Seed Saving Workshop with Tiana Suazo and Johnny Ortiz-Concha

Join Tiana Suazo and Johnny Ortiz for a special seed-saving workshop following the Re-earthing Futures Family Festival at Rio Fernando Park. Learn techniques for harvesting and preparing seeds for storage from two expert food sovereignty advocates. This workshop coincides with the onset of building Taos Land Trust’s new seed library at Rio Fernando Park. Built in partnership with the UNM-Taos Construction Technology Program and with contributions by youth from around Taos County facilitated by Harwood Education, this adobe library will provide open access to Taos Land Trust’s seed exchange program. Seed saving helps preserve Taos’s agricultural heritage and promotes food sovereignty. This workshop is presented alongside Harwood Museum’s exhibition Unearthing Futures / Desenterrando Futuros, the festival brings the community together around mud, heritage, land, and cultural stewardship.

This workshop is free thanks to generous support by Taos Main Street’s Cultural Events Fund. Please RSVP thoughtfully as space is limited. If you are unable to attend, please reach out to programs@harwoodmuseum.org to cancel.

Johnny Ortiz-Concha

Johnny Ortiz-Concha was born and raised in the high desert of Northern New Mexico in Taos and comes from generations of ancestors who have been born and raised on the same land. New Mexico in all it’s complexity is complicated to define, as is Johnny. His blood is a mix of various cultures that have been settling New Mexico for centuries, primarily Tu-ah-ta ( Taos Pueblo ) and Spanish ( from mother Spain ). Johnny is an award-winning chef and has worked in some of the most interesting restaurants in the country and even helped run them. Now Johnny is less a chef and is inseparable from the ecosystem he has been working at building that is / shed, where he is intimate with each step of the process that goes into a / shed dinner. Johnny first became enamored with food when his mother gave him a wild rose to eat and since has been delving into what it means “to cook”. Once a passion solely based within the confines of a restaurant, now involves numerous vernacular practices of his terrain and culture. A blurring of the lines between life and work.

Tiana Suazo

Tiana Suazo is the Regenerative Agriculture and Ranching Program Manager at the Center of Southwest Culture and a dedicated advocate for Indigenous food sovereignty and community resilience. A member of Taos and Jemez Pueblos, she previously served as Executive Director of the Red Willow Center on Taos Pueblo, leading farm operations, youth programs, and a farmers market while expanding grower support and food safety guidance. Tiana’s experience encompasses community engagement and cultural preservation, with a focus on bridging traditional knowledge and modern food systems. She holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Fort Lewis College and serves on the Boards of Directors for Ogallala Commons, Taos County Economic Development Corporation, Santa Fe Farmers Market Institute, and River and Birds Inc. A recipient of the 2020 Taos Women of Impact award, Tiana has traveled across the U.S. and to India, Italy, and Belize to learn from traditional and Indigenous foodways, seed saving practices, and food sovereignty movements.

Images: Photo by Jim O’Donnell. Courtesy of Taos Land Trust