Cecilia has served as executive director of the Rio Grande Agricultural Land Trust since 2007. Prior to that she volunteered her time for the organization since RGALT’s beginnings in 1997. RGALT was founded at Cecilia’s kitchen table by fellow farmers, ecologists, and conservationists all interested in protecting the Rio Grande and its floodplain – the farms and riparian lands.

She brings a passionate lifetime commitment to growing and protecting NM’s agricultural lands and water. She is a multi-generation native, Hispanic New Mexican raised on a farm between Santa Fe and Espanola, where her family grew their own food and sold the extras to the communities of Santa Fe and Espanola – selling on street corners and often going door-to- door (farmer’s markets didn’t exist in those days). It was then the first seeds were planted for Cecilia’s passion to protect the farmland and communities, she so loved.

She has been a leader in the middle Rio Grande landscape conservation initiative to protect agricultural land, wildlife habitat and water. This leadership role required developing partnerships and implementing collaborative efforts to access federal and state funding for conservation easements and habitat/restoration projects. RGALT serves a culturally diverse and primarily low income demographic, where access to funding for on the ground conservation to occur is often critical.

She has also been a leader in creating agricultural markets for farmers. She started the Socorro Farmer’s Market, and for 10 years she served on NM Farmer’s Market board, helping to start markets all over the state. She also served on NM Food & Agricultural Council for five years, working to create agriculture markets and a healthier New Mexico.

In addition, Cecilia owns and operates a 30 acre certified organic farm in Polvadera, NM (north of Socorro) established in 1997. Cecilia’s Organics provides vegetables, flowers and beef to a number of Albuquerque’s fine restaurants, grocery stores in Albuquerque, as well as Grower’s Markets in Albuquerque.

As a landowner and a farmer, she is able to bring the landowners’ perspective to her work in protecting private lands. She can be reached at cecilia@rgalt.org.