About Las Cruces' Shalem Colony

It just isn't fall unless there's a corn maze around! And, since 1999, Steve and Anna Lyles have put together amazing mazes for all of us to enjoy at the Mesilla Valley Maze on Picacho and Shalem Colony Trail.

This year's design - "Pathway to Pluto".

What were the designs for past years? Find out here!

It's incredible how they are able to get this planted and designed!!

You start in the upper left hand corner of this picture - that's the parking lot and entrance. Then, you just wind your way around! And...you just never know what awaits you at the end!

But they don't just do the Maze. They're also hosting 2 other wonderful events in October including the Pumpkin Fest on October 9th and 10th and the Pecan Fest on October 30 and 31. Both of these events, along with the maze, help us re-emphasize to the community and our children just how imporant farming is to the Mesilla Valley.

My hat is off to the Lyles for making fall so much fun in Las Cruces!!

Well...maybe not real alien ships, but these things sort of look like something from a sci-fi movie, don't they?

What are they? They're filtration units used for drip irrigation. Quite a bit bigger than anything you might need for your yard, but then, unless you're growing 50 acres of cabbage or onions in your yard, you don't need anything quite like this. When using a drip system on a large scale, a little sediment in the drip lines can make for a really long day!

These are being used northwest of Las Cruces, New Mexico - about 3 1/2 miles north of Fairacres by a farmer named Steve Lyles. He is one of the most progressive and innovative farmers in the Mesilla Valley, incorporating drip irrigation for quite a bit of his vegetable production.

In real estate & farming alike we need to conserve our resources, be innovative and strategically implement new ideas where prudent...and always be vigilant with the details, the grains of sediment that can clog up the works, especially when the tendency is to focus on the bigger picture.

Here's another view including the pump so you'll sleep better, knowing that there aren't really aliens invading the southwest.

Growing up on a farm outside of Las Cruces, I have to admit that I yearned to leave the first chance I could. Having spent years in various parts of the United States, many touched a nerve but none captured my soul like the Desert Southwest. Tucson is my home now and I love "The Old Pueblo" however my soul remains in The Mesilla Valley. Appreciating Las Cruces and its people for what it was, is and can be, is very satisfying.

My family has owned this farm north of Fairacres since 1932. Bordered on the east by the Rio Grande River, the western side is bounded by mesa and BLM land.

Last September our family threw a 75th Anniversary Party for Simpson Farm. The idea was to pay homage to the farming heritage of Las Cruces in addition to that of our ancestors. The payoff was to feel good about it & having a great time, seeing old friends, touching base with family and stirring the desire to someday come back to live where my roots are. As August speeds by, the memories of last year's celebration are still vivid.

My father announced his retirement from farming at the celebration...with the support of my mother.

A constant factor in farming, as in most of life is change. From horse-drawn plows to steel wheeled tractors and the wonders of laser-leveling and drip irrigation. Dad's retirement was another change: his father and grandfather farmed until the day they died - he is still young enough to enjoy what retirement brings and experience new adventures!

Despite his retirement, the heritage of farming remains as another farmer has leased the land...he used to work for Simpson Farm when he was in college. My father is still fulfilling his role as steward of the land his forefathers nurtured.

I hope you enjoyed these few pictures, perhaps they will awaken feelings of your own heritage. Though Las Cruces is ever-growing and evolving, it retains the sense of community and special character that touch new residents and visitors alike. Perhaps it has something to do with the best enchiladas the world has to offer! Tom Wolfe...you were wrong, sir: you CAN go home again.

Kent Simpson