Addressing the urgent need for water efficient, drought tolerant
crops in arid zones of the American Southwest,

Our Strategy: Grow Cactus Pear.

ABOUT US:

We are a nonprofit based in Las Vegas, Nevada, founded in 2022 to advance the farming of cactus pear in the United States. In the absence of an established domestic industry, our mission is to expand awareness and access to this incredible multi-use crop. To achieve this, we are developing a pilot farm and propagation nursery in Southern Nevada’s Mojave Desert.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

EDUCATION:

Demonstrate organic, climate resilient perennial agriculture suited to arid and semi-arid zones.

Provide tours, information, and opportunities for public engagement.

RESEARCH:

Participate with educational institutions and University projects, hosting field trials and testing best management strategies.

Produce data to support efficiency claims and yield expectations under location specific soil and atmospheric conditions.

PROPAGATION:

Harvesting pads for future plantings, providing proven genetics for wholesale distribution to farmers, landscapers, and landowners.

Assist in large scale tissue culture micropropagation and root establishment.

Challenges Facing Agriculture in the American Southwest

  • Severe Water Scarcity

    Declining Colorado River allocations and shrinking aquifers threaten the long-term viability of traditional crops in the American Southwest.

    Longer, more severe droughts and high heat events are projected in arid regions under forecasted climate models.

    Overuse of groundwater to support water intensive crops is outpacing the capacity of such underground reservoirs to recharge.

  • Extreme Heat Trends

    2-7°F temperature increases projected in arid regions by mid century.

    Current cash crops such as alfalfa and corn are not adapted to survive such conditions.

    Increased evaporation trends making traditional irrigation systems unsustainable.

  • Economic Pressure

    Heightened irrigation costs and declining soil fertility limit profitability and potential for diversification.

    Crops without a wide range of uses make revenue streams risky and unsustainable.

    Farmers forced to sell water rights and sacrifice multigenerational industries put longstanding agricultural communities and economies at risk of collapse.

  • Desertification

    Intensive agriculture in arid regions has depleted nutrient availability and carbon stocks in soils.

    Soil disruption (tilling and plowing) and reduced vegetative cover degrades underground microbiomes responsible for water retention and erosion mitigation.

    Rapid expansion of arid regions threatens longstanding ecosystem services relied upon by communities and industries alike.

Introducing Cactus Pear

“Increased food, feed, and biofuel demands of the future will require a greater reliance upon crop production systems in arid and semi-arid regions around the world. Diminishing freshwater resources and hotter and drier climatic conditions will also necessitate the use of highly drought tolerant and water-use efficient crops” (Neupane et al, 2021)