Hopi Food & Farming

We work to strengthen our foodways and the traditions and cultural values that accompany them within the Hopi community. We do this by stewarding, planting, and nurturing Hopi seeds within collective farming efforts. We work with Hopi farmers and growers in our region and provide support to strengthen farming efforts while generating local markets to ensure that healthy foods reach our communities. Through targeted programming such as the Hopi Food and Farming Internship, the Hopi Tutskwa CSA, the Hopi Farmers Market, Hopi Tutskwa Regional Food Hub, Hopi Tutskwa Farms & Gardens, and our community based workshops we ensure that our food and farming efforts are viable and relevant. We currently steward orchards, drylands fields, high desert gardens, hoophouses, and irrigated plots throughout Hopi and beyond each season. Our Hopi Food and Farming Interns and Farm staff provide the leadership and labor to ensure that our seeds, seedlings, and plants are healthy and strong. Our approach to farming is to respect the land by building healthy soils, sinking, storing, and using rainwater, conserving precious groundwater resources by using water wise irrigation technology, partnering with local water authorities to ensure cooperative irrigation approaches, regenerative growing practices to ensure the health of more than human relatives, and to continue our deep healing and spiritual practices to ensure the health of our communities. We are fundraising to purchase a small tractor and trailer to assist with our large scale farming efforts, build rainwater harvesting earthworks, build irrigation berms, repair farm roads, haul rocks for small scale farm projects, and assist farmers in our network. All of our efforts have been accomplished using personal vehicles, borrowed equipment, and hand tools, but we have identified a need for our own equipment to assist us in our efforts. Additionally we are fundraising to build and pilot Project Oomaw, a small portable water truck to provide a drink of water to dryland crops during the extreme drought period of growth (June-July). Your support will ensure that our farming efforts are fruitful, benefiting the land and our people for many generations to come. Askwali, Kwa'kwai!