On April 1, The Eastern Santa Cruz County Community Food Bank (ESCCCFB) moved into its new space at 772 Harshaw Road in Patagonia. Its prior space at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Patagonia was a stopgap location when the Food Bank lost its long-term lease in the building across from the Fire Department. Jim Staudacher, President of the Board of ESCCCFB, and volunteer manager of the Food Bank’s operations, said, “The church was never a permanent solution. We stayed much longer than we had planned because of Covid. It was very challenging space for our volunteers to work in, especially as demand increased over the past several years.”

Patagonia resident, award-winning ethnobotanist and Native Seeds/Search co-founder Gary Nabhan has a new book out, the 40th (or so) in his long career. Co-authored with Philadelphia restaurateur and agave advocate David Suro Pinera, Agave Spirits: The Past, Present and Future of Mezcals (W.W. Norton) is, like so much of Nabhan’s work, an inspiring, encyclopedic read about a complex and beguiling subject. It traces, in some detail, not just the 8,000-year history of the agave plant’s use by North Americans, but also its water-efficient life cycle; its mutually beneficial interaction with other plants and animals, including insects and nectar-feeding bats; how it gets made into an alcoholic distillate; and how it can help us deal with heat and drought – and fight diabetes. Folk histories, scientific breakthroughs, misguided government interventions, disastrous industrial practices, marketing crazes, exhortations for a more equitable and sustainable system of making and delivering mezcal and other agave distillates … it’s all here, along with a cast that includes a 400-breasted Aztec agave goddess, indigenous cultivators and healers, heroic “plant barbers,” rebel female mezcal makers, an unlikely 1970s American agave scholar-prophet and the “Bat Man” of Mexico. It does this book a disservice to try and summarize it in a single paragraph; rest assured this is a bravura, capstone work from two giants in their field.

After over a year of waiting, a new custom designed and built fire engine has arrived in Patagonia and is already in use. The impressive new truck, which carries 3,200 gallons of water and is outfitted with state of the art features, replaces the 1982 fire engine that has served Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue (PVFR) for over 40 years.

After objections raised by some residents from eastern Santa Cruz County, the scope of a proposed change to the Santa Cruz County Planning Code is being scaled back to only affect the Rio Rico area, rather than all unincorporated areas in the County. And that’s good news. Eastern Santa...

South32’s timeline for its Hermosa Project is coming into focus, with a Board of Directors’ vote on the project expected in the coming months. Meanwhile, a permit application has been filed for temporary routing for both construction and mining activities, with Hermosa-related vehicle traffic on SR82 and SR83 set to radically increase as construction begins.

Melanie Lawson of South32 will be giving an update on the Hermosa project tonight (Tuesday) at the Planning and Development meeting at the town hall in Patagonia. This meeting, which begins at 6pm, is open to the public. There will be a Q&A after the meeting so there is no need to submit inquiries/comments prior.

Proposed Trail Expansion From Casa Blanca Canyon to Sonoita. Connecting People and Community to Nature Through Trails. The New Mexico and Arizona Railroad was built in 1882 from Benson, through Fairbanks, Huachuca City, Elgin Sonoita, Patagonia, Calabasas and Nogales where the track connected to another rail to the port in Guaymas, Mexico. The railway was abandoned in 1963 and tracks removed.

The New Mexico and Arizona Railroad was built in 1882 from Benson, through Fairbanks, Huachuca City, Elgin Sonoita, Patagonia, Calabasas and Nogales where the track connected to another rail to the port in Guaymas, Mexico. The railway was abandoned in 1963 and tracks removed. In 2006 a group in Patagonia...

A group of concerned citizens from the Greater Patagonia/Sonoita/Elgin region have sent the following letter to Arizona Department of Transportation managers raising “serious issues” surrounding the permitting process for South32’s plans for State Route 82 and the Cross Creek Entrance to the mine at Hermosa. Here is the letter in full, with PDF attachments.

