Definition
milpas
noun
- plural of milpa; small plots of land in Mexico and Central America where corn, beans, and squash are traditionally grown together
Usage: from Spanish; often used in anthropological and agricultural contexts
Examples
- The indigenous farmers maintained their milpas using traditional intercropping methods.
- Milpas have been cultivated in Mesoamerica for thousands of years.
- The three sisters—corn, beans, and squash—grow together in milpas.
- Many rural communities still depend on milpas for subsistence farming.
- The milpas system is considered an environmentally sustainable agricultural practice.