Milpa
|
|
Milpa is a crop-growing system in the Yucatán peninsula area of Mexico. The word is borrowed from the Aztec, meaning "field". Based on ancient Maya Slash and burn methods, it produces maize, beans, lima beans and squash. The milpa cycle calls for 2 years of cultivation and eight years of letting the area lie fallow. Agronomists believe that at current levels of consumption the system is self-sustaining.