March 27, 2010
Oaxaca, Mexico Trip Report
March 2010
Ken Kierstead and I first visited Oaxaca late in 2008. Our contact, Gildo, is the current president of Coop Yeni Navan MICHIZA. This coop represents 47 communities throughout the state of Oaxaca. Gildo is also the president of a coop inside the larger coop called COMUNIDADES UNIDAS DE YUCUHITI SC de RL de CV representing six communities; San Jose Zaragoza, Guadalupe Miramar, Reyes Llano Grande, Guadalupe Buena Vista, San Pedro Yosotatu, and Santiago Nuyoo. After our first visit, Gildo presented us with three community based projects; a land renovation project supporting all six communities, a coffee roasting project for the community of Buena Vista, and two vegetable greenhouses for the communities of Buena Vista and Miramar.
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It was a true joy to see the progress of these projects. Although the progress is great, there are several challenges that need to be addressed in order for success to be seen in these projects and real transformation of these communities to take place. I will address each project in detail in the following paragraphs.
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LAND RENOVATION
A large mesh greenhouse was constructed and it is filled with thousands of coffee plants. Roughly two-thirds of the coffee was planted using rich organic compost. They ran out of resources to obtain the compost for the remaining third and it shows in the growth of the plants. Also, the mesh used for the top needs to be a tighter weave. The area has been experiencing hail/freezing rain which damaged some of the crop. A tighter weave would prevent the hail from coming through the greenhouse.
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The second challenge is the need for agricultural training including greenhouse training. To maximize the potential of the land renovation project, the farmers need technical help from agricultural coffee specialist. This training would need to start with caring and nurturing coffee plants in the greenhouse and continue through planting, maintaining, and harvesting the plants to maximize quality and yield.
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The final challenge with the land renovation project is the location of the six communities in relation to the coffee greenhouse. The distance is not great, within an hour and half one can travel to all communities. The problem is that vehicles are rare among the farmers and walking the distance with hundreds of coffee plants is nearly impossible. A delivery system needs to be created and possibly smaller greenhouses in each community for distribution to the farmers of each community.
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Maximizing quality and yield of coffee within a community as a means to propel the community towards a greater level of self-sufficiency is at the center of Pura Vida’s mission. The challenges in these six Oaxacan coffee growing communities are not new, similar challenges are found in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru, and most likely the majority of coffee growing countries. The major overarching issue is that these farmers are located in very rural areas, they typically do not have enough land to grow a crop that can produce a livable income, and they traditionally do not treat their coffee like a business but rather a way of life.
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COFFEE ROASTING PROJECT IN BUENA VISTA
The coffee farmers of Buena Vista drafted a proposal to launch a coffee roasting micro business. The goal proposed was to diversify the income stream of the coffee farmers and educate the farmers on the flavors of coffee so that they better understand what they are selling. In simple terms, the idea is to take a portion (probably 1/4) of the coffee crop, roast it, grind it, and sell it in local markets including Oaxaca City.
The challenge is training. Cupping, roasting, grinding, and packaging training is needed to insure success of this project.
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VEGETABLE GREENHOUSES
During our first visit back in Fall of 2008, diversification of diet was of high importance, especially among the women. Two greenhouses were proposed which we funded. These greenhouses are in the communities of Buena Vista and Miramar. The proposed goal of these houses was to improve the diet of the community by growing a variety of vegetables. The challenge again is training. The individuals responsible for greenhouses need greenhouse agricultural training to make this project thrive. Key issues include; how to keep pest out, what will grow best and worst, and what time of year to plant what?
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I will be working with several colleagues to develop a short and long range plan to address each challenge with the goal of helping each community reach a higher level of self-reliance.
March 4, 2010
As expected, our access to the the web was none existent during our time at the coffee farms. We arrived back in Oaxaca City this evening after an absolutely wonderful visit with the farmers of Buena Vista, Miramar, Reyes Llamo, Nuyoo, and Zaragoza.
