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Introduction

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Mesquite (Prosopis spp.) is a wide ranging, resilient genus of leguminous woody plants that may present as low growing shrubs or as trees reaching up to 50 ft in height. Mesquites are adapted to thrive in hot, dry climates like the Sonoran Desert. Native mesquite species can provide a wide range of ecosystem services including, but not limited to, carbon sequestration, nitrogen fixation, species diversity enhancement, flood control, forage for wildlife, and soil enrichment. However, when mesquites exceed certain density thresholds in grasslands, they can outcompete native grasses. This can be remedied through active management so that trees are pruned to provide shade and accessible pods for wildlife and livestock during drought months while minimizing competition with grasses.

While mesquite’s wood, sap, leaves, roots, and flowers all offer important value-added products, perhaps the most popularly utilized mesquite component is the pod. Mesquite pods are high in calcium, magnesium, iron, fiber and zinc and can be milled into a  versatile flour or utilized as livestock feed, especially in hotter, drier times of year and during drought when grasses are not abundant. Mesquite pods have been a staple for indigenous peoples of the Sonoran Desert for generations. The continued maintenance of these traditions has inspired, within the surrounding communities, a renewed interest in mesquite’s enormous potential.

Nevertheless, communities in the Borderlands need better access to information about the multiple uses of mesquite and to the materials and resources necessary to ensure the most beneficial use of its products. Increased community interest in mesquite has inspired the Borderlands Restoration Network to develop the Mesquite Stewardship Program. Through community-based educational workshops, presentations, field trips, and collaboration with groups like Mission Garden and Baja Arizona Sustainable Agriculture, this program promotes better utilization of the many ecological, economic, and nutritional benefits of native mesquite trees. Their goal is to fortify passions for wild foods, enhance food system resilience, and cultivate sustainable livelihoods in the Borderlands.

Key Issues Addressed

The continued use of mesquite by communities in the Borderlands has demonstrated the potential for a mesquite-based restoration economy that regenerates resources while building a more prosperous local economy. However, those interested in mesquite may not have access to the knowledge, equipment, or tools required for optimizing their utilization of mesquite’s resources.  

Aflatoxin is a carcinogenic toxin that is not safe for consumption. Certain harvesting practices, such as harvesting too late or from the ground, may increase the likelihood of mesquite pods being contaminated by aflatoxin. To avoid this risk, mesquite harvesters should be aware of best practices.

The presence of mesquite on the landscape offers many different costs and benefits. However, mesquite stakeholders are distributed all throughout the Borderlands and this spatial disconnect may make it difficult for community members to share their individual perspectives on how to balance these costs and benefits. Unless mesquite hubs are connected in some way, it is possible that additional information on how to manage and utilize mesquite may not be shared with those most in need of assistance. 

Project Goals

• Use community partnerships to provide the knowledge and materials necessary for establishing a sustainable foundation for wild foods-based livelihoods and local food security.
• Utilize community-based education and outreach to share valuable information about the safest and healthiest methods of harvesting and processing mesquite pods.
• Provide a regularly available platform for sharing information about the various ways to utilize mesquite.
• Encourage the incorporation of mesquite resources into new and preexisting practices such as bee keeping, furniture building, baking, and many others to facilitate the growth of a restoration economy.

Project Highlights

Sonoran Sisterhood: Traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous Comcaac communities inspired this program. These partners maintain a strong cross-border relationship that inspires respect for mesquite and community health.

