Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is soliciting interest from local area farmers for participation in its Cooperative Farming Program.
The Cooperative Farming Program is designed to assist the refuge in meeting its habitat management goals, while providing additional lands to the Cooperator for farming and harvesting their own crops, such as alfalfa. The refuge produces approximately 260 acres of corn, 760 acres of alfalfa, and 20 acres of milo within its Cooperative Farming Unit. The crops are raised specifically for providing high-quality food for cranes, geese, and other resident and migratory wildlife.
The refuge, eight miles south of San Antonio, currently has up to 1,039 acres available to offer an interested farmer. As part of the Cooperative Farming Program agreement, the selected farmer would be responsible for providing their own equipment, fuel, seed, fertilizer, and herbicides to qualify for the Program. Out of the 1,039 acres, 260 acres (25%) would be grown specifically for wildlife and left unharvested, while the remaining acreage would be available for the Cooperator to harvest. The Program currently operates under an annual agreement, which will be extended depending on the quality of crops produced.
For further information or questions regarding the Cooperative Farming Program, contact Bernard Lujan (Refuge Operations Specialist) or Aaron Drew (Assistant Refuge Manager) at (575)835-1828.
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