TRE sponsored our first out of town training session for our gardeners last week. We invited some of our more established garden leaders from different villages to ride over the mountain to a neighboring town of Barillas. There we listened to lessons taught by a nursery owner who shared out of his gardening experiences of 30 plus years. There was much excitement about who would get to go. No one was offered any pay but this was a chance for “capacitaccion” –to be made capable. When opportunities are so rare a chance to be equipped for any skill is highly valuable. For us here is Guatemala this was a luxurious trip. We rented a private land cruiser, stayed in a hotel, and eat well. For those of you interested in our budgets the total cost was $625 for 13 people. A year’s wage for the poorer families we work with but very economical for our US partners. Our mission was straight forward- to learn as many garden skills as we could and bring that knowledge back to the village and teach others. It was B’an Itzab’al, a good idea, to share ideas and learn
We left early- at 2:30 A.M. Some of us walked half a hour journey the dark to make the arranged meeting spot while others had started their journey the day before. This is not a bad spot in the road but a good one. It is too hard to take photos in the rough spots. It is six to seven hours travel from Chel to Barrillas and we never get out of second gear. The vibration and chill puts your hands and feet to sleep and the bars of the rack take a toll like a prize fighters punch as the continue to hit you in the same spot. This photo was taken shortly after sun rise. By the time we reached Barillas we had picked up an additional 6 people. Everyone knows that this is how the trip will go but everyone wants to go. It is an opportunity to learn and then share with their communities.
I have always hated this bridge after my first crossing three years ago. My first time to approach the bridge I thought “cool another swinging bridge”. But this one is in bad shape. The base boards are rotten and clatter up and down like an out of tune marimba. Two layers of boards have been nail on top of the rotten ones to spread out the weight but you watch pieces of the rotten boards fall into the river like a scene from a Indiana Jones movie. Why the driver wanted to stop and have a picture opp. I could not understand. They are starting work the new bridge again. The pillars were laid five years ago and this year they found more funding and have built one span. I hope it is done before we lose a vehicle on the old one.
We arrived in Barillas around nine, eat in the market and headed to the nursery. Those who could write all wanted to take notes and continued to do so all day long. By the questions that were asked, the interest in recording as much information as possible and the general attention level I knew everyone was there for work.
MASE XUMULE! What a bad smell! Manure tea! It is one of my favorite garden techniques. When your plants need nutrition right away a gallon of chicken manure and five gallons of water goes a long way. You can refill your container five or six times before the manure loses it power and feed each plant once a week to keep the growth cycle going. My soil in Xesalli is so depleted it is my triage solution.
A lesson in tree care. Pruning is not a common practice in Guatemala and unheard of in Chajul. Everyone was surprise to know that the avocado seeds they have been throwing away can be planted and pruned to a manageable size. They all thought they had to buy a grafted variety in order to produce good fruit in the space available. One of our upcoming seminars will be on tree pruning and how to graft.
Hacinto makes good use of the wait for lunch. This nursery surrounds a nice hotel. The hotel offered us lunch and rooms at half price. This still would cost $16 more than if we walked back in town and stayed in a cheap hotel. I had to sell everyone on the idea that for me it was worth the extra dinero to be able to let them rest during lunch and have the experience for one night what I have experienced for most of my life. There was a big ruckus in one of the women’s rooms as the hotel owner showed them how to operate a flush toilet. I went outside and cried in gratitude knowing this was a once in a lifetime experience for most of these friends.
We enjoyed a chicken stew for lunch.
After lunch we went back to work. Here we are visiting AmiIcar’s compost pile. I am always stressing soil fertility is a key to gardening. Amilcar stated over and over again that if plants do not have sufficient nutrients they will not grow. They are susceptible to disease, stunted growth and poor development. It is the same with the health of people. The health of our environment is directly tied to our health. If we want the earth to give bountifully to us we had better give bountifully to her. I think many garden lesons like this apply to the rest of our life too.
B’an X’ava – good soil There is excitement over the discovery that we can build the soil ourselves. We can make change happen, it is possible.
The organic matter he is mixing with soil turns into good rich soil in three months. At my garden site I have harvested my first compost for plantings.
This soil is then is used throughout the garden to produce healthy results. Here in his seed nursery he explains what some of the key ingredients for success are.
By using good soil, a small stick to make the proper sized hole and egg cartons he has a seed nursery that only cost some ones time.
I think a sign of a good teacher is to step back a watch. Practice makes the words stick that much better.
Here we are having a lesson about transplanting. Proper spacing and adding compost to the holes are both important lessons for us.
More practice. Juana, the women on the right is mentally counting how many hand widths are between the holes. The three women here are all form different villages and will bring these teachings back to their communities.
At five thirty the shadows started to lengthen and I felt it was time to call it a day. We had to promise an additional question and answer session for the next morning as the questions would not stop. The gardeners were sponges all day long.
We headed to town for a stroll and dinner and stumbled on this beautiful church. Only three of our group had ever been to Barillas before. This level of adornment is a first for these people to see and sighs of wonder were common throughout the evening.
Here we are in the Hotel entrance the next morning. That day the group headed home around 10 am. Everyone was able to purchase two fruit trees or medicinal plants and we picked up over two hundred pounds of seeds that I had ordered for the return trip. I stayed in Barillas for two more days to look at a water project while they made their way home. Two flat tires and ten and a half hours later all were back home with their families except Andres from Nueve Puntos. He still had a three hour walk up the hill.
