks, and more.

After a few years living on the land, Alegre says she started to listen to what the land needs. It became obvious to her that she needed to cover the soil if she didn’t want mud during the rainy season. She was able to successfully grow garlic, blue corn, and squash and saw how abundant the land could be. Alegre says that she finds it incredibly rewarding to listen to and care for the land.

The challenges Alegre says she faces in her region are the lack of awareness and support for regenerative practices such as mulching and that the “conventional” way of farming is still very present. Alegre says she is facing this challenge through learning how to debate, communicate, and having an open mind.

Posted August 2022

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