Written by Isabel Quiroz, MESA Steward 2012-2013

My garden’s name is Tequio Community Farm, is a small ¾ of an acre
garden in Willits, CA where me and my partner Hunter Flynn work together. We rely on
our garden to provide our income and our food.

The
word Tequio comes from an indigenous concept in México that makes
reference to a work party, traditionally members of a community would
gather on a weekly basis to perform a task that would bring benefit
to everyone, or they would take turns to work on each others land. We
wanted to honor that sense of thriving as a community through a strong communal support system.

In
¾ of an acre we grow nutrient-dense, organic
produce, fruit and cut flowers through farmers markets, restaurant
sales and a small CSA for the people of Mendocino County.

Never
expand, intensify is the motto that guides us in our everyday
actions. We grow in beds, not rows, to maximize the amount of space
in our garden which at the same time reduces our need for external
inputs like compost, fertilizer and water. The method of farming we
employ seeks to eliminate the need for fossil-fuel-centric
agriculture and instead looks to wisdom of past and present farmers
to guide us in our way of growing food for our community. When the
garden is designed for people to work the land and not machines, the
tractor is no longer necessary.

We
believe that small-scale biologically intensive farming is the best
way to address the major environmental issues of our time which will
strengthen our communities, build a culture of peace and provide
farmers and their families with a comfortable source of income.