• Community Engagement During COVID-19: A meaningful, mesquite-based educational experience requires in-person, hands-on activities that are difficult to provide when also ensuring compliance with CDC guidelines. Limited event capacity, strict sanitation protocols and social distancing were difficult challenges for the Mesquite Stewardship Program. Despite this, participants reported a heightened sense of community at these events. Attendees were motivated not only by their interest in mesquite but also by the prospect of “normalityâ€� during trying times. The shared sense of purpose and overall togetherness provided by these events was, though unexpected, a welcome addition to the program.
• Mesquite Milling and Microenterprises: In 2021, Mesquite stewards were able to attend several large community-based mesquite milling workshops hosted by Mission Garden and Baja Arizona Sustainable Agriculture. These events gave them access to several hammer mills and guided them through the process of milling their own mesquite flour. Additionally, each year the Mesquite Stewardship Program hosts their own annual milling event in Patagonia. For their 2021 event, the Stewards hosted mesquite expert, Gary Nabhan, who presented a talk on mesquite-based microenterprises. These events served as prime examples of the program’s potential to provide the public valuable knowledge, technical skills, and access to equipment.
• Diversification of “Mesquite-teersâ€�: The events hosted by the Mesquite Stewardship Program in 2021 attracted participants with a wide range of interests- from ranchers to wood workers, honey producers to bakers. The program supported the development of a diverse network of mesquite stewards and a more complex understanding of the various applications of mesquite.
• Ranching and Regenerative Agriculture: In 2021 the Mesquite Stewardship Program provided presentations on both the integration of mesquite into permaculture systems as a means of regenerative agriculture and on the importance of ranchers managing mesquite encroachment on their grasslands. By engaging local ranchers, ethnobotanists, and ecologists, the Mesquite Stewardship Program provided a platform for the convergence of multiple mesquite management perspectives. 

Lessons Learned

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Having capable and willing volunteers is essential to success. Mesquite-based education, though, is hard work. From leading pod harvesting walks, to operating the hammer mill, volunteers were subjected to hot weather and long hours. The Mesquite Stewardship Program learned to be mindful of volunteer labor and to avoid overextending volunteer effort. 

Strong partnerships between the Mesquite Stewards and other organizations enabled the program to secure funding, increase volunteer hours, and gain access to the equipment necessary for the Mesquite Stewardship Program’s events.

The Mesquite Stewardship Program ensured that presenters provided diverse perspectives that highlighted multiple options for the management and utilization of mesquite. Participants were able to expand their understanding of the value and potential of mesquite because the program exposed them to these contrasting perspectives. The reputability and relatability of presenters was essential to audience responsiveness; a bit of humor enhanced the successful delivery of information. 

Events that utilized the hands-on nature of mesquite pod milling were successful in encouraging an atmosphere of unity among participants. Despite this success, a challenge remains in  that potential mesquite stewards are distributed throughout the Sonoran Desert. This means that in-person events based in a particular mesquite “hubâ€� may not be uniformly accessible. To address this, the program now considers alternative outreach methods to ensure that all stakeholders can benefit. 

Next Steps

• Improve accessibility to Mesquite Stewardship Program events by integrating feedback from partners and participants to determine the most effective routes for information dispersal (i.e. online and in-person). Accommodating participants and eliminating barriers such as transportation availability or cost of travel will make in-person events more accessible.
• Engage a more intergenerational audience through the  engagement of regional youth. This will allow the mesquite stewardship program to extend its resources to younger audiences.
• Expand membership, improve the number of actively participating mesquite stewards, and increase support for the program. These goals can be achieved by providing benefits to members and making membership easily obtainable. More members will mean better distribution of tasks and will avoid overexertion of individual volunteers/members.
• Launch a “mesquite hubâ€� to showcase  mesquite-based micro-enterprises. Developing a point of convergence for the various applications of mesquite willsupport the generation of sustainable livelihoods rooted in passion. 

Funding Partners

Resources

• Lorenzini, J. (2021).. DesertHarvesters.org
• Riordan et al. (2021). . Tumamoc.Arizona.edu
• Nabhan, G. P. (2020). . Chelsea Green.
• Nabhan, G. (2019). . GaryNabhan.com
• Desert Harvesters. (2018). . RainSource Press
• Garber et al. Poster: “Human exposure to and climate influence on Aflatoxin contamination of commercial and cottage industry mesquite (Prosopis velutina) pod flour.â€�
• Desert Foods for Tomorrow: Planting Past, Present and Future. 

Contacts

• For more information on this project, contact Juliet Jivanti ([email protected]) or Laura Monti ([email protected]) at Borderlands Restoration Network.

CART Lead Author

• Maddison E Elliott, CART Student Author, VSFS

Suggested Citation

Elliott, M., E. (2022). “Using Community Outreach to Encourage Mesquite-Based Land Stewardship and Livelihoods in the Borderlands.â€�&²Ô²ú²õ±è;CART. Retrieved from /project/community-outreach-borderlands.