La Plazita Gardens
Urban and Semi-Rural Organic Farming
La Plazita Gardens “LPG” is where ideas, practices and opportunity thrive. LPG is a place where traditional culture, spirituality and horticulture come together to meet social entrepreneurship for the improvement of community. LPG is comprised of three farms: Sanchez, Chavez & Martinez
La Plazita Gardens is also a certified organic farm located in the heart of Albuquerque’s South Valley. LPG runs year-round food production with a wide range of vegetables and fruits. We are a founding member of the Agri-Cultura Network and through this collaborative our food is featured in many restaurants, local grocery stores and part of the Albuquerque Public School menu.
LPG provides direct financial support to La Plazita Institute’s farm production operations and offers a valuable learning space for the institute’s educational programming and social enterprise activities. We focus on poverty, food security, social-economic justice, land and water reclamation while providing the opportunity for youth and community to reconnect to its agricultural heritage.
Silkscreen Printing
La Plazita has a silk screen printing and design space for youth in our community to express their talents as artists and develop skills that will launch them into self-sufficiency and promote entrepreneurship opportunities that will effectively encourage them in thinking about business, innovation, arts and crafts as viable economic ventures. Our primary goal is to make a positive change in the lives of marginalized local youth in our communities. LPI provides high-risk youth with healthy and positive alternatives to detention and encourage them to pursue their passion, increase their skills, while instilling a sense of cultural pride, non-violence and self-determination. We support our local youth and adults in the criminal justice system and general community in order to provide learning opportunities and trade development. A way to speak without speaking. A chance to offer change to the negative and monotony of visual space.
Ceramic Arts
Ceramics is a form of art therapy for both children and adults and all age groups are welcome to participate in this free community resource. The Youth Reporting Center adjudicated youth participate in ceramic workshops and art projects twice weekly. In addition, we provide these youth with opportunities post release, as well provide open weekly community walk in workshops. In Summer 2014, LPI started an open and free summer program twice weekly (every Tuesday and Thursday, 10am-3pm) where community members, youth and families could openly participate in free programming through culture, art and healing.
