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Heritage Farm set to reopen on Earth Day
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Two years after closing for renovations, Albuquerque BioPark’s Heritage Farm is set to open Tuesday on Earth Day, just in time to promote agriculture education while fostering a connection with the land and New Mexican farming traditions.
Tucked behind the Botanic Gardens, the $14 million Heritage Farm renovation — funded by the 1/8 gross receipts tax — will bring in new features to the farm. The farm experience is included in a Botanic Garden ticket.
The renovations and upgrades aim to improve animal well-being and enhance the guest experience.
New features include rainwater collection tanks for crop watering, perennial beds with artichokes, raspberries and asparagus, and endangered plants such as the Sacramento Mountain prickly poppy. Sustainability and conservation were the primary focuswhen rebuilding the farm.
“We had a lot of thoughts and conversations over the last few years about infrastructure development around improved pathways and guest-friendly areas like the nature engagement area in the hopes that people can really immerse themselves in this agricultural context,” said Matthew Peterson, associate director of Rio Grande Heritage Farms.
One of the main highlights of the farm is the addition of several new animal species, including a mated pair of miniature donkeys named Emeralda and Julio, three rambunctious Nigerian dwarf goats, and Highland cattle: two cows named Sophia and Brora and a bull named Stewie.
“You’ll see a lot of domestic animals here at the Heritage Farm that you’d find on a typical farm either here in New Mexico or in the Southwest,” Peterson said.
Guests will not be able to interact with the animals like a petting zoo.
The farm added more pasture and barn space and enrichment features for animal well-being.
Other additions include a renovated cider bar, a new outdoor education space for children and a nature play area to promote interactive learning.
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“We want to help our youngest learners understand where the food on their plate comes from, how it’s grown and all the care and work that goes into that,” said Allyson Zahm, guest experience manager. “Farming has such influence over our lives, and we want to make it fun and make it accessible to people who might not ever get out of an urban environment.”
