Culturally Traditional Production

 

 

Arizona Resources

Colorado Resources

New Mexico Resources

Utah Resources

Regional Resources

Organizations Working to Preserve Culturally Traditional Foods

Marketing Culturally Traditional Foods

Culturally Traditional Cropping Systems

Gary Nabhan Books about Culturally Traditional Foods

Case Studies and Success Stories

Funding Resources

 

*Each resource within the Four Corners region will be marked with an asterisk

 

See also:

 

 

Arizona Resources

 

*Desert Harvesters

Desert Harvesters is a volunteer -run, grassroots organization based in Tucson. They strive to promote, celebrate, and enhance, local food security and production by encouraging the planting of indigenous, food-bearing shade trees (such as the Velvet mesquite) in water -harvesting earthworks, and then educating the public on how to harvest and process the bounty.

http://www.desertharvesters.org/

 

*Dine' be' Iiná, Inc. (The Navajo Lifeway)

DBI is dedicated to conserving the traditional Navajo Churro Sheep breed as well as to educate the community and the public about the importance of Navajo Sheep Culture and spirituality.

http://www.navajolifeway.org/

 

*Fair Trade Sonoran Oregano from the Seri Indians

Fair trade Sonoran oregano, grown and harvested by the Seri Indians, is being pilot-marketed through a project coordinated by the Center for Sustainable Environments at Northern Arizona University, and supported by the Overbrook Foundation, a leading contributor to community-based biodiversity conservation in Latin America.

http://home.nau.edu/environment/seri_oregano.asp

 

*Fresh, Local & Sustainable Foods of Canyon Country

The Center for Sustainable Environments of the Northern Arizona University has published the fourth edition of a sustainable foods directory for Canyon Country, otherwise known as the Colorado Plateau or Four Corners region. The directory includes a listing of restaurants that serve local agricultural products.

http://www.environment.nau.edu/Publications/FoodDirectory/Localfoodsdirectory.pdf

 

*Linking Arizona’s Sense of Place to a Sense of Taste: Marketing the Heritage Value of Arizona’s Place-Based Foods

This publication looks specifically at the traditional and native foods unique to Arizona. This book not only tells the historical story of Arizona’s heritage foods; it examines the role these foods can play in a modern era.

http://www.environment.nau.edu/publications/AZHeritageFoods.htm

 

*Native Seeds/SEARCH

The mission of Native Seeds/SEARCH is to conserve, distribute, and document the adapted and diverse varieties of agricultural seeds, their wild relatives and the role these seeds play in cultures of the American Southwest and Northwest Mexico.

http://www.nativeseeds.org/v2/default.php

 

*Renewing America’s Food Traditions

RAFT is a coalition of seven of the most prominent non-profit food, agriculture, conservation, and educational organizations dedicated to rescuing America’s diverse foods and food traditions. They have come out with a book called, Renewing America’s Food Traditions.

http://home.nau.edu/environment/raft.asp

 

*Slow Food Phoenix

Slow Food Phoenix is part of the international movement of people dedicated to protecting taste, culture and the environment. Phoenix Convivium members range from professional chefs to home cooks who enjoy the philosophy and the food of the Slow Food Movement.

http://www.slowfoodphoenix.org/

 

*Alta Arizona Slow Food Chapter

Gay Chanler

2912 N. Creekside Dr.

Flagstaff, AZ 86001

(928) 226-2891

altaazslowfood@yahoo.com

 

Colorado Resources

 

*Bantus Rediscover Farming Roots

Somali refugees bring organic farming skills to their new home in Denver, CO. This newspaper article highlights the success of Somali Bantu refugee farmers in the Denver area who have teamed up with

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_6474350

 

*Colorado Chapters of the Slow Food Movement

Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.

