How a Queer and Trans Latinx Gardening Collective Is Working to Reverse Food Insecurity in Atlanta

Workshops to date have included one on making tinctures out of locally-foraged herbs, and another on the indigenous Mesoamerican practice of nixtamalization, a way of treating corn for use in foods from tamales to tortillas. Next month, the group is putting on a Dandelion Festival, an outdoor event featuring dandelions and other commonly-found and foraged herbs, where attendees will share recipes and food, with no buying and selling allowed, inspired by the Mexican tradition of “Cambalache” or “exchange or trade.” 

“They learn about sustainability; they learn about alternatives to capitalism,” says member Edric Figueroa. “We’re not saying that we’re going to build that overnight—it’s a slow process—but here’s what Mariposas is doing.” Forming this collective and providing applicable skills to the community has also created space for residents to “learn those skills, practice those skills, fuck up, and try again,” Tordoya says.

Most ambitiously, Tordoya and other Mariposas have also created their own line of tempeh, utilizing corn sourced from a women’s co-op in Mexico and beans, and are selling it at local outdoor artist and food markets all over the city. MaripoSnax tempeh is a culmination of what Mariposas members have been striving for: reclaiming traditional foods that their ancestors ate while taking the means of food production into their own hands.