Building healthy soils is an investment in resilient crops, cleaner water, and a stronger climate — nourish the ground beneath your feet and it will sustain generations to come.

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We Strive

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We Believe

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in a Resilient tomorrow

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We Strive 〰️ We Believe 〰️ in a Resilient tomorrow 〰️

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Agroecology in the Rio Grande Valley

Learn organic practices, explore hands-on tools, and support resilient food systems.

Grower’s Guide Workshops Donate

Start with Soil Health

Explore principles that drive resilient agroecosystems—soil cover, diversity, minimal disturbance, and living roots.

Agroecology Fact: Cover crops reduce erosion and boost biodiversity.

Soil Health Score (demo)

Estimated Soil Health Score: 55/100

Educational demo—adjust the sliders to see how practices can influence a soil‑health index.

Student Opportunities RGV Grower’s Guide Volunteer Days

Cover Crop Nitrogen Estimator (demo)

Estimate potential N contribution from a legume-dominant cover crop based on biomass and legume proportion.

0 lb N/ac
Estimated plant‑available N credit

This is a simplified educational model for outreach. Always calibrate with local sampling and management goals.

See Our Research Download Field Worksheets

Support Learning, Research, and Community

  • Hands‑on Training: Students learn drones, soil sampling, and organic practices.
  • Community Demonstrations: Workshops at the farm and greenhouse.
  • Research & Tools: Sensors, seeds, and data management to advance sustainable agriculture.
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Students Trained / Year
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Workshops Hosted
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Sensors Managed
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Every contribution supports education, farmer resources, and resilient local food systems.

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Kasper

Agroecology Specialist

Learn more about Kasper on NCAT
https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID_HERE?autoplay=0&mute=0&rel=0

Hidalgo County Urban Forestry Snapshot

  • Current Tree Canopy: 16% of land area (~771 acres)
  • Potential Planting Zones: 44% (~2,120 acres)
  • Recent Growth: +2.1% canopy since 2016 (~664 acres added)
  • Impervious Surfaces: ~32% of total area

Priority Planting Locations

  • Memorial Park – Add shade along trails
  • McAllen Park – Improve neighborhood green space
  • Hidalgo City Municipal Court – Plant canopy near sidewalks

Recommended Tree Species

  • Texas Ebony (Ebenopsis ebano)
  • Anacua (Ehretia anacua)
  • Retama (Parkinsonia aculeata)
  • Monterrey Oak (Quercus polymorpha)
View Full Hidalgo County Report (PDF)
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/449497482025452ca1c18f395afbcfe5/ Healthy Trees, Healthy Lives Dashboard

Hidalgo County Urban Forestry Snapshot

  • Current Tree Canopy: 16% of land area (~771 acres)
  • Potential Planting Zones: 44% (~2,120 acres)
  • Recent Growth: +2.1% canopy since 2016 (~664 acres added)
  • Impervious Surfaces: ~32% of total area

Priority Planting Locations

  • Memorial Park – Add shade along trails
  • McAllen Park – Improve neighborhood green space
  • Hidalgo City Municipal Court – Plant canopy near sidewalks

Recommended Tree Species

  • Texas Ebony (Ebenopsis ebano)
  • Anacua (Ehretia anacua)
  • Retama (Parkinsonia aculeata)
  • Monterrey Oak (Quercus polymorpha)
https://texastrees.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Hidalgo-Report.pdf View Full Hidalgo County Report (PDF)
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/449497482025452ca1c18f395afbcfe5/ Healthy Trees, Healthy Lives Dashboard

Current & Upcoming Events

Workshops, farm stands, and community meetups at Hub of Prosperity & UTRGV.

https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1563001194-9b3b7e3431f6?q=80&w=1600&auto=format&fit=crop Current

Community Workshop: Planning for RGV Seasons

Date & Time: —
Location: Hub of Prosperity · 3707 W University Ave, Edinburg, TX

Hands-on session covering seasonal crop planning, irrigation layout, and practical soil-health tactics tailored to the RGV climate.

What you'll learn
  • Seasonal crop calendars for the Valley
  • Drip irrigation setup and scheduling
  • Quick wins for soil health (mulch, cover crops)

Bring: water, gloves, hat, sunscreen.

https://www.rgvagroecology.com/community2Learn more mailto:alexis.racelis@utrgv.edu?subject=Workshop%20RSVPRSVP by Email https://www.rgvagroecology.com/community2
https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1516685018646-549df2bb5fc8?q=80&w=1600&auto=format&fit=crop Upcoming

Farm Stand Saturdays

Date & Time: —
Location: Hub of Prosperity · Mon Mack Rd & University Dr, Edinburg, TX

Weekly farm stand featuring seasonal produce grown by UTRGV students—plus tours and volunteer opportunities.

What to expect
  • Fresh greens, roots, herbs (seasonal)
  • Short field tour at 10:15 AM
  • Volunteer signup table
https://www.rgvagroecology.com/hub-of-prosperityLearn more https://sentli.org/home/our-farmers/the-hub-of-prosperity/Preorder via Sentli