I arrived in Ocotal, Nicaragua to stay with Claudia, her husband Hector, and their three amazing children. Claudia and Hector both work in agriculture, Claudia as a project coordinator and Hector as a professor. Because raising three children, going back to school and having a job wasn't challenging enough, Claudia started a social enterprise with several friends called Guardabarranco. The group's primary goal is to support sustainable agriculture in the area and Claudia spends just about every day she can going into the mountains to volunteer with farmers. So on Sunday, we did just that.
The day started early with us heading to the market to pick up food and to meet with a local Quebecer working with a different agriculture project. WWOOFers and other volunteers often come to stay with the farm families, and rather than compensate the families with money, Claudia prefers to keep the exchange non-monetary and brings food instead. After buying supplies we caught a taxi (the bus was full!) to the base of the mountain and began the 45 minute climb to the farm. Two-year-old Hectorcito ("little Hector", "Hector Junior") was a little resistant to the idea of walking until he spotted a horse, at which point he decided to run up the mountain.
Climbing the mountain.
When we arrived I was sent straight away to pick coffee. I thought this was pretty cool! Water bottle in my pocket, camera over my shoulder, and basket full of coffee around my waste, we picked for a couple hours. I learned that coffee plants grow for about 50 years, but that every ten years the farmer usually cuts them back so that they produce more fruit. In this case the coffee was inter-cropped with bananas and various other trees, a strategy which promotes biodiversity and (I imagine) makes for a much shadier and more pleasant work environment.
Coffee plant.
Coffee in my basket.
American volunteer and local farmer.
At the end of the picking day.
After being picked, the coffee is run through a hand-turned milling machine which separates the coffee beans from the 'peels'. I'll admit that up until this point I was a little confused as to how we were going to get black beans from this red fruit. Most impressive is that nothing from this process is wasted. The red peels are composted with the animal waste and then spread around the base of the coffee plants. Even the juices are collected and stored in bottles. Some is used as fertilizer for the coffee, the rest is combined with hot chili peppers and allowed to ferment, forming a natural pesticide.
Milling the coffee to remove the 'peels'.
Waste is composted.
Compost.
Juices are saved and used as fertilizer or natural pesticide.
Next the coffee beans need to be washed and any remaining peels removed, at which point they are laid out to dry. Everything up until this point is done without electricity and without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
Washing the beans.
Draining the water.
Hectorcito, "sorting" through the beans.
Finally the beans need to be roasted, ground and packaged. Claudia and her husband Hector perform this part of the process in their home, selling the coffee to a local hotel and to tourists.
The finished product.
But the day wasn't over for the volunteers, before leaving we moved 33 adobe bricks from one side of the farm to the other for a new latrine. Although they may not look it, these things are heavy! I was glad to have the opportunity to handle the materials though. I told Claudia about my interest in natural building, and she explained to me that they hope to build a volunteer residence using materials from the farm. Although I'm not sure how it would fit with my plan for the next couple years, it would be amazing to come back and work on a project like that, perhaps experimenting with some different materials and building techniques.
The adobe bricks.
While learning about coffee was incredible, probably the most moving aspect of the experience was Claudia's family. Their house is modest, having a bucket shower and simple latrine, but I have never met children so happy, responsible and well adjusted. I asked Claudia why she likes having couch surfers and she explained that it's partly to teach people about her project, but also because she wants her children to learn more about the world. Claudia's first child was born when she was 16. I was awed and inspired to watch her handle hosting me, buying food, bringing her two and nine-year-old up the mountain, cooking lunch, carrying blocks of adobe, waiting in the dark for the bus home, and finally making dinner, and all of it on her day off. As I carried the sleeping Hectorcito home at the end of the day, I couldn't help hoping to one day accomplish half of what she and her family have.
The shower facilities.
Claudia and her daughter. Baking bread.
If you're interested in getting involved with Claudia's project please visit the website: www.eco-nic.com. They also offer week-long courses in coffee production. Volunteers are welcome, although the cost varies by volunteer. Those who are more self sufficient (speak Spanish, experience with organic farming) pay less, as they require less support. She is also accessible through Couch Surfing or WWOOF.
No comments:
Post a Comment