Ancestral Milpa Traditions of the Indigenous Purepecha People

The cultural traditions of maiz grown in a milpa have been severely damaged as a direct result of NAFTA. Corn grown in harmony with other crops like beans and squash ensure that farmers and their families have healthy nutritious food to sustain them, ensures their sovereignty.

For decades rural families have been pushed to move into urban centers or to make the extremely dangerous journey of forced migration to the United States as a result of trade regulations restricting Mexico from protecting its campesino. As a result much of the food sovereignty families depended on for survival is an impossibility and the milpa tradition has been severely eroded. ⠀

A couple of years ago we had the great blessing to host Benedicta Alejo Vargas on the deck of our Fortuna Micro Factory. She was born in what is now the state of Michoacan, Mexico in a village where 95% of the population identify as and speak native Purepecha.

They have been growing milpa corn for thousands of years and her three corn tortillas made by hand are one of the most delicious foods we have ever eaten.

We were greatly honored to have had Benedicta Alejo Vargas visit us and prepare tortillas by hand using her stone metate and masa brought from her village near what is now Uruapan, Mexico. She is a respected leader of the indigenous P’urepecha a common ancestry we share.

The collaboration was powerful, if you were fortunate enough to make it through the endless line and ate a taco you know what I mean.

Sharing a common Purepecha ancestry we prepared a traditional carnitas made with pork raised by small family farms and a cacao based, roasted chile salsa - both recipes have passed through our family kitchens for generations. Served on one of her hand made milpa grown three corn tortillas, the flavors brought tears of home to our eyes.