This photo is part of the Centennial Collection at the museum. Valentin Valenzuela was born in Los Angeles, California in 1851 on February 14. He spoke English, Spanish and French. He made his way eastward working for a time on the Colorado River operating steamboats. He eventually would settle in Crittenden and operated a stage line from Crittenden to Harshaw, Mowry, Washington Camp, Duquesne and Lochiel. The town of Crittenden preceded the establishment of Patagonia and was the companion civilian settlement for Camp Crittenden (est 1867). Eventually Valentin and his family would move to a homestead adjacent to the newly established town of Patagonia. Valentin continued the stage line for a while and also established a meat market in Patagonia. Circa 1920 he suffered a stroke and that is when his two-story adobe would be built with the labor of his wife and children who made the adobe bricks.

This month we continue our series of profiles of the PUHS senior class of 2023. Look for more profiles of these talented and interesting young people in upcoming issues of the PRT. Olivia Caroline Marianne Blystone. Participation in school clubs and sports: I was in volleyball junior and senior year,...

The Patagonia Regional grant cycle recently announced its 2023 grants totaling $25,300 to area nonprofits. In addition, the Burton Family Foundation, a Supporting Organization of the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF), and the local Mar-Walt ACF Donor Advised Fund, have made additional grants of over $35,000 to area nonprofits in conjunction with Patagonia Regional grantmaking process, for a total of over $60,000 in grants benefiting the community this year.

Having enjoyed one of our wettest winters in years, the Sky Islands are poised for an unbridled orgy come this April. California poppies, desert bells, golden smoke, desert anemone, blue dicks, tansy mustard, and many others have already burst forth in March. Soon they’ll be joined by the late bloomers such as nama, mariposa lily, desert honeysuckle, pancake cactus, and ocotillo. This year, even May could well witness droves of colorful wildflowers in some locales.

Some of us look at stars, like Pollux and Aldebaran, because they’re beautiful. Others do it to seek answers. I think I’m one of many who look at the sky for both reasons. For all of us, engineers of all stripes have imagined and developed tools to make these tasks easier and more fruitful. From binoculars to telescopes to space-based multifaceted marvels, the stargazing industry has become so sophisticated that what was once the stuff of science fiction is now a steady stream of undisputed scientific discovery.

A funny thing happened on the way to Corral Nuevo, and that was a good thing. One of the books that I have been using as a guide to finding interesting rocks has been “Gem Trails of Arizona” by James R. Mitchell. The book divides the state into four regions, with 25 collecting sites in each. Mitchell describes each site: how to get there, the difficulty of the drive, where to park and what you might find. In addition to useful advice – wear goggles, bring plenty of water, etc. There are also maps, almost like pirate treasure maps, with mileages between turn dots and X’s that mark the spot.

After the long and cold winter, I am sure you all are as ready to start gardening as much as I am. This is a time of new possibilities and new things to try in the garden. Make sure you are adding compost to your garden beds, whether they are in-ground or raised. Compost feeds the plants and the soil, holds water as well as helps with drainage. Good quality compost is essential. Poorly composted or unfinished compost will cause nitrogen deficiency in your plants, characterized by yellowing older leaves and poor growth. If you make your own, sift out the bits that are not fully decomposed.

Maggie moved to Tucson from Chicago in 1974. From there she moved to Sonoita where she lived for more than 30 years. Two years ago, she moved to Patagonia, where she says the vibe is warm and welcoming. Maggie is a retired geriatric nurse who worked at the VA for...

Internationally acclaimed Zapotec textile artist and dyer Porfirio Gutierrez held a trunk show at the Coop, the turquoise building housing Sunset Ride Wine in Sonoita, on March 18 and 19. A large turnout of people came from Sonoita, Elgin, Patagonia and Green Valley to enjoy the exhibits, talks, discussions with the artist and opportunities to purchase his rugs. Wine tasting and food added to the festive mood. Beautiful textiles, large and small, were hung for viewing and displayed on tables along with an exhibit of natural dye materials.

One little known service that the Patagonia Library provides to our patrons are culture passes. These passes are available through a program called Act One Arizona. They provide free passes to cultural events and museums across Arizona. The library currently has twelve available culture passes for check out. Each pass...