A seven-acre farm sits at the heart of New Mexico State University’s San Juan County Extension Office.
It covers a swath of land that underwent a transformational change from a fallow field to a multipurpose teaching farm designed to adapt with the seasons and meet the needs of the tight-knit community it serves.
It’s called the Growing Forward Farm.
Since opening in 2021, the farm has blossomed into the thriving educational space envisioned by its founders. It’s a year-round gathering spot for youth and community activities, a training hub for new farmers, and an outdoor classroom equipped for hands-on lessons in gardening, soil health, composting and nutrition. It’s also a summer and fall destination known for its peach orchard, pumpkin patch and corn maze.
“I don’t think we ever imagined that it could be this amazing – and this beautiful,” said Bonnie Hopkins Byers, the director of the San Juan County Extension Office. “It’s been able to grow organically into a truly useful, community-driven space. I think that’s a good testament to Extension.”
Hopkins Byers and the other members of the San Juan County Extension team were the driving forces behind the farm. Staff members Weston Medlock and Andrew Foster were critical assets in building and creating the infrastructure and foundation of the farm that has allowed it to grow.
Years ago, when faced with limited space in the outgrown Extension office on South Oliver Drive in Aztec, Hopkins Byers began using the nearby field across the street to host workshops on topics like collecting soil samples, treating invasive weeds or managing prairie dogs.
She soon realized that the land, though itself plagued by noxious weeds, rodents and bare soil, had the potential to become something greater.
“It was just a big field,” she said, “but there was a lot of real-world experience out here.”
From there, Hopkins Byers approached San Juan County officials with the idea of converting the county-owned land into a teaching farm dedicated to experiential learning opportunities in agriculture, youth development and community health.
“I started working with the county community development director and told them that if they ever needed us to put the space to good use, we have a great idea,” she said.
After NMSU and the county signed off on the necessary agreements in 2020, Hopkins Byers and her staff worked to rehabilitate the land. By the year’s end, they installed a new, efficient irrigation system and deer fence, built a classroom barn, a compost station and several raised garden beds, and created an heirloom peach orchard and two riparian zones. In 2022, they constructed additional demonstration and activity areas.
Lily Frank, a longtime San Juan County 4-H member who interned at the Extension office over the summer, saw the farm emerge from the ground up.
“It was pretty cool watching it go from just dirt covered in prairie dog holes to what we see today,” Frank said. “A lot of this land was so run down, and I never would have expected it would have turned into this.”
One of Frank’s favorite activities on the farm is when fourth-grade students from across the county tour the grounds.
“Hundreds of kids come here,” she said, “and they’re seeing what we have created and seeing agriculture in a way that excites them. So, it’s opening doors for them to see a future in agriculture.”
Hopkins Byers said it’s all part of the farm’s mission to serve community members of all ages and drive economic development in San Juan County. One way the farm supports the latter is by training aspiring farmers.
With its New Farmer Incubator program, the office provides new farmers access to land, tools, irrigation, wildlife fencing, compost, an on-site market, mentorship and various educational opportunities for a seasonal fee. After completing a six-week training program and building a business plan, participants grow their own crops in a plot on the farm and then sell them.
“We try to set them up for long-term success,” Hopkins Byers said.
To date, 14 farmers have completed the program, including NMSU Global Campus student Carson Stark, who has since launched a produce farm growing green chile, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and other foods.
“This is where I started,” Stark said, gesturing to one of the farm’s many plots. “I grew some plants here, and then I realized I really liked this, and I took the passion that I had for growing things and turned it into a business.”
So, what does the future hold for the farm? Hopkins Byers said that’s up for the community to decide, although she’d like to see programming in livestock and workforce development.
“I think the beauty of the farm is that we don’t have an end game,” she said. “We don’t have a set definition of success. It just evolves naturally. I hope it keeps growing and changing as the community’s needs rise and shift.”
In the meantime, Hopkins Byers and her team are preparing to move into a new 8,900-square-foot building on the Growing Forward Farm property by the end of the year. The new facility will be a “game changer” for learning, growing and preserving San Juan County’s agricultural legacy, she said.
A version of this story appears in the fall 2025 issue of ACES Magazine. For more stories, visit https://nmsu.news/aces-magazine-2025.
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Cutline: Lily Frank takes worms from the compost station at the San Juan County Extension Office’s Growing Forward Farm. The farm is a thriving community space dedicated to experiential learning opportunities in agriculture, youth development and community health. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)
Cutline: Bonnie Hopkins Byers, the director of the San Juan County Extension Office, worked for several years with county officials to make the Growing Forward Farm a reality. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)
Cutline: Flowers bloom at the San Juan County Extension Office’s Growing Forward Farm. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)