Eco Huerto Earth Box Class in Mezcala for our FoodFarm Project

 

FoodFarm Project

Poco a Poco San Pedro and Foodbank Lakeside are again working together, this time to create a FoodFarm,

to provide villagers with resources and support to grow pesticide free, organic food in the villages. We all

know that these indigenous areas are faced with many problems, and clearly, a magic bullet does not exist

to fix everything. But we believe there is a starting place: foster, encourage, and support self-sustainability.

When a village has a way to grow food and feed its own people, it is the beginning of hope, pride, self-

respect and health.

The next step to alleviate hunger in these villages is by providing resources and support for the villages to

grow their own food.

Years ago, these communities were self-sufficient and able to feed themselves by fishing and growing corn

and chayote. But San Pedro Itzicán, with a population of 6,686 people (based on 2020 figures) and 3,026 of

them being under the age of 14; and 21% of these households headed by women, are no longer able to be

self-sufficient.  21.6% of the population are illiterate and 47.9% did not complete primary school. Many

women are having to leave home to work in Guadalajara as domestic help or workers in factories, leaving

behind children to attend school or not.  But these families still do not have enough money to feed their

children.

So we have launched a Go Fund Me page, to support the FoodFarm where food will be grown initially for

the Kids Kitchen program.  Our goal is to begin to replace what is now bought with what is grown.  Our

ultimate measure of success will be to step aside once enough food is consistently produced.  

Do watch this excellent video at this link below to learn more. 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/gofundmecomffood-farm-for-children-in-mexico

Eco Huerto Earth Boxes

Developed by commercial farmers and proven in the lab and on the farm, you get “great results no matter what color your thumb is,” because this maintenance-free growing system controls soil conditions, eliminates guesswork, and more than doubles the yield of a conventional garden—with less fertilizer, less water, and virtually no effort. Just add plants, water, and sunlight for an easy garden that requires no digging, no weeding, and no guesswork!

We decided to start phase I of the project using Eco Huerto Earth Boxes, thinking that

this simple planting method would be best.

Tuna Salad

No Mexican gathering would be complete without food and Anita and her staff

prepared for us a healthy feast.

Agua de Avena

(Oatmeal Water)

Steamed Zucchini

Fruit

Glorious Guacamole

Steamed Cauliflower

Margarita starting our class.

Elizabeth imparting her gardening wisdom.

Andrea at the ready.

Everyone received an Eco Huerto Earth Box to prepare.

The planting substrate/medium was mixed.

Samuel and his Mom loved the class.

Everyone got involved, even the youngest of our gardeners.

Fish fertilizer was used to condition the soil.

Our first plantings.

Don Ezekiel and Patrica confir.

Pollo plants.

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Our new volunteer Nancy Zugschwerdt germinated 

plant starters for our new garden.  Gracias Nancy !

Rabano/Radish Sprouts

Mulching is a must !

Almost done.

Our new food farm lot affords us space to plant in the ground as well.

First plantings in ground - beans

Don Luis will be the caretakers of the property, assuring that our work is protected.

And last but not least our warehouse space

is huge and can be utilized in many ways...

we are only limited by our imaginations.

 

Mexican Institute for Community Development A.C.

We were recently invited to tour CEDE/IMDEC, a community development project on the outskirts of Guadalajara located in Oblatos, near the Barranca de Huentitan.

CEDE/IMDEC

MISSION

To promote, together with other community, civil, and citizen organizations and with social movements in Mexico, processes of Education and Popular Communication, which contribute to the strengthening of the validity of Human Rights, the construction of Democracy and Sustainable Local Development from a perspective of Gender, in favor of groups and communities that have violated their rights. 

VISION 

At IMDEC we aspire to be an organization that contributes to the construction of emancipatory paradigms and to live in a democratic, equitable, inclusive society and in harmony with nature. Where peace is the fruit of justice and human rights are fully exercised by all.

Doris Wakeman, Poco A Poco San Pedro Itzican with Sandy Menier, IMDEC and Professor 

Ignacio "Nacho" G. Osuna Eskenazi from TEC DE MONTERREY

We had been told by Ignacio that the IMDEC had a wonderful, sustainably built, ecological kitchen that might work as a prototype for our design of the San Pedro Itzican Community Center, that we are currently developing.

The kitchen proved to be a great example of what could be accomplished with sustainable materials and practices.  It is a great design starting point from our perspective.

Bahareque

The main house is constructed with variations of a technique called Bahareque.

Bahareque uses construction material similar to adobe, 

consisting of clay or mud reinforced with sticks or canes.

Bahareque Samples

The variation in color comes from the different soil sources.

Ceiling Treatments

Dormitory

As the center is used for gatherings, workshops and conferences it also houses a dormitory

and separate adobe house for guests.

 

Dry Compost Toilet

Several dry compost toilets are available for guest's use.

Water Catchment System

Rainwater is captured throughout the property

And empties into a large catchment pond at the bottom of the hill.

The rainwater is used in the dry season to water several plant gardens.

Heirloom Corn Garden

The center is named for its founder and educator Carlos Nuñez Hurtado.

Medicinal Plant 4 Plastic Bottle Exchange Program, Jocotepec

To celebrate our Global Environment Day the students of "Gardening At Lakeside" on-line class, the young women of San Juan Cosala, their Co-Ordinator Monica Masini Aguilera and I took a trip to Jocotepec for their first Medicinal Plant 4 Plastic Bottle Exchange Program.

We had been collecting plastic bottles for a few weeks now, so with bags of bottles in hand

we headed to the Municipal Viero of Jocotepec.

Municipal Vivero of Jocotepec

Alondra stands in front of the vivero's compost pile

We found numerous medicinal plants and ornaments growing in an area

alongside the soccer field.  The complex also houses the Cruz Verde clinic, and Proteccion Civil/Bomberos.

Monica counting and placing her contributions in the bin

The idea was for every 10 plastic bottles we contributed we were entitled to take 1 medicinal plant.

We brought several large bags of bottles, so we had many opportunities to choose plants.

The Municipal Vivero also houses a couple of worm farms.  We visited with the worms, who were happily busy eating banana skins.

We love Red Wrigglers!

The vivero also had permanent plantings in homemade wooden planter boxes.

Center is Gaby Solano, Co-Ordinator of the Municipal Vivero

Gaby welcomed us warmly and gave us a tour of the project and area.

Since we recently started another community garden/vivero in San Cristobal across the lake, these plants will come in handy and will assist us with our initial garden.

Family Van

With the family van nicely packed, we headed out satisfied that we had helped our recycling efforts and successfully celebrated Global Environment Day in Mexico.