Grass Grows Greener on NM Farms

You don’t need much help to grow lush green grass here in the Middle Rio Grande Valley. We have the sun 300+ days per year, the sandy loam topsoil, and the water. Water is the most important ingredient here in the high desert where rainfall is scarce, on average only 8 inches per year. The water for our farms comes from the Rio Grande, which is fed by last winter’s mountain snow flowing downriver. Dammed and partially diverted at a number of points north and south of Albuquerque, it flows into the ditches and floods our fields. All you need to do is water and keep the weed content down. New Mexico enjoys only a few inches of rain annually. Up there on the mesa 3 horses or cattle will starve on 40 acres of desert grassland, whereas they can stay fit on an acre or two of valley green! Almost any crop will grow here. Alfalfa grows at a rate of over 200 bales per year in three or four cuttings, depending on the weather. Row crops do well here, even lettuce, as long there’s shade and sprinklers on hot days. Peppers, corn and beans are a snap to grow. The grass truly is greener here on the other side of the fence! Call or text 505-263-0665 for irrigated farms currently listed for sale along the Rio Grande.