E41: Towana Yepa — “It very much is in the blood”

Towana and her son. Photos by Andi Murphy.

Tina Archuleta.

Towana Yepa (Jemez Pueblo) comes from a family of gardeners. She’s a business woman who owns and operates her own farm called Corn Pollen Trail Farms in Ponderosa, New Mexico. In this episode, she talks about her origins, the challenges of being an Indigenous woman farmer and filling a need for fresh options in her Native community. I also talk with Tina Archuleta (Jemez Pueblo), owner of Itality: Plant Based Wellness (rapper who goes by MagmaDawta), a health food business that also fills a need for fresh food in the same community.

Tina shows off some Itality items for sale at the Walatowa Convenience Store in Jemez.

Itality hummus wrap is delicious. A way healthier option compared to the chips and fried foods also available at the convenience store.