View from Buena Vista
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On Tuesday, we visited Buena Vista and were able to see the location that has been constructed for the new coffee roaster that will be delivered next week, as well as the greenhouse that will soon be the home of many vegetables. We will be working with the community to give them proper training on how to manage the greenhouse and added training on proper roasting. They will be selling roasted coffee throughout the region. The goal is to not only bring added income but also increase the quality of the coffee consumed by the farmers themselves.
Greenhouse in Buena Vista
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On Wednesday morning we departed for Miramar where we have invested in a land renovation project and a women run greenhouse. The women have done a wonderful job on constructing a beautiful greenhouse where they plan to grow many vegetables including greens. The goal, stated by Sophia who is the leader of the womens group, is to increase the nutrition within their families and the community.
Sophia & Gildo - Mother & Son
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Gildo, the president of the coop, headed up the land renovation project which began by constructing a large house for starting coffee plants that will be used to replace aged coffee plants throughout six communities. Many of the communities plants are too old to produce a good crop. There is still some needed training that the farmers need to be able to renovate their land but they are on the right track and we are eager to help them find the right training.
Land Renovation Greenhouse in Miramar
New coffee plants in greenhouse
Coffee of Miramar
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I will blog the visits to the remaining communities in the coming days. Thank you for your support. We would not be able to come along side the coffee farmers of Oaxaca without your support.
March 1, 2010
Waiting in Houston!
I am very excited about our visit to Oaxaca. I am currently waiting in Houston to board my final flight to Oaxaca. Tomorrow morning we will head out into the hills of Oaxaca for the next few days. Last year we started several projects in Oaxaca and this will be our first visit since they began. Just to recap, the projects are a land renovation project in the community of Miramar, a community greenhouse also in Miramar, and a coffee roasting project in Buena Vista. We will also be meeting with a small organization called Circle of Women. We are partnering with Circle of Women to bring continued health education to the women of Miramar. I look forward to updating you on the progress of these projects.
A few facts about Oaxaca:
- Oaxaca is one of the 31 states of Mexico and is the 5th largest
- Located in the Southern part of the country
- Home of the Zapotec and Mixtec peoples
- Average altitude is 1,500 meters
- Coffee represents 30% of the state’s exports
I hope to post again tomorrow.
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Ciao,
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Sam Snyder
February 10, 2010
Everything is set. We will be traveling to Oaxaca, Mexico the first week of March to visit our friends and growers in Miramar and Buena Vista.
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On the agenda:
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Monday – Travel day
Tuesday – Drive to Miramar (5hrs or so). We will visit our greenhouse and land renovation projects and start a new project with Circle of Women to bring health education to the women of Miramar.
Wednesday – Drive to Buena Vista which is pretty close to Miramar. We will visit the beginning stages of a coffee roasting project that we are funding. The farmers of Buena Vista will be actively selling roasted coffee in several markets throughout Oaxaca.
Thursday – We will visit a few other communities on our drive back to Oaxaca City to understand some new project opportunities.
Friday – Debrief in the morning and fly home in the afternoon.
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I am very excited to see the progress of our projects and see where else we can have positive sustainable impact. I will attempt to update the blog throughout the trip if technology allows it.
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Thanks for you support of Pura Vida!
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Ciao,
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Sam Snyder
Director of Marketing & Philanthropy
October 9, 2009
Thursday, October 1st
Morning on Lake Attitlan
Morning swim
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San Juan Library Project
Studying at the library
Meeting with the director
Enjoying a book!
