Improved Water Access Strengthens Youth Food Programs at Taos Pueblo

The Oo-oo-nah Art and Cultural Center at Taos Pueblo maintains a garden that provides fresh produce for free youth after-school and summer meal programs. However, volunteers currently lack direct outdoor water access. As a result, they must hand-carry heavy buckets from inside the building to irrigate the garden beds—causing physical strain, especially for elderly volunteers, and limiting the center’s ability to sustain and expand food production for young people. To address this challenge, a team member at Oo-oo-nah developed a practical solution: installing an exterior water spigot directly connected to the building to provide safe, efficient irrigation access. With support from LOR, the Cultural Center will hire a contractor to extend the existing plumbing line and install an exterior frost-free hydrant. This simple infrastructure improvement will eliminate the need to carry water by hand, reduce physical strain, and make garden maintenance more sustainable and accessible, particularly for elderly volunteers.