ZUNI, NM (July 31, 2025) — The Zuni Youth Enrichment Project announced today that its Food Sovereignty Summer Workshop Series will kick off later this week with a virtual pickling workshop. The series will continue in August and September with two in-person events, before giving way to Family Cook Nights, a mainstay of the fall season.
In the virtual workshop, ZYEP’s food sovereignty team will share knowledge about pickling items that are commonly found in gardens, including cucumbers, snap peas, purslane, jalapeños and onions. Brittny Seowtewa, food sovereignty coordinator, says the video release is scheduled for the end of this week.
Next, on Aug. 14 at 6:30-7:30 p.m., the team will offer a workshop in collaboration with Spirit Farm, based in Vanderwagen, New Mexico. The topic is pending, as details are still being finalized, but ZYEP will share updates through Facebook and Instagram in early August.
“Our final workshop in the summer series will take place in September, and it will focus on food preservation,” Seowtewa said. “We’re hoping to collaborate with Reyna Banteah from Ts’uyya Farm on this event. She did outstanding work with our ‘Rooted in Healthy Traditions’ students, and we would love for her to share her talent and knowledge with the community.”
The workshops are free and open to the public.
This growing season has been an active and meaningful time for ZYEP and its food sovereignty crew. As always, they are dedicated to serving Zuni children ages 7-12 through Wellness Week and Summer Camp — 127 and 120 kids respectively, in June and July.
They also are staying connected with the 100 Zuni families who received garden kits at ZYEP’s May 18 distribution. At the event, families engaged with a series of hands-on, workshop-style learning stations — which shared information about moisture retention, mulch, soil health and more — and were able to take home home garden tools, shade cloth and a variety of seeds.
“Families could choose the seeds they wanted,” Seowtewa said. “They were all non-GMO, organic seeds and a mix of flowers, herbs and vegetables.
“We were excited to introduce our families to Coco Coir, a soil mixture made with coconut shavings that is great at retaining moisture,” she continued. “They learned where to get it and how to use it.”
The day also included a special waffle garden demonstration. Families learned about the historical context of these traditional gardens, their significance in Zuni culture, how to build them and what materials would be needed.
Zuni families specifically requested traditional seeds, soil, garden tools and shade cloth in an extensive community survey that ZYEP created to assess families’ needs and aspirations for their gardens and farms. They also said they wanted to learn more about making garden beds and waffle gardens, soil maintenance, drip irrigation and the cultural relevance of the seeds.
This year’s food sovereignty initiative evolved using this feedback. Now, midway through the growing season, the ZYEP team is checking in with families to see how their gardens are doing.
“We want to provide support if they need anything,” Seowtewa said. “We’ll check in again at harvest time, so we’re looking forward to that as well.”
In addition, ZYEP has been working with a series of community partners during this growing season, broadening its reach in the Zuni community. For example, the food sovereignty team assisted the Zuni Veterans Services Program with its seed starts.
“It was a very successful one-time event, and everyone enjoyed it,” Seowtewa said.
What’s more, the team provided healthy breakfast demonstrations to 15-20 elders at the Zuni Senior Center every Monday for several weeks. Together, the group made blue corn mush with fresh fruit and berries, banana pancakes, breakfast parfaits and breakfast tacos.
ZYEP also loaned one of its two Garden Towers to the Zuni Senior Center (it loaned the other tower to the A:shiwi A:wan Museum & Heritage Center). Seowtewa said the elders expressed they missed gardening, so she and her team were happy to help.
“Gardening has accessibility issues,” she explained. “With the Garden Tower, we can bring gardening to them in a small but important way.”
Finally, ZYEP provided the Lakeside Community Building with a drip irrigation system, arched trellises and a water tank. The food sovereignty team also helped set up five raised garden beds at that location.
“We’re so excited about these partnerships,” Seowtewa said. “By connecting with each other and working together, we can have an even greater impact in our community.”
With guidance from its Agricultural Advisory Committee, ZYEP’s food sovereignty initiative is dedicated to providing access to resources, instruction and knowledge sharing to people of all ages and abilities. Made possible with support from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, New Mexico Department of Health, Newman’s Own Foundation, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Partnership with Native Americans (PWNA), the initiative brings community members together on a seasonal agricultural journey that incorporates prepping, planting, nurturing, harvesting, seed saving, healthy recipes and cooking.
To learn more about the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project and its programs, and for information about making donations, partnering with ZYEP, and volunteering, call (505) 782-8000 or visit zyep.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest news and events, follow the nonprofit youth organization on Facebook (/zuniyouthenrichmentproject), Instagram (@zuniyouthenrichmentproject), YouTube (/ZuniYouth), and TikTok (/zyep09)
Founded in 2009, the nonprofit Zuni Youth Enrichment Project is dedicated to promoting resilience among Zuni youth so they will grow into strong, healthy adults who are connected with Zuni traditions. ZYEP fulfills its mission by providing positive role models, enriching programs, and nurturing spaces that contribute to the healthy development of Zuni youth. ZYEP strives to provide every child with the encouragement and opportunities they need to reach their full potential.
