What a GREAT way to start out my weekend with these super sweet organic farmers: Maria and José! It was my first day on the organic farm and I couldn’t be more excited to learn all about planting foods pesticide free. There’s something really gratifying about getting your hands dirty, and after my time in Nicaragua working on a similar project, it feels really good to be back 😉 The farm is very large, is incredibly well taken care of, and I have to admit that I’m really impressed that only two people run the show. Let me tell you… from what they explained, it’s not easy work and requires constant attention. Makes you appreciate those greens a whole lot more, hein?
Their farm includes: leafy greens (collard greens, kale, various types of lettuce, etc.) passion fruit, watermelon, green onions, red cabbage, Chinese cabbage, zucchini, carrots, eggplant, tomato, various types of “tea” plants (chamomile, boldo, cidreira, Melissa, others), broccoli, and so much more!
Maria and José wake up at 4 am on a daily basis (to beat the heat), and often times don’t get to bed until 11pm when they’re done with their duties for the day. They are faced with many challenges as organic farmers, considering (mostly) all of the neighboring plantations use poisons and GMO products to maintain their produce bug-free and “perfect” for consumers. What good is a perfect plump tomato if it’s basically a red ball of pesticides?
As you can imagine, all of this poses a huge threat to farmers who maintain their soils clean and pesticide free. Maria and José do the best that they can to avoid catastrophes due to the environment around them, but everything in life has a solution! To reduce chances of catastrophic contamination of their produce, they built up walls of tall, resilient plants such as “bananeiras” (banana trees), sugar cane, and eucalyptus around their farm to protect from harmful penetration. I thought it was genius!
The farm had so much light and good energy, life everywhere. It was so refreshing seeing this and really inspired me to do more in the world of organic agriculture. Starting next week, I will plant with them, learn their methods of composting and help construct plant boxes for the next season. Stay tuned for updates!
Cheers,
Cess
PlantBasedByCess 