La Milpa
Summit Community Gardens - EATS in partnership with Artes de México en Utah hosts an annual series of workshops called La Milpa/Born from Corn. Artes de México en Utah is a local nonprofit with a mission to build communities and a sense of belonging united by cultural connections through the appreciation and creation of art. Art in all its expressions is the pathway to reflect on our past and present to find commonalities among one another.
This program seeks to bring our community together to learn the history and meaning of corn to the indigenous of the Americas. In the Garden, several beds are dedicated to growing food for the La Milpa Program. Three workshops throughout the season are free and open to the public, and will increase understanding and appreciation of the cultural legacy of La Milpa, which is a traditional system of growing corn, beans, squash, and other nutritious plants, as symbols of indigenous identity. We hope to increase cultural understanding and foster a deeper appreciation for agricultural crops, traditions, and knowledge of various Native Americans and Mesoamericans.
La Milpa Planting
This event is free and open to the public. Together, we will gather as a community for La Milpa planting and the seed blessing in the garden to acknowledge ancestral and current Indigenous practices from the Mesoamerican perspective. This workshop will be available in English and in Spanish.
La Milpa - photo credit: Jonas Wright
Food is Culture
During this workshop, we will discuss the importance of connecting with our food, where food comes from, and how we can better honor the land and the food we eat. There will also be time to share stories and connections with La Milpa.
La Milpa - photo credit: Jonas Wright
We encourage our entire community to come together for these programs. They are all free and open to the public. If you have any questions please contact us at team@summitcommunitygardens.org. If you are interested in supporting this project consider donating to the garden.