Mature Amaranth Plants

Pedro Garcia from Chiplila Sector II stands in his field of full grown amaranth plants. Grain amaranth was one of the most important crops to the Aztecs and Mayans, along with corn and beans. The Aztecs made statues with popped amaranth and human blood which were eaten during religious ceremonies. When the Spanish observed this ritual they outlawed both the cultivation of amaranth and the religion. The elimination of amaranth all but succeeded for several hundred years.

Amaranth Seedings

Pedro Garcia is working to thin his grain amaranth seedlings. The seeds are extremely small and are often planted too close together. The plants need at least 10cm of space between them.

Macadamia

Farmers from five San Martín communities are learning about the benefits of producing organic macadamia. They will be planting 5,000 trees within the next month. Macadamia nuts are a good source of fiber, protein, vitamin E and mono-unsaturated fats which have been shown to lower cholesterol. The goals of this project are to reforest, improve nutrition and supplement incomes. All other vegetables inter-cropped with the macadamia will also be farmed organically; positively affecting the environment, local health and the value of vegetables sold at market.

Family Garden

This family from Cambalcol has a variety of vegetables planted in a well protected area. They are providing an excellent example to other community members as to how someone can take small steps to greatly improve the lives of their families.

School Garden

A student at San Antonio el Cornejo happily picks beets. The students harvested over 100 pounds in total. They learned how to grow vegetables using container gardens and raised beds. This project enabled them to make better use of their patios, eat healthier and sell extra produce for a profit.