Meet Narissa Ribera | Indigenous food activist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Narissa Ribera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Narissa, what role has risk played in your life or career?
When I started my business I did not fully realize there would be risks involved. From small to large, taking risks is an important step to building a successful business. Sometimes it pays off and sometimes it doesn’t. But as time goes on I have learned how to gauge what risks are worth taking.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We are a social enterprise that is focused on greatly increasing the consumption, the knowledge, and the conservation of native plant species.

We grow indigenous varieties of crops and native plants at our urban dryland farm in Wheat Ridge, we share our plants with the community , we use the plants we grow to cook our food at our commercial kitchen, we do a lot of work in the education field, teaching native students and families how to cook their traditional foods and grow indigenous crops We do workshops for organizations and schools wanting to learn more about the plants and people from these lands.

We also source many of our ingredients from other native farmers and food producers. We also wild harvest some of our ingredients for the best quality nature has to offer.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take them to the mountains, I would take them to our farm and kitchen, i would take them to the art museum.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to thank my family and friends for being behind me, supporting me, stepping in to help when I need it, and reminding me to take care of myself.

Website: https://Chil-indigenousfoods.com

Instagram: chil_indigenousfoods

Facebook: Ch’il Indigenous Foods