Events & Volunteer Opportunities

Updated by Marisa at 6:40 am on Tuesday, June 17, 2025 

🍅🍅🍅

Today, June 17, from 8 am - 11 am, and every Tues/Thurs until first frost in October: Join me, Elda, and our summer high school interns for our 2025 tomato and saffron/chile/artichoke studies!

It’s already time for hornworm hunting. We found the first 10 or so yesterday! I have blacklight flashlights to give away again this year so you can hunt at night, if you dare.


Page contents:

  • Volunteer Info (where, when, what to bring)
  • Upcoming Events & Other Activities


Volunteer Info (where, when, what to bring)


            Where: NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Los Lunas
                1036 Miller Road
                Los Lunas, NM 87031

    • May-October - Tuesday & Thursday Mornings, 8 am - 11 am. 
      • Our volunteer mornings are at the Los Lunas Ag Science Center, meetings either in the Learning Garden or adjacent veggie rows, or pruning activities in different fruit orchards. Park in the main parking lot and follow the ORANGE TRAFFIC CONES on foot to find the group wherever we're working that day. 
      • We'll be installing the 2025 tomato study under and around solar panel shade. This includes laying the drip irrigation lines, flagging, planting, caging (with rebar for stability), labeling, and irrigating. 
      • What to Bring: Water bottle/canteen/vessel, Sun protection - hat, sunscreen, long sleeves/pants, Sturdy fieldwork shoes that can get muddy, Gardening gloves (we have extras, if needed), Camera! Please help me snap pics of our pruning adventures for posterity 

      • As always, you are welcome to arrive late or leave early on these days. 👍
     
     

    Upcoming Events & Other Activities

    • June 6, 13, & 20, 10 am - 12 pm, at the Placitas Community Library - Garden to Table to Pantry Workshop Series. Learn how to grow, prepare, and preserve summer squash!
    • Thursday evenings in June, Webinar Series! Introduction to Hydroponics and Aquaponics
    • Wed., June 18, 3 pm, Should we or shouldn’t we grow turfgrass? - Dr. Bernd Leinauer, NMSU Extension Turfgrass Specialist - Ready, Set, Grow! webinars are offered at 3 pm on the third Wednesday of each month. Register at https://desertblooms.nmsu.edu/grow.html
    • Wed., July 2, 10-11:30 am - CHILE CHAT - See flyer pasted below for details on this monthly webinar (in-person option too!) all about 🌶️🌶️🌶️In July, Dr. Phillip Lujan is presenting on "Chile Pepper Diseases and Disorders in NM"
    • Thursday, July 3 - SUMMER FRUIT TREE PRUNING hands on workshop. 
    • Thursday, August 28 - CHILE RESEARCH DAY at the Los Lunas Ag Science Center. Save-the-date announcement pasted below.

    • Have another program you'd like me to list here? Email me the details: risi@nmsu.edu










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