During the pandemic, Courtney McCary-Squyres found herself looking for a way to get outside. With four children—including newborn twins—she needed an outlet. That outlet came in the form of container gardening, an activity she figured would be a simple way to enjoy the New Mexico sunshine with her kids.
What started as a small backyard project soon blossomed into a deeper understanding of food production, local food systems, and community needs. Before she knew it, Courtney and a group of dedicated neighbors were standing in the halls of the New Mexico State Capitol, advocating for policies that could reshape access to fresh food in their hometown.
Discovering a Food Desert
Courtney’s gardening journey began as a personal project, learning through online research and trial and error. As she transformed her front and back yards into a flourishing small farm, she started exploring Alamogordo’s food landscape and quickly noticed gaps. She visited the local farmers market expecting a bounty of fresh, locally grown produce, only to find a space dominated by craft vendors instead.
Living in a town of 31,000, home to many veterans and working-class families, she saw firsthand how rising housing costs were forcing residents to make tough financial choices—often at the expense of food quality. Alamogordo, like many other New Mexico communities, faced a growing food insecurity crisis. With 16.5% of Otero County’s residents struggling with food access—higher than both state and national averages—the need for affordable, fresh produce was clear.
At the same time, she noticed another trend: vacant lots scattered across neighborhoods, abandoned properties left to decay. These empty spaces sparked an idea—could they be turned into something useful? Could they become places where fresh food could grow?
Organizing for Change
Determined to make a difference, Courtney launched a grassroots campaign in late 2022, urging the city to allocate vacant land for community food production. She started small, collecting signatures from friends before expanding her efforts through social media and in-person outreach.
The movement took shape under the name With Many Hands, and the campaign—Public Land for Food—set a goal of 500 signatures, a number that felt both ambitious and representative of Alamogordo’s community. Volunteers knocked on doors, attended local events, and rallied support. By October 2023, armed with a successful petition, they formally requested that the Alamogordo Parks & Recreation Department provide land for gardening.
But the effort didn’t stop there. Courtney and her team built a leadership committee composed of those directly impacted by food insecurity. They reached out to petition signers, inviting them to actively participate in the initiative, from planning meetings to hands-on gardening.
Transforming Land into Community Gardens
The hard work paid off. The first garden took root on Maryland Avenue in Alamogordo’s Chihuahuita neighborhood, a historically underserved area. In January 2024, With Many Hands celebrated its first community planting day, marking a major milestone.
Beyond securing land, the group successfully negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding with the city, helping to cover costs like water and infrastructure. Additional opportunities followed—a church donated another lot, Alamogordo MainStreet contributed raised garden beds for a downtown alleyway, and even a public park in nearby Tularosa welcomed a community garden space. In just over a year, the project expanded to include four active community gardens.
One core principle guided their work: accessibility. There were no fences, no locked gates, and no restrictions on harvesting. Volunteers even delivered fresh produce to community members unable to visit the gardens themselves. “People sometimes ask if they can take food even if they haven’t volunteered,” Courtney says. “I tell them that harvesting is volunteering—because if we don’t pick the food, the plants won’t survive.”
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From Gardening to Policy Advocacy
What started as a backyard experiment soon became a lesson in political engagement. Courtney never envisioned herself in politics, but as the project grew, she realized systemic changes were necessary to sustain and expand their work.
On February 21, 2024, Courtney and other With Many Hands members traveled to Santa Fe for Hunger Action Day, joining 150 advocates in support of H.B.229. This legislation aimed to allocate $430,000 to help small-scale food producers—like those in Otero County—sell their harvests to local schools and farmers markets.
Although initially unable to schedule formal meetings, Courtney sought out legislators in the halls of the Capitol, sharing the story of how community-driven farming could be a solution to food insecurity. Her message was simple: with the right support, everyday people could help reshape local food systems.
Building a Movement for the Future
Through this journey, With Many Hands recognized that community organizing doesn’t stop at planting seeds—it extends to policy-making and civic engagement. In the fall of 2023, the group hosted a Food and Housing Summit, bringing together residents to discuss the most pressing issues facing their community. They also took an active role in local elections, endorsing and canvassing for candidates who prioritized food security and housing initiatives. Their efforts contributed to the election of Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-02) and State Rep. Sarah Silva (D-53), both of whom won by narrow margins.
“We realized that if we don’t advocate for these issues, no one else will,” Courtney says. “Food systems, access to fresh produce—these are things that matter to our daily lives, but they won’t be a priority unless we make them one.”
A Community Transformed
What started as a simple desire to get outside and plant a few seeds with her kids has turned into a movement. Alamogordo’s empty lots are no longer just patches of dirt—they are thriving spaces filled with cucumbers, zucchini, basil, figs, and nectarines. And more importantly, they are a testament to what’s possible when a community comes together with a shared vision.
The work is far from over, but With Many Hands has proven that real change starts locally. One garden at a time, they’re growing not just food, but a future where everyone has access to fresh, healthy produce—no matter where they live or how much they earn .
