About Us
Manna Farms was founded by Larry and Sara Drewes in 2017. Initially, the property they purchased contained only a handful of pecan trees, but their vision for the 7 acres included planting more pecan trees, planting fruit trees, and creating a space to tinker with a garden. Not too long after purchasing the property, they planted hundreds of pecan trees and dedicated a small portion of their orchard to incorporate fruit trees, an area they knew their five children and four grandchildren would one day particularly like to frequent.
Today, the young pecan trees are producing hundreds of pounds of pecans every year, the fruit trees are producing an abundance of figs, apples, pomegranates, and quince, and the vegetable garden and small greenhouse provide a variety of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, leafy greens, and other herbs/vegetables year round. All of this has been accomplished utilizing organic practices, without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides.
From inception, the goal for the family farm operation has been to work in harmony with nature. Since we do not apply herbicides, the first thing you will notice about our orchard is the abundance of natural grasses that are present. These natural grasses, or cover crops, serve multiple purposes: increasing biodiversity, enhancing water availability, and improving the soil by minimizing erosion and nutrient loss. Upon taking a walk in the orchard, you will also notice ample insect biodiversity due to the lack of insecticide application. All of the ladybugs, spiders, wasps, butterflies, beetles play a vital role in biological integrated pest management (IPM).
Looking ahead to the future, Manna Farms is officially working with New Mexico Organic Consultants at the Rodale Institute to seek out our USDA organic certification. Our hope is to have this certification secured prior to our 2024 fall pecan harvest season.