milpa

American  

[mil-puh] / ˈmɪl pə /

noun

1. (in certain tropical regions) a tract of land cleared from the jungle, usually by burning, farmed for a few seasons, and then abandoned.

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Etymology

Origin of milpa

1835–45, < Mexican Spanish < Nahuatl mīlpan, equivalent to mīl ( li ) cultivated field + -pan locative suffix

Example Sentences

One is a giant monoculture Iowa farm, and the other is the milpa, this polyculture system that was the way corn was grown during its rise in Mesoamerica.

From Los Angeles Times

What attracted us to the milpa was not just this romantic ideal of ancient wisdom.

From Los Angeles Times

Milpa farmers adapted to drought by gently steering forest ecology through controlled burns and careful woodland conservation.

From Salon

Modern Maya milpa practices began drawing public attention a few years ago as international development organizations partnered with celebrity chefs, like Noma's René Redzepi, and embraced the concept.

From Salon

However, these groups condemned the traditional milpa practice of burning new areas of forest as unsustainable.

From Salon