This site lists the various Slow Food chapters in Colorado.

http://www.slowfoodutah.org/main_rockyMtnRegionalConvivia.html#co

 

New Mexico Resources

 

*New Mexico: Taste the Tradition Program

The NEW MEXICO—Taste the Tradition® and NEW MEXICO—Grown with Tradition® Logo Program was developed by NMDA in 2000 in efforts to help identify and promote all New Mexico agricultural products (food, fiber, wine, produce, nuts, nursery products, and livestock) through the use of one, easily recognizable logo.

http://nmdaweb.nmsu.edu/marketing-and-economic-development/New%20Mexico%20Taste%20the%20Tradition%20and%20New%20Mexico%20Grown%20with%20Tradition.html

 

*Slow Food: Ark of Taste: Chicos, Dried Corn of NM

The Ark of Taste aims to rediscover, catalog, describe and publicize forgotten flavors.

Chicos, a food member of the Slow Food “Ark of Taste” project is the name given to dried corn. The word “Chicos” seems to be used mostly in New Mexico, but corn is dried all over the southwest and undoubtedly wherever traditional corn-eating cultures exist.

http://www.slowfoodfoundation.org/eng/arca/dettaglio.lasso?cod=578&prs=0

 

*Slow Food: Ark of Taste: Navajo-Churro Sheep of NM

The Ark of Taste aims to rediscover, catalog, describe and publicize forgotten flavors.

The Navajo-Churro is considered endangered by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Only 2000 sheep are now registered with the Navajo-Churro Sheep Association. The Navajo-Churro sheep is a part of the Slow Food’s “Ark of Taste” project.

http://www.slowfoodfoundation.org/eng/arca/dettaglio.lasso?cod=516&prs=0

 

*Slow Food Rio Grande

This is the website for the Slow Food's Rio Grande Convivium, representing the middle Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico.

http://www.slowfoodriogrande.org/

 

Utah Resources

 

*Utah Slow Food Chapter

Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.

This site has the contact information for the Slow Food chapter in Utah as well as projects they are involved in.

http://www.slowfoodutah.org/main_rockyMtnRegionalConvivia.html

 

Regional Resources

 

Fresh, Organic and Native Foods of the Four Corners: A Directory of Eco-Regional Food Sustainability

Over 150 local food growers, ranchers, and organizations from the Four Corners region are listed in Fresh, Organic and Native Foods of the Four Corners: A Directory of Eco-Regional Food Sustainability.

http://www.environment.nau.edu/food/FoodDirectory/Select.asp

 

Organizations Working to Preserve Culturally Traditional Foods

 

American Livestock Breeds Conservancy

The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is a nonprofit membership organization working to protect over 150 breeds of livestock and poultry from extinction. Included are asses, cattle, goats, horses, sheep, pigs, rabbits, chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys. Founded in 1977, the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is the pioneer organization in the U.S. working to conserve historic breeds and genetic diversity in livestock.

http://www.albc-usa.org/

 

*Desert Harvesters

Desert Harvesters is a volunteer -run, grassroots organization based in Tucson. They strive to promote, celebrate, and enhance, local food security and production by encouraging the planting of indigenous, food-bearing shade trees (such as the Velvet mesquite) in water -harvesting earthworks, and then educating the public on how to harvest and process the bounty.

http://www.desertharvesters.org/

 

*Dine' be' iiná, Inc. (The Navajo Lifeway)

DBI is dedicated to conserving the traditional Navajo Churro Sheep breed as well as to educate the community and the public about the importance of Navajo Sheep Culture and spirituality.

http://www.navajolifeway.org/

 

*Native Seeds/SEARCH

The mission of Native Seeds/SEARCH is to conserve, distribute, and document the adapted and diverse varieties of agricultural seeds, their wild relatives and the role these seeds play in cultures of the American Southwest and Northwest Mexico.

http://www.nativeseeds.org/v2/default.php

 

National Immigrant Farming Initiative: Web Resources

The National Immigrant Farming Initiative works to connect immigrant farming projects throughout the US with resources and support services. The NIFI resource center has web resources in Spanish, a complete list of farmworker associations and information about ethnic crops.

http://www.immigrantfarming.org/index.php?page=Resource_Center

 

*Renewing America’s Food Traditions

RAFT is a coalition of seven of the most prominent non-profit food, agriculture, conservation, and educational organizations dedicated to rescuing America’s diverse foods and food traditions.

