SFG on the Reservation in NM

Hey fellow SFG'rs a team of young people, a few adults and I will be heading to NM to the Navajo Reservation in July. We want to get a few boxes going in a few of the communities we will be visiting. Any suggestions and expectations? Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Why are you going? What are your objectives? What is your budget? Who are your sponsors? Why have you waited till the last minute to ask questions?

Hey boffer,
We go every year. i asked around hoping to get suggestions before. Just figured out this forum stuff; sort of.
Objectives are ultimately to share the Love of God. And a close second is ground water rights for the Navajo people. (The Dine'). We take clothing, shoes & blankets. Teach VBS's, and offer a helping hand. I have a couple of people on the rez who are willing to give it a try and who have even started seedlings in their homes. Our budget is super tight and we will be working with the very basics. Home made boxes, etc.
I'm looking for advice from anyone who has grown sfg's in the desert.

You've got some difficult growing conditions, and my hat is off to you and your efforts.

Deeper boxes, mulching, shading, and automated irrigation seem to be priorities in that region; most of us don't have to worry too much about that stuff. Hopefully forum members in that region will have some other suggestions.

Thanks boffer. I'm hoping to hear from them. I'm concerned with not only the intense heat, but the monsoon season will be close on our heals. The growing season will be short. Snow was still falling there last month! Now , of course, it is hot and dry.

My church does a similar mission project each summer and I would love to hear how it turns out for you and your group so keep us posted.

What USDA zone is this in? If there was snow there last month, I would guess that it doesn't get too hot there in the summer...at least not as hot as the lower desert areas like Phoenix. Do you know how hot it gets there during the hot times in the summer?

A few other things to think about are:
1) Setting up compost bins
2) Possibly rain barrels for catching some runoff during the monsoons
3) Purchasing Mel's book for the gardeners.
4) Placement of the SFG's for optimum sun and make sure it's not in a water runoff area otherwise the MM might get washed away during some of the intense monsoon storms.
5) Since you are limited in funds, deeper boxes means you need more MM and that gets expensive. I have gotten by with the standard 6" of MM in Zone 9A so that should be fine for where you are going. I would suggest staying with the standard and stretching your MM to get an extra SFG or 2 going.

Keep us posted on how it goes.