Community members are invited to enjoy the harvest at the final event of the annual La Milpa “Born From Corn” series.
La Milpa is a “traditional system of growing corn, beans, squash and other nutritious plants as symbols of Indigenous identity,” according to Summit Community Gardens and EATS, which partnered with nonprofit Artes de Mexico en Utah to facilitate the program. There were two events earlier in the summer exploring the history of corn and its cultural significance to indigenous people.
Through the program, Summit Community Gardens and EATS and Artes de Mexico en Utah aim to build deeper connections between community members, the earth and the food they eat.
La Milpa, a term commonly used in Mexico and other parts of Central America, refers to a plot used to grow corn alongside beans and other crops, a technique that continues to this day.
Corn, beans and squash — known as the three sisters — were traditionally planted together by Mesoamerican farmers for their symbiotic relationship. It reflects an agricultural system rooted in balance, reciprocity and respect for the land.
The system allows maize to provide a natural structure for beans to climb while the beans enrich the soil with nitrogen. Meanwhile, squash spreads across the ground to shade the soil, suppress weeds and protect the crops.
From 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, community members are invited to harvest what was planted earlier in the summer as a way to share the abundance of the season. Participants of the third and final gathering will taste traditional foods like tamales while learning about the harvest. Summit Community Gardens and EATS Executive Director Helen Nadel said there will be a presentation in English and Spanish.
“We’ll be harvesting zucchini and squash blossoms to make calabaza quesadillas, along with cabbage for salad, and onions, tomatoes, chiles and cilantro for a pico de gallo style salsa,” she said.
Vicky Lowe, the Artes de México en Utah’s Born from Corn program director, will lead the event. Lowe is also the daughter of María Elena Lowe, the Maya elder and artisan who offered last year’s harvest blessing.
The blessing is spoken in Tzeltal, a Mayan dialect, and marks the culmination of the season — a time to give thanks to the earth for its sustenance and to reflect on the stewardship farmers commit to carry forward.
Each year’s blessing is shaped by the harvest. The 2024 event, for example, focused on the challenges of climate change following a difficult growing season worldwide.
María Elena Lowe spoke about the record-high temperatures her home region had faced, explaining how heat waves had devastated crops and created uncertainty about what could even be placed on the altar. She urged those gathered to take responsibility for caring for the Earth, reminding them that even small actions like discarding waste contribute to larger problems.
Her words at the time framed the blessing as both gratitude for the harvest and a plea for patience from Mother Earth, so future generations can continue to receive a harvest. The blessing of the harvest was a heartfelt celebration, with community members reflecting on the importance they had found in the program.
One participant shared how tending to the La Milpa plots brought back memories of working alongside her grandparents in Guerrero, Mexico. Living far from her childhood home, she said the program gave her the chance to pass those experiences on to her daughters, teaching them not only the traditions of planting and harvesting, but also the importance of caring for the earth and recognizing the history of their family.
After the difficulties of last year, this year’s season brought a much stronger harvest.
“It’s been a really good season in terms of what’s been produced overall in the garden for the Food Farmacy, and I think also for plot runners,” Nadel said.
The importance of tending ancestral roots is a sentiment that deepened this year as the number of predominantly Spanish-speaking families involved in Summit Community Gardens and EATS grew from three to nine, according to Nadel.
One community member explained that she had no land to cultivate while living in affordable housing in Park City. Summit Community Gardens and EATS became a space to teach her children the growing practices she remembers from her childhood in Mexico.
“There’s just lots of people from lots of different parts of our community who all think of this place as a lovely space where they get to grow food,” said Nadel. “And people from all different neighborhoods and all different walks of life are gardening together.”
Visit summitcommunitygardens.org/la-milpa-born-from-corn-2025 for more information about the free event and to register.