In the heart of New Mexico’s Rio Grande Valley, farming is more than an industry — it’s a living part of Corrales’ identity.
For generations, acequias dating back to the 18th century have nourished the village’s fertile farmland, supporting local farmers and preserving a deeply rooted agricultural tradition. But like many farming communities across the Southwest, Corrales faces growing challenges: drought, development pressure, and a rapidly changing climate.
In 2025, the Corrales Farmers’ Cooperative was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a clear mission: sustain multi-generational farming in Corrales through advocacy, education, and action.
The organization had a strong mission and community support behind it, but no digital presence to help communicate that mission, attract supporters, or create long-term engagement.
That’s where this project began.
Building a Digital Home for a Community-Driven Nonprofit
The Corrales Farmers’ Cooperative needed more than a simple informational website. They needed a platform that could:
- Clearly communicate their mission
- Help local farmers and supporters get involved
- Accept donations
- Promote events and local agriculture
- Share stories from the farming community
- Create an ongoing membership experience
Most importantly, the website needed to feel authentic to Corrales — grounded in history, community, and stewardship of the land.
We designed and developed the new site on Squarespace, using tools like Member Areas (also known as Member Sites) and integrated donation functionality to create a flexible nonprofit platform that could grow alongside the organization.
The result is a website that serves as both a public-facing educational resource and a community hub for members and supporters.
Designing a Squarespace Membership Experience for a Nonprofit
One of the most important parts of the project was creating a membership experience that would support both farmers and community members invested in preserving agriculture in Corrales.
Using Squarespace Member Areas, we created a private membership section where supporters can access exclusive resources, member-only events, and additional community content.
Rather than overcomplicating the experience with a large custom platform, we focused on creating a simple and approachable system that would be sustainable for the nonprofit long-term.
This approach allowed the organization to:
- Launch quickly
- Keep operational costs manageable
- Maintain the site internally
- Create recurring engagement opportunities
- Build a stronger supporter community over time
For nonprofits, simplicity is often a strategic advantage. The goal wasn’t to build unnecessary complexity — it was to create a clear path for people to connect with the mission and stay involved.
Structuring the Website Around Community Action
A major focus of the project was helping visitors understand not only what the organization does, but how they can participate.
We worked closely with the Cooperative to think through:
- How their mission was communicated
- The flow of information across the site
- Calls-to-action for donations and membership
- Search engine visibility (SEO) and discoverability
- The overall user journey from awareness to involvement
The site architecture was intentionally designed to guide visitors toward meaningful action — whether that meant becoming a member, making a donation, attending an event, or learning more about local agriculture.
Key areas of the site include:
- Mission and nonprofit information
- Farmer stories and community storytelling
- Local produce and agricultural promotion
- Upcoming events
- Donation functionality
- Membership access and resources
The storytelling component became especially important. By highlighting real farmers and local agricultural traditions, the website creates a more personal connection between the organization and the community it serves.
SEO Strategy for a Local Nonprofit Organization
Beyond design and functionality, we also focused heavily on SEO structure and content organization.
Because the Corrales Farmers’ Cooperative is deeply tied to a specific geographic and cultural community, it was important that the website could be discovered by:
- Local residents
- Potential donors
- Supporters of sustainable agriculture
- Community members searching for events or involvement opportunities
- People researching farming and produce in New Mexico
We structured pages and content in a way that supports long-term organic visibility while still keeping the experience intuitive and community-focused.
For mission-driven organizations, good SEO is ultimately about accessibility — helping the right people discover the work being done.
Why Squarespace Was the Right Fit
For this project, Squarespace provided an ideal balance between flexibility, ease of use, and long-term sustainability.
By combining Squarespace’s core platform with Member Areas and integrated donation tools, we were able to create a streamlined nonprofit website without requiring a highly custom development stack.
This allowed the Corrales Farmers’ Cooperative to launch with:
- A modern and easy-to-manage website
- Built-in donation capabilities
- A membership platform
- Event promotion tools
- Strong mobile usability
- A scalable foundation for future growth
For nonprofits and community organizations, having a website that can be updated and maintained internally is often just as important as the initial design itself.
Supporting the Future of Farming in Corrales
Projects like this go beyond web design.
The Corrales Farmers’ Cooperative is working to preserve agricultural traditions that have shaped the village for centuries, while also creating new ways for the community to support local farming into the future.
We’re proud to have helped create a digital platform that supports that mission — connecting people with local agriculture, strengthening community involvement, and helping ensure these stories and traditions continue for generations to come.
Visit the live site:
corralesfarmerscoop.org
