SUSTAINABLE
Biodynamic farming, gardening & energy systems
RETREAT
Retreats for yoga, meditation & whole body wellness
EDUCATION
Expanding experience, awareness & innovation
AN OASIS OF WELL-BEING IN THE HIGH DESERT OF NEW MEXICO
HISTORY
Located less than 100 miles north of Santa Fe and 6,000 feet up on the mesa of the front range Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Valmora Retreat Center was originally built in 1904 as a sanatorium for tuberculosis. Rich in history and transformational experience, the property was converted to a school in the early 2000s, officially closing in 2009. Approximately 80,000 sq. feet of buildings, 900 acres of land (now part of the larger Watrous Valley Ranch of 44,000 acres)
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Valmora sits 6,000 feet up in the mesa of Northern New Mexico where Wolf Creek (formerly Coyote Creek) meets the Mora River on the front range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Less than 100 miles north of Santa Fe and 3.75 miles northeast of historical Watrous, Valmora was originally a series of three small ranches owned by Augustus J. Streeter as part of the John Scolly Grant (approved by Manuel Armijo, the last governor of New Mexico from Mexico in 1846). Valmora (Valley of the Mora) received its name from Ashley Pond who purchased the land in 1900 for an outdoor camp for adolescent boys (Ashley Pond’s second camp would go on to be present day Los Alamos). In 1904 Dr William T. Brown purchase the land as the location for the Valmora Sanatorium for its close proximity to the railroad and abundance of natural healing resources. The land in addition to its beauty, plentiful sunshine and fresh air is unique in that it contains a natural spring that produces approximately 22,000 gallons of water a day.
Until the late 1950s Valmora treated patients for tuberculosis and other chronic disease, helping to lead the way in modern medicine. The Sanatorium official closed in 1973. In 1994 it was purchased by Bill McKay and converted into an adolescent treatment center. Renamed “Rancho Valmora”, its doors closed in 2009.
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o, we’ve been hired to bring this place back to life. This place, named Valmora Retreat (in keeping with the original namesake meaning “Valley of the Mora”) when originally built described itself as “an ideal place where people of modest means might come to regain their health”. This is not too far off from the vision of Valmora we hold today - a place where people of varied means may have an experience of holistic health and well-being, inside and out. We hope to renew the history of this land as a site of transformation, and bring it into a modern day context....that hopefully you would like to come and visit!
The first step will be to build a sustainable agricultural system and infrastructure to support the retreat center. The next stage will be to restore the facilities - this will include spaces for yoga, meditation and contemplative practices, utilizing the natural landscape for outdoor activities, opportunities for craft workshops, comfortable accommodations for short and long term stays, farm to table dining, recreational facilities, etc. etc. etc
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ABOUT
Located less than 100 miles north of Santa Fe and 6,000 feet up on the mesa of the front range Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the mission of Valmora Retreat Center is to be an oasis of well-being in the high desert of Northern New Mexico.
Rich in history and transformational experience, Valmora was originally built as a sanatorium for tuberculosis in 1904 and served as a center for health and healing until 1973. In 1995 the 900 acre property was converted into a school and officially closed its doors in 2009. For eight years 80,000 square feet of buildings and facilitates sat untouched - until the fall of 2017 when it became part of the 44,000 acre Watrous Valley Ranch.
Valmora, or "Valley of the Mora", is abundant in ponderosa, Pinon pine, black willow, and rolling rangeland for cattle; making it an ideal home for herds of elk, antelope, mule deer and migrating birds. But what makes Valmora especially unique is the naturally occurring spring producing 24,000 gallon of water per day - meaning Valmora is a true oasis in the heart of the high New Mexican desert.
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WHAT'S NEXT
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When first built, Valmora described itself as “an ideal place where people of modest means might come to regain their health”. This is close to the vision for the Valmora Retreat Center we hold today: a place where people of varied means can have an experience of holistic health and well-being, inside and out. We plan to renew the history of the land as a site of transformation and bring it into a modern day context. The first step will be to build sustainable infrastructure and agricultural systems through biodynamic practices. The next stage will be restoring the facilities to include comfortable accommodations for short and long term stays, spaces for yoga, meditation and contemplative practices, facilities for education, relaxation, farm to table dining, and of course boundless exploration of the natural landscape for outdoor recreation. We aim to host our first groups in the fall of 2019.
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WHO WE ARE
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The aspirations for Valmora Retreat Center wouldn't exist without the foresight of Michael and Rebecca Jusbasche, owners of the the Watrous Valley Ranch. It will take a village to bring these ideas to life, and at the helm are partners Brad Miller (Facilities and Operations Director) and Julianna Takacs (Programs and Marketing Director). Stay tuned for future information about job and internship opportunities.
Whether it's as a guest or part of our team, we look forward to including you in the adventure ahead!
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FIND US
Valmora Retreat
c/o Julianna Takacs
PO Box 211
Watrous, NM 87753
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