Finding the perfect book
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Friday, October 2nd
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Fotokids
Picture
Nancy and Jeff discussing Fotokids
New addition to Fotokids school
October 7, 2009
Tuesday, September 29th
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Cooperative Santa Anita la Union
New Processing Area
New Drying Patio
Drying Coffee
Baby Plants
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Leaders from Empresa Campesina El Nuevo Renacimiento
Meeting with all the leaders
Leaders of Empresa Campesina El Nuevo Renacimiento
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Wednesday, September 30th
Coffee Cherries
The Pura Vida School Bus
Powered by Pura Vida
Computer Center
Student working in the computer center
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Cooperative FECCEG
Processing Facility
Sam Snyder
Lake Attilan
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Womens Weaving Project
Cooperative La Voz
Tour of La Voz
Tour of La Voz
October 5, 2009
Monday, September 28th
Our time with Fedecocagua
Jeff Hussey tasting Guatemalan coffee at Fedecocagua
Jeff Martin getting ready for the cupping to begin
A lot of coffee and a little wine
A wall of Guatemalan coffee
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Meeting with Anacafe
Barista training
Roasting Lab
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Tuesday, September 29th
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Cooperative Nahuala
President of Coop Nahuala
Vice President of Coop Nahuala
Jeff Hussey shooting the processing area
Nursery and Composting area
The red worm & organic compost
Weaving
Our amazing guide & translator - Hugo
Traditional Guatemalan Bread
October 2, 2009
We had a tasty breakfast at our hotel in Antigua and then departed for Guatemala City at 8am.
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Before our flight home, we stopped in at the Fotokids school. Nancy gave us an update on the school. They have made great improvements on upgrading the facility and expanding its capacity. We discussed new ways that we may be able to partner in the future including web and graphic design and teaching workshops in coffee communities.
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Fotokids is truly transforming young lives in Guatemala. It is wonderful to be a part of their success.
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We are now waiting to take-off for Houston and look forward to arriving in Seattle this evening.
Sam Snyder
Director of Marketing and Philanthropy
October 1, 2009
After leaving Santa Anita we headed straight for Xela, the 2nd largest city in Guatemala, to meet with FECCEG.
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FECCEG is a cooperative representing 10 communities in the west of Guatemala. They were sponsored by Oxfam and the goal is to provide a more cost effective way for small producers to get their coffee to market. FECCEG prepares the coffee for export, promotes the producers coffee, exports the coffee, and ensures quality.
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After our visit with FECCEG we headed to Lake Attitlan to visit with coop La Voz. La Voz is made up of 111 small producers who are all near the lake. Their focus is protecting the environment and creating a self sustaining life for their producers. They are looking for new channels to sell their coffee and ways to diversify their producer’s income.
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In addition, we were able to visit a small organization of women called Asociacion de Mujeres Tejedoras con Tinte Natural. They produce beautiful woven items made with all natural dyes.
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It was a productive day. Tomorrow we will visit a library project and then head to Antigua to meet with As Green As It Gets.
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Sam Snyder
Director of Marketing and Philanthropy
September 30, 2009
We arrived at Santa Anita la Union around 3PM yesterday. We were quickly greeted by our good friend and community leader, Rigo.
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Rigo gave us a short tour of the improvements at Santa Anita. They have made great improvements on their coffee processing system and organic compost production. Santa Anita was so efficient with the grant we gave them to construct the new processing area that they were able to repave their drying patio.
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In addition, we were able to see first hand the work done by the Tufts students with funding from Pura Vida and others. This included a computer center and new coffee plants to renew their land.
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Before dinner, we had the opportunity to sit down with a few leaders of Santa Anita and leaders from another coop called Empresa Campesina El Nuevo Renacimiento. This is a coop of roughly 30 families and they are located about 1.5 hours outside of Santa Anita up in the mountains. We had a great discussion with them about their coffee and we expect to receive a green sample in Seattle in about 10 days for us to test. We hope to visit their community on our next trip to Guatemala.
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The evening concluded with a wonderful dinner of black beans, eggs, fried banana, and corn tortillas.
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We are now off for a meeting in Xela.
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Sam Snyder
Director of Marketing & Philathropy
New drying patio @ Santa Anita