Green Cover and Partners Expand Free Seed Program to Encourage Crop Diversity on U.S. Farms
Green Cover and Partners Expand Free Seed Program to Encourage Crop Diversity on U.S. Farms First Acre program aims to…
First Acre Program
Inspired by the Maya Milpa tradition, the First Acre Program provides free seed to any grower who is interested in planting up to one acre of our Milpa Garden seed mix. In exchange for the free seed, we ask the grower to harvest and donate at least 50% of the harvested produce to their local food banks, community, and neighbors. This is an opportunity to see first-hand the benefits of encouraging diversity in your soils through cover cropping and introducing the Six Soil Health Principles, all while growing food for your local community.
The First Acre Start Packet has all of the details on Milpa Garden mix and the First Acre Program.
1. Sign-Up
Fill out this simple form to get started. To qualify for the free seed, you must be willing to donate at least 50% of the produce gleaned to a food-bank or charity of your choice.
2. Order Seed
After you submit the form, you will receive an email with a Promo Code for free Milpa Garden mix. Go to https://greencover.com/shop/milpa-garden-warm-season/ to select the quantity of seed you will plant, add to cart and use your Promo Code when checking out.
3. Donate
When your produce is ripe and ready, gather the crew and begin the harvest. Donate the produce to your local community.
4. Feedback
At the end of the growing season, we will be reaching out to each of the First Acre participants to gather the data on volunteer hours and pounds of produce harvested and donated.
Don’t want to participate in the First Acre Program?
Purchase the Milpa seed HERE!
Share your First Acre Program Experience!
Tag
#MilpaFirstAcre
@greencoverseed
in all your Social Media Posts to be added to a spectacular prize giveaway!
What is the Maya Milpa Garden?
The Milpa farming tradition originated in Mesoamerica where the Maya people use sophisticated techniques to cultivate a variety of annual crops such as corn, squash, and beans as well as various perennials. The ancient Milpa system of intercropping regional vegetables continues to be used in contemporary Maya culture, providing multiple benefits to the grower and the community, as well as the soil and the broader ecosystem. The highly diverse polyculture planting helps to support a balanced, healthy ecosystem, providing natural sources of fertilizer, attracting beneficial insects, reducing harmful pest pressure and increasing organic matter in the soil.
We aim to honor, elevate & celebrate this Indigenous wisdom as it is shared with our
First Acre Program participants.
Narciso and Alfonso, Master Forest Gardeners in Belize
Sacred Reciprocity, life in harmony & equilibrium.
The concept of sacred reciprocity has its origins in many Indigenous cultures and it is described as a mutual exchange of energy that restores balance and creates harmony among all life. If we pay close enough attention, we can see sacred reciprocity at play in our Milpa Gardens. For example, you may observe that the number of harmful insects decreases in your diverse Milpa Garden. That is because diverse plant systems create habitat for predator insects who control and balance the number of harmful insects. The two opposing forces, the predator and prey, naturally reach a point of equilibrium, or balance in a healthy, diverse ecosystem.
Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim (CMPI) 501 c 3
Comunidad Pixan Ixim is an organization of the Maya community in the United States, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. They estimate that there are approximately one million people of Maya origin living in the United States, including eight thousand in Nebraska. Learn more about the Maya Regeneration Project and their mission to restore their traditions and culture in Nebraska.
How It Began
Our experience with Milpa began in 2017 with a partnership between Green Cover and the Farm to Food Bank in Oklahoma. Green Cover donated Milpa Garden seed to several regenerative farmers throughout Oklahoma who partnered with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. The simplistic beauty of the system is that all the seeds were mixed together and drilled with a regular grain drill, turning a small field into a large garden with very low labor inputs…
4 Great Reasons to Plant a Milpa Garden:
-
More plant diversity = healthy & balanced ecology which helps attract beneficial insects & reduces the number of harmful insects!
-
Plants can actually communicate with one another through what’s called the rhizosphere. This means plants can share essential nutrients and water with one another!
-
Legumes in your Milpa Garden will fixate nitrogen, improving overall soil health!
-
Plant diversity increases microbial activity within the soil.
Pro Tip: Achieve the Six Soil Health Principles by cleaning up the leftovers of the Milpa Garden with your livestock!
Flower Hill Institute
ROGER FRAGUA
“With the help of Green Cover, the Native American Agriculture Fund, and various Tribal Organizations, we were able to donate all the Milpa seed. All the produce and vegetables were grown and consumed on Indian lands for Native peoples.
We highly recommend to anyone wanting to make a difference to consider joining the Green Cover Milpa project and invite others to help support growing their own food!”
MILPA Articles
FAQ’s
Have Questions? We’re always here to help, but check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) to gain insight and learn about the Milpa Garden process.