http://home.nau.edu/environment/raft.asp

 

Save Wild Rice

This is a project of the White Earth Land Recovery Project to save wild rice varieties of northern Minnesota from genetic engineering.

http://www.savewildrice.org/

 

Seed Savers Exchange

Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization comprised of gardeners who save and share seeds in an effort to preserve heirloom and heritage seed varieties. Seed Savers Exchange is located in Iowa, but has an online catalog where heirloom seeds can be purchased.

http://www.seedsavers.org/

 

Slow Food International

Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.

http://www.slowfood.com/

 

University of Wisconsin-Madison: Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems:

Sustaining Local Food Systems in a Globalizing Environment

This is a 5-year project involving researchers from 15 states who are interested in the development of local/regional food systems. Wisconsin work has focused on specialty cheese, pastured poultry, and the sourcing of locally grown food by public schools. An edited book, The Remaking of the American Food System, is the product of the first five years of the project.

http://www.cias.wisc.edu/localfood.php

 

White Earth Land Recovery Project

The mission of the White Earth Land Recovery Project is to facilitate recovery of the original land base of the White Earth Indian Reservation, while preserving and restoring traditional practices of sound land stewardship, language fluency, community development, and strengthening spiritual and cultural heritage. The organization, led by Winona LaDuke, has a wild rice campaign focused on preserving wild rice varieties native to northern Minnesota.

http://www.nativeharvest.com/

 

Marketing Culturally Traditional Foods

 

*Federal Regs Make Traditional Foods Scarce

This newspaper article discusses the tension between meat regulatory bodies and culturally traditional meat markets in New Mexico. As of now there are not any culturally traditional meat regulations regarding the preparation of Native American nor Hispanic foods.

http://www.gallupindependent.com/2007/june/062007nkj_fedregstradfdscr.html

 

*Linking Arizona’s Sense of Place to a Sense of Taste: Marketing the Heritage Value of Arizona’s Place-Based Foods

This publication looks specifically at the traditional and native foods unique to Arizona. This book not only tells the historical story of Arizona’s heritage foods; it examines the role these foods can play in a modern era.

http://www.environment.nau.edu/publications/AZHeritageFoods.htm

 

*Renewing America’s Food Traditions

RAFT is a coalition of seven of the most prominent non-profit food, agriculture, conservation, and educational organizations dedicated to rescuing America’s diverse foods and food traditions. They have come out with a book called, Renewing America’s Food Traditions.

http://home.nau.edu/environment/raft.asp

 

Culturally Traditional Cropping Systems

 

An Appendix to Companion Planting: Basic Concepts and Resources- Ancient Companions

This ATTRA publication gives planting and historical information about “Three Sisters” companion planting. There are also resources listed for further information about traditional cropping systems.

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/complant.html#appendix

 

Gary Nabhan Books about Culturally Traditional Foods

 

Enduring Seeds: Native American Agriculture and Wild Plant Conservation

In a series of beautifully written essays about Native American agriculture and wild plant conservation, Gary Paul Nabhan addresses the importance of conserving wild plants, the difficulties Native American peoples have had in preserving their agricultural traditions and current wild plant conservation efforts in North America.

http://www.ecobooks.com/books/endure.htm

 

Gary Nabhan Books about Culturally Traditional Foods

This is a section of Gary Nabhan’s website that lists the various books he has written about preserving traditional food cultures. Gary Paul Nabhan, Ph.D., is a writer, lecturer and world-renown conservation scientist. He is Director of the Center for Sustainable Environments at Northern Arizona University. His books include, Renewing Salmon Nation’s Food Traditions and Renewing America’s Food Traditions.

http://www.garynabhan.com/books.html

 

Case Studies and Success Stories

 

*Bantus Rediscover Farming Roots

Somali refugees bring organic farming skills to their new home in Denver, CO. This newspaper article highlights the success of Somali Bantu refugee farmers in the Denver area who have teamed up with

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_6474350

 

Funding Resources

 

Please see:

  • Financing for general resources to help fund agricultural marketing ventures.