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Category Archives: Local Agriculture
Rocks, ropes and roses – our final few days in Colombia
29th September: We’re getting a bit behind ourselves on the ol’ blog. Right now we are in Madrid, Spain having said a fond farewell to our cycling adventure in the Americas after just over a year on the road. Prolonging … Continue reading
Posted in Colombia, Horticulture, Local Agriculture
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Boyaca – ‘land of freedom’; land of panela!
The department of Boyaca is known as ‘land of freedom’ as it was the scene of famous battles in Colombia’s quest for independence from Spain – the freedom fighters led by Simon Bolivar. To us, peddling through, it felt like … Continue reading
Posted in Colombia, Local Agriculture
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The local mango market economy
When we arrived in Esteli at the beginning of June there were mangos literally everywhere. You couldn’t walk 100 metres without bumping into someone selling the juicy, golden fruit from an overflowing basket. This abundant supply was reflected in the … Continue reading
Posted in Food, Local Agriculture, Nicaragua
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Wake up and smell the coffee! – Miraflor moments
In reality we woke up a long time before smelling the coffee. In a household where everyone is up at 5am it’s difficult to justify lying in past 6.30am. But why give up the chance to use a ‘great’ title … Continue reading
Posted in Local Agriculture, Nicaragua, Small Scale Faming
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A ‘New Dawn’ in Miraflor, Nicaragua
7th June: The pace of life in the Miraflor Reserve – 20 miles from Esteli, Northern Nicaragua – is a world away from the usual hustle and bustle of 21st Century living. There is no grid electricity (power comes from … Continue reading
More on coffee…
On May 15th, Radio 4′s ‘The Food Programme’ broadcast a fascinating programme about coffee – focusing on Central America. Apparently the global price of coffee is at a 34 year high. Back in 2003 coffee was trading at $60cents per … Continue reading
Grains of gold
In El Salvador the coffee bean is known as ‘el grano de oro’ – the grain of gold. And for good reason. No other country in the region has depended so heavily on coffee in its history and economic development. … Continue reading
Posted in El Salvador, Horticulture, Local Agriculture, Water
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Women of the Western Highlands
By and large women have a tough time in Guatemala. Machismo is an expected character trait for a Guatemalan man, and women are widely discriminated against in personal and professional life. Many are trapped doing housework whether they like it … Continue reading
Land of plenty
The land around Quetzaltenango is very fertile indeed. Two villages in particular: Zunil and Almolonga have a thriving agriculture industry. Almolonga is k’iche (the local language) for ‘place where water springs’. There are many rivers and streams tapped for irrigation … Continue reading
Posted in Guatemala, Horticulture, Local Agriculture
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Some musings on maize
Mexico is the birthplace of corn. The crop was domesticated 8,000 years ago into one of the world’s most important food crops. Unfortunately since the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect in 1994, US corn has flooded Mexico at … Continue reading
Posted in Food, Horticulture, Local Agriculture, Mexico
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