Ch'il Dryland Farm
Ch’il’s Dryland Farm is a place of rematriation: returning to the seeds, the soils, and the food traditions that have nourished Indigenous people across the Americas. Here, we grow exclusively native, climate-adapted crops that have been traditionally valued as foods by our communities. Our work is guided by the belief that stewarding these plants is a form of healing and an act of sovereignty.
A Pathway
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Dryland Farming in Practice
Our farm relies on dryland agriculture, a practice Indigenous farmers have honed for thousands of years in arid and semi-arid regions. Without irrigation systems, we work with the natural rhythms of rain, snowmelt, soil moisture, and seasonal winds—farming in a way that honors the land’s pace rather than forcing its productivity.
This approach requires attentiveness: contouring planting sites to hold moisture, building soil through organic matter, timing plantings to echo ancestral cycles, and selecting crops that know how to thrive in dryness. Dryland farming teaches patience, observation, and humility—and it proves that sustainable food production can flourish even in the face of drought and climate instability.
Honored Plant Relatives
Among the many plant relatives we tend, the Four Corners Potato holds a special place. This small but incredible root veggie is one of the oldest cultivated crops in North America, once thriving across the homelands of Pueblo, Diné, Ute, and other tribal nations. For generations, it nourished families, shaped culinary traditions, and offered resilience in harsh desert climates.
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Today, this potato is rare due to being diminished by capitalistic agriculture and the Native land theft. At Ch’il, we are committed to its conservation and revitalization, working to bring this traditional and sacred food back to Native communities who have cherished it for millennia. Each season, we expand our plantings, save seed, strengthen partnerships with tribal knowledge keepers, and share these tubers with families, growers, and youth reconnecting with ancestral foods.
Annual Indigenous Plant Sale
Each year, Ch’il Indigenous Foods hosts an Annual Indigenous Plant Sale to increase access to Indigenous food plants that are rare, culturally significant, and well-adapted to Colorado’s Front Range climate. These plants have nourished Indigenous communities for generations and are resilient to dry conditions, changing weather patterns, and local soils, making them an essential part of rebuilding sustainable and regionally rooted food systems.
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This plant sale is an invitation to cultivate more than food. It is a commitment to land stewardship, cultural continuity, and a future where Indigenous plants and foodways thrive in their homelands. Follow Ch’il Indigenous Foods on Instagram to stay connected and learn more about our next Indigenous Plant Sale, planned for Spring 2026.
