No. 14: Southwest Borderlands

RECIPES + ASFC UPDATES + EVENT CALENDAR + SUBSCRIBE

The Southwest of the United States is a land of unparalleled beauty and diversity, and at the very core of its identity lies a deep connection to the land and the Indigenous agricultural practices that have sustained its communities for countless generations.

At the heart of this connection are the heritage seeds—precious living legacies carefully cultivated and handed down from ancestors to preserve biodiversity and cultural heritage.

Mesquite pods drying in the San Xavier Farm Coop greenhouse before milling.

The San Xavier Farm Coop Mill: Cultivating Tradition, Empowering Indigenous Agriculture

       by Eleanor Reagan

The San Xavier Farm Coop, located outside Tuscon, Arizona, is establishing a grain mill to further strengthen their commitment to revitalize the agriculture and food sovereignty of the Tohono O'odham Nation. The mill addresses a significant challenge faced by indigenous farmers—the lack of local milling and processing facilities that can process greater quantities than the traditional, "maccud" or metate's/grinding stones O'odham farmers used to grind flour and pound dried meat. As production has increased, farmers have had to transport their crops long distances for milling, resulting in added expenses and diminished control over product quality.

Barrio Bread's Locavore loaf made with 60% percent hard red spring, 30% Khorasan, and 10% White Sonoran Wheat. 

Reflections on Tucson: A City of Gastronomy

       by Jessy Swisher

In May, 2022, I visited several iconic sites that are part of the heritage grain revolution in Tucson, Arizona, a UNESCO designated “City of Gastronomy." While there, I volunteered at the Native Seed/SEARCH Conservation Garden, bought bread from Don Guerra’s Barrio Bread, and attended the first Pueblos del Maíz Festival.

RECIPES

Three Sisters Bowl With Hominy, Beans and Squash

Oglala Lakota Sioux chef Sean Sherman honors the traditional Indigenous three sisters (corn, beans, and squash) in this vegan dish.

Photo: Marcus Nilsson for The New York Times.

Tepary Beans With Chile-Agave Glaze

Sean Sherman showcases the resilient tepary bean, an heirloom crop able to withstand the arid climate of the American Southwest.

Photo: Marcus Nilsson for The New York Times.

ASFC UPDATES

Neighbor Loaves bread from Village Bakery & Café is picked up and distributed across Athens County, Ohio.

Neighbor Loaves Receives Funding

Rural Action's Neighbor Loaves & Meals project received funding this summer from the Rocky Community Improvement Fund of Nelsonville, Ohio. This grant will enable area bakers to supply nutritious, locally sourced menu items to regional food pantries.

Chestnut Research Published in Farm & Dairy

Farm & Dairy magazine showcased our North Central SARE partnership grant with Route 9 Cooperative in an article reporting on renewed interest in culinary chestnuts. Read the article here!

Route 9 Cooperative member Amy Miller demonstrates the chestnut cleaning process at a field day in August 2022.

Millers Peer Learning Group members Charlie Wade, Aaron Grigsby, and Ian Gamble prepare a stone mill at Deep Roots Milling. Photo credit: Mary Grace Legg.

Millers Peer Learning Group Launches Guild

The Millers Peer Learning Group has evolved into the Craft Millers Guild, a member-run guild with an online forum, member directory, and resource library. The group's listserv has been hosted by Rural Action since its founding in the spring of 2020 and has grown to over 50 millers from across North America. 

David Brandt on his farm in Carroll, Ohio.

In Memoriam: David Brandt, Ohio Leader, Educator of Regenerative Agriculture 

May 21, 2023 – The soil health movement lost a pioneer with the passing of David Brandt in May. Brandt's commitment to no-till farming and cover cropping began in 1971 partly as an effort to cut costs. Since then, he has become a self-taught international advocate for regenerative agricultural practices and will be listed as a co-author on a forthcoming article in the journal Science. He served as a generous mentor to many and will leave behind a legacy of heartfelt, honest work.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Individual Grain Sorting

with Hansi Biedermann

Join the Northern Crops Institute for the "Cereal Innovators" webinar series! This interactive webinar series focuses on new and unique ways to use cereal grains. This month will feature Hansi Biedermann, business development manager at BoMill.

Route 9 Cooperative

Farm Tour and Field Day

Join ASFC for a free hands-on day of learning at Route 9 Cooperative! Learn about our SARE-funded grant project, tour the nut processing facility, sample our chestnut products, and more! Hosted in part by OEFFA's 2023 Farm Tour and Workshop Series.

Traditional O’odham Agriculture

Mission Garden and Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Tuscon, Arizona are partnering to talk about traditional Native American corn, beans and squash, and how crops brought by Europeans were integrated into O'odham agriculture.

Ohio Grain Gathering:

From Cover Crop to Tabletop

This event in Columbus, Ohio will present a forum on regenerative farming, heritage grains, stone milling and artisan breads featuring many of Ohio’s stellar farmers, millers and bread bakers.

REDISTRIBUTE!

Build social solidarity, not charity! Support horizontal networks of cooperation by sharing resources with organizations on the frontlines of food sovereignty work.

Michelle Ajamian

Network Developer

Eleanor Reagan

AmeriCorps VISTA: Editor, Writer & Layouts

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