Events & Volunteer Opportunities

Updated by Marisa at 6:40 pm, Wednesday October 28, 2026    

No volunteer hours Thursday, Oct 29! 

Please see other upcoming events listed below and join us Friday for our QUINCE EVENT if you can!

Lots going on this week AND next! 

❤️For starters -- if you have planted saffron in your yard, NOW is the time to start checking for flowers daily. See dated photos and video of ours at the Los Lunas Ag Science Center below! Take pics and share via text or email❤️


Saffron leaves popping up at Los Lunas this year.

First blooms at Los Lunas Ag Science Center this year.


Checking new saffron leaf sprouts on Oct. 11, 2026.





Volunteering, Upcoming Events, & Other Activities

October

- Wednesday, Oct 21 - Volunteers will continue to harvest THE LAST OF THE 🍅TOMATOES! Let's wrap this season up with a bang! Please come ready to take LOTS of boxes of green and red tomatoes home with you!

- Wed, Oct 21 - Ready, Set, GROW! Webinar:

- Thursday, Oct 22 - Volunteers will wrap up the 🍅tomato study plots, harvest luffa gourds, and harvest any saffron flowers that have popped up this week.  

- Friday, Oct 23 - Spring Bulb Planting Workshop with John Garlisch in Albuquerque



- Tuesday, Oct 27 - Volunteer hours with tomatoes in the morning AND ❤️SAFFRON❤️ WORKSHOP in the afternoon! See registration info in flyer:

- JOIN US FOR BERNALILLO BUG NIGHT! REGISTER HERE

REGISTER HERE for Bernalillo Bug Night!

-Thursday, Oct 29, 5-7 pm - Valencia County Fall Fest Hawnted Barn at the Valencia County Fairgrounds in Belen. Trunk or Treat, local craft vendors, fall movie, and petting zoo!


...

- Friday, Oct 30, 10 am - 2 pm - Quince Event -- All are welcome! We'll harvest quince, learn about growing and cooking quince fruits. Quince-themed light lunch INCLUDED! Details in flyer. Register here: https://ezregister.com/events/43724




November

  • Monday, November 9, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. - Extension Homesteading and YOU: Simply Sweets for Winter Time. Join us for an afternoon with a little sweetness. During this class, we will create easy and delicious treats that are perfect for holiday gatherings, gift-giving, or simply to enjoy at home. The workshop is FREE. Please call the Valencia County CES Office to register at 505-565-3002 by Wednesday, November 4, 2026.


  • November 7, 9 am - 5 pm, in HOBBS, NM! "Urban Horticulture Symposium" Come learn about gardening in Southeast New Mexico! The five southeast Cooperative Extension Offices and their Extension Master Gardener volunteers have teamed up to bring you this regional event. Speakers will discuss beekeeping, tree care, lawn maintenance, and gardening with native plants. Plus there will be a plant sale, informational booths, and plant bingo! See flyer for details and register at https://rsvp.aces.nmsu.edu/urbanhort










  • Tuesday, November 10, 2026, from 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. at the Valencia County CES Office - Extension Plate to Practice- Bringing Real Food to Life: The Magic of Spices. Join us for an afternoon of learning about the concept of Real Food, discovering the magic of spices, and transforming simple ingredients into delicious meals. This is a FREE class, and lunch is included. To register, please call the office at 505-565-3002 by Wednesday, November 4 ,2026.


  • November 18, 3-4 pm, Ready, Set, GROW! Gardening Webinar Series (online), "Saffron: A High-Value, Low-Input Crop for Small Farms in New Mexico" with Dr. Saeid Salmasi. Saffron (Crocus sativus), known as “red gold,” is the world's most expensive spice and offers a promising opportunity for small-scale farmers in New Mexico. This presentation will cover saffron production, management, harvesting, and economic potential, highlighting research and grower recommendations from New Mexico State University (NMSU). Dr. Salmasi is an Associate Professor of Agronomy and the Research Director of the Sustainable Agriculture Science Center at Alcalde, New Mexico State University. Saffron research in NM: https://alcaldesc.nmsu.edu/saffron-alcalde.html. Register at https://desertblooms.nmsu.edu/grow.html

  • Friday, December 11, 2026, from 5-8 p.m. - Winter Extravaganza 2026. Celebrate the season with a bunch of creativity, friends, and your community! The Winter Extravaganza is all about connection, fun, and festive crafting. Join the fun to make a variety of holiday-themed projects that are perfect for gifting or keeping for yourself. Call the office to RSVP at 505-565-3002. The fee is $20.  RSVPs and fees must be paid by Friday, December 4, 2025.



  • Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Applebee’s in Los Lunas - Flapjacks and Flannels Fundraiser. Join us for a delicious fundraiser. Enjoy a great breakfast while helping our 4-H members reach their fundraising goals. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Please email Crystal at anayacry@nmsu.edu for more information.





VOLUNTEERING WITH US at the Los Lunas Ag Science Center!

    • Where: Los Lunas Ag Science Center, 1036 Miller Road
    • When: Tuesdays & Thursdays from 8-11am, starting Tuesday, April 14
      • PLEASE CONFIRM BY CHECKING this list regularly for any updates, for example, we may need to occasionally cancel volunteer mornings due to inclement weather or if we're out of town.

    • In addition to tending the tomato study rows, we will be pruning fruit trees, maintaining the saffron study plots, preparing raised beds, and much, much more on these regular Tuesday/Thursday volunteer mornings! 
      • Park in the main parking lot and follow the ORANGE TRAFFIC CONES on foot to find the group wherever we're working that day. 
      • What to Bring: 
        • a 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. 



Have an event you'd like to see posted here? Please share it with us! <desertblooms@nmsu.edu>








Pics from summer 2025:


Ready to be picked! In need of good home. Photo: Marisa 10-15-25 
Volunteers and interns — replanting failed tomatoes and moving solarization plastic on 7-17-25




Summer Fruit Tree Pruning workshop with TreeNM & volunteers on 7/10/25. 


Carol and I found these five hornworms on her tomatoes, and one was pooping when I took the pic.  📸 7-14-25. M. Thompson. 

















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