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New Mexico

Desert Bounty: Celebrating Santa Fe’s Agriculture & Cuisine

Program No. 23838RJ
Discover sustainable farming in Santa Fe, experience delicious regional dishes and attend hands-on cooking classes with local chefs.

Enroll with Confidence

We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. Learn more

Protecting the Environment

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more

At a Glance

When you think of the semiarid climate of New Mexico, a thriving agricultural center may not come immediately to mind. But by incorporating sustainable farming methods inspired by indigenous knowledge, even challenging conditions can produce a wealth of crops. Savor the best of Santa Fe’s sustainable cuisine, learn cooking methods firsthand from local chefs, authors and Native foods historians. Experience (and taste!) time-honored farming and feasting traditions, and renew your connection to the earth around you. Return home ready to add flair and flavor to recipes, from backyard to home kitchen.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking over varied terrain in town, at markets and farms.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Visit organic, sustainable agricultural organizations like Huerta Sol Feliz Farm and ReUnity Farm.
  • Discover sustainable gardening methods that preserve local Indigenous knowledge, and learn how to apply these philosophies and food preparation techniques anywhere.
  • Experience the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, one of the oldest, largest and most successful growers’ markets in the country.

General Notes

This program is part of “Our Changing Planet” series, exploring the solutions to the challenges of global climate change in communities around the United States. Learn more at www.roadscholar.org/planet.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Profile Image
Terri Ross
Terri Ross is a longtime transplant to New Mexico. First arriving in 1994, she began exploring the rich history and varied landscape of the state. She has led more than 80 group programs around the corner and around the world. She is also a local speaker in her adopted hometown of Albuquerque, making presentations on a variety of topics including travel journaling and scrapbooking, New Mexico history, traveling the Navajo lands, and driving on New Mexico Highway 4.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Terri Ross
Terri Ross View biography
Terri Ross is a longtime transplant to New Mexico. First arriving in 1994, she began exploring the rich history and varied landscape of the state. She has led more than 80 group programs around the corner and around the world. She is also a local speaker in her adopted hometown of Albuquerque, making presentations on a variety of topics including travel journaling and scrapbooking, New Mexico history, traveling the Navajo lands, and driving on New Mexico Highway 4.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.





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