A recently built Mud Hub Greenhouse stares at significant pueblo history in Black Mesa, which is located above the floodplain of the Rio Grande Valley in northern New Mexico. Ancestors of San Illdefonso Pueblo, famous for their black on black pottery, have farmed in this area for well over 700 years. They arrived after abandoning villages at Mesa Verde and Bandelier because of massive environmental changes.
Black Mesa, an isolated volcanic outcropping high above this flood plain, served as a natural fortress for the Pueblo Revolt against Spanish rule lasting from 1680 to 1694. The successful defense by the pueblos resulted in the restoration of ancient native religious practices.
Bordering San Illdefonso land, in view of this historic site, Richard and Andrea Schmidt of La Mesilla seek refuge of their own in a small way, by introducing healthy organic food to their diet, free of disease and pesticides, without leaving home. In doing so, they join in the agricultural traditions of this region
