After about 2 months in Mexico the fruits of my labour are really
starting to blossom! Upon arriving in Mexico I was put in charge of a preexisting
‘garden’ that had been let go. ‘Let go’ was a bit of an understatement, however
the jungle I had been gifted is now a lush Garden of Eden, full of a variety of
different fruits and vegetables. Conquering the many obstacles along the way
has made the fruit we are now enjoying even more delicious!
The community I am part of is called the Kibbutz, located
near the town of Queretaro. We are aiming to be a sustainable community and a
big part of that is growing all our own food. This is the first time they are
growing organically here, so this process is very new for the community and
sometimes challenging. Climate
differences, compost, and insects are some of the challenges I have been
battling over the last 2 months, but I think I am coming out on top! I work
right now with one other member of the community in the gardens, but have begun
promoting an internship/ volunteer program here. I should mention the Kibbutz
is also a religious space that host events, and welcome volunteers from all
over the world to be a part of the community. The 30 hectares is covered in
beautiful fields, architecture, and orchards of all the fruits you can think
of. I feel very privileged to be a part of this ‘utopia’, as we call it.
My main goals here are: 1) grow enough food to sustain the
community and visitors 2) Also grow enough food for 25 other families a month
that will receive baskets of vegetable, this project is called ‘Club Agricola’
3) Host a series of workshops centered around agriculture (chicken raising,
organic pest management, permaculture,… and more to come!) 4) Eventually sell
produce at an organic market in a nearby city .
More recently I have become involved in the promotion of
volunteers with the emphasis on growing organic food. I would like to take
interested students under my wing as interns for the remainder of my time here
to have them grow and learn to farm organically! I have also been putting a lot
of the permaculture skills I developed at FBC into practise here at the
Kibbutz! I think an intern/ volunteer program focused on the gardens is a good
way to ensure that the gardens continue after my time here is done.
Apart from work, I have made some incredible friends who
have made it their job to expose me to every Mexican thing they possibly can. I
have already travelled to many different cities, participated in some wild
traditions and holidays, and eaten some things I didn’t even know could exist.
I very much feel like a part of the community I live in and can’t imagine
leaving in a few months!
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