Back in the villages the very next Monday we started spreading these lessons. Here two garden leaders are preparing seed beds. In this picture are three types of containers that people can use for seedlings – a basket, a seed box or egg cartons. Leaning against the fence is a wire sifter for preparing bedding soil.
Watering new seeds with a water can made from a plastic bottle.
There is a real level of excitment and happines in the villages with this program.
Potential – Antonio seems to be dreaming of what he can accomplish with better soil, new teachings and seeds. This is what your support does. It equips people to better themselves and their families.
We left early- at 2:30 A.M. Some of us walked half a hour journey the dark to make the arranged meeting spot while others had started their journey the day before. This is not a bad spot in the road but a good one. It is too hard to take photos in the rough spots. It is six to seven hours travel from Chel to Barrillas and we never get out of second gear. The vibration and chill puts your hands and feet to sleep and the bars of the rack take a toll like a prize fighters punch as the continue to hit you in the same spot. This photo was taken shortly after sun rise. By the time we reached Barillas we had picked up an additional 6 people. Everyone knows that this is how the trip will go but everyone wants to go. It is an opportunity to learn and then share with their communities.
I have always hated this bridge after my first crossing three years ago. My first time to approach the bridge I thought “cool another swinging bridge”. But this one is in bad shape. The base boards are rotten and clatter up and down like an out of tune marimba. Two layers of boards have been nail on top of the rotten ones to spread out the weight but you watch pieces of the rotten boards fall into the river like a scene from a Indiana Jones movie. Why the driver wanted to stop and have a picture opp. I could not understand. They are starting work the new bridge again. The pillars were laid five years ago and this year they found more funding and have built one span. I hope it is done before we lose a vehicle on the old one.
We arrived in Barillas around nine, eat in the market and headed to the nursery. Those who could write all wanted to take notes and continued to do so all day long. By the questions that were asked, the interest in recording as much information as possible and the general attention level I knew everyone was there for work.
MASE XUMULE! What a bad smell! Manure tea! It is one of my favorite garden techniques. When your plants need nutrition right away a gallon of chicken manure and five gallons of water goes a long way. You can refill your container five or six times before the manure loses it power and feed each plant once a week to keep the growth cycle going. My soil in Xesalli is so depleted it is my triage solution.
A lesson in tree care. Pruning is not a common practice in Guatemala and unheard of in Chajul. Everyone was surprise to know that the avocado seeds they have been throwing away can be planted and pruned to a manageable size. They all thought they had to buy a grafted variety in order to produce good fruit in the space available. One of our upcoming seminars will be on tree pruning and how to graft.
Hacinto makes good use of the wait for lunch. This nursery surrounds a nice hotel. The hotel offered us lunch and rooms at half price. This still would cost $16 more than if we walked back in town and stayed in a cheap hotel. I had to sell everyone on the idea that for me it was worth the extra dinero to be able to let them rest during lunch and have the experience for one night what I have experienced for most of my life. There was a big ruckus in one of the women’s rooms as the hotel owner showed them how to operate a flush toilet. I went outside and cried in gratitude knowing this was a once in a lifetime experience for most of these friends.
We enjoyed a chicken stew for lunch.
After lunch we went back to work. Here we are visiting AmiIcar’s compost pile. I am always stressing soil fertility is a key to gardening. Amilcar stated over and over again that if plants do not have sufficient nutrients they will not grow. They are susceptible to disease, stunted growth and poor development. It is the same with the health of people. The health of our environment is directly tied to our health. If we want the earth to give bountifully to us we had better give bountifully to her. I think many garden lesons like this apply to the rest of our life too.
B’an X’ava – good soil There is excitement over the discovery that we can build the soil ourselves. We can make change happen, it is possible.
The organic matter he is mixing with soil turns into good rich soil in three months. At my garden site I have harvested my first compost for plantings.
This soil is then is used throughout the garden to produce healthy results. Here in his seed nursery he explains what some of the key ingredients for success are.
By using good soil, a small stick to make the proper sized hole and egg cartons he has a seed nursery that only cost some ones time.
I think a sign of a good teacher is to step back a watch. Practice makes the words stick that much better.
Here we are having a lesson about transplanting. Proper spacing and adding compost to the holes are both important lessons for us.
More practice. Juana, the women on the right is mentally counting how many hand widths are between the holes. The three women here are all form different villages and will bring these teachings back to their communities.
At five thirty the shadows started to lengthen and I felt it was time to call it a day. We had to promise an additional question and answer session for the next morning as the questions would not stop. The gardeners were sponges all day long.
We headed to town for a stroll and dinner and stumbled on this beautiful church. Only three of our group had ever been to Barillas before. This level of adornment is a first for these people to see and sighs of wonder were common throughout the evening.
Here we are in the Hotel entrance the next morning. That day the group headed home around 10 am. Everyone was able to purchase two fruit trees or medicinal plants and we picked up over two hundred pounds of seeds that I had ordered for the return trip. I stayed in Barillas for two more days to look at a water project while they made their way home. Two flat tires and ten and a half hours later all were back home with their families except Andres from Nueve Puntos. He still had a three hour walk up the hill.
Back in the villages the very next Monday we started spreading these lessons. Here two garden leaders are preparing seed beds. In this picture are three types of containers that people can use for seedlings – a basket, a seed box or egg cartons. Leaning against the fence is a wire sifter for preparing bedding soil.
Watering new seeds with a water can made from a plastic bottle.
There is a real level of excitment and happines in the villages with this program.
Potential – Antonio seems to be dreaming of what he can accomplish with better soil, new teachings and seeds. This is what your support does. It equips people to better themselves and their families.
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