The Sierra JalMich is a region straddling the border between the states of Michoacán and Jalisco in western Mexico. A mountainous area marked by rolling hills and valleys, it offers visitors marvelous views and landscapes...

Over the past four centuries an authentic ranchera culture has developed in this geographic area based on a land tenure system of private smallholders cultivating relatively small fields and a production dynamic that revolves around dual-purpose...

cattle-ranching –i.e., meat and dairy production– on extensive pasturelands that are rotated annually in association with seasonal deforestation of areas to permit rainfed maize cultivation employing the pre-Hispanic ‘slash-and-burn’ technique.

During the rainy season (Julio-Octubre), much of the milk produced is used to make a cheese known as “Queso Cotija” , the first artisanal product in Mexico to receive the “Collective Brand” (Marca Colectiva)..

The rancheros of this mountainous zone have been –and still are– the guardians not only of authentic Queso Cotija, but also of an imposing and admirable biocultural heritage.

@radical_latino_ not to flog a dead horse. I understand the definition you go by is “mixed”. You said I could correct you. I'm including screen of what u said. This thread is the history of my area, Los Reyes is on the map. Barragán & Alvarez is a common surnames of the area.