Health Track Final Week

Monday, March 24 we met at our favorite cafe in Oaxaca, Cafe Brujula, to get together and discuss roles for psychologists in promoting community mental health; We also talked a little bit about childhood obesity in Oaxaca. This topic will help us prepare to transition in to our last 2 week class, "Food, Health and Culture". Obesity is on the rise and has become a universal epidemic in both the US and Mexico. More to come on that when we join the food track next week!

Tuesday, March 25th our class went to visit The Fundacion Oaxaquena de Equinoterapia (FOE). We met with a lady named Carolina Gomez Balderas. She started this non-profit organization about 7 years ago. Before she started the organization she was a physical therapist for about 23 years working for the IMSS.  FOE defines equinoterapia as equestrian activity for therapeutic methods aimed at the rehabilitation of people through the three-dimensional movement of the horse, which acts in skeletal neuromusculoskeletal system of the human being, with the orientation and accompaniment in the professional area of health, riding and education. It is used as adjunctive therapy in patients with various congenital or acquired pathologies. The place was beautiful, not too big, not too small. She has about 7 or 8 horses, one cow, bunny rabbits and chickens. The land is loaned to the organization by an anonymous person. We first sat down with Carolina to talk about the organization and what she does. Carolina mostly works with disabled children anywhere from 3 months to 21-years-old. We were given the opportunity to watch a couple of the children participate in their therapy sessions riding on the horse with Carolina. A few of us were lucky enough to ride the horses ourselves!

On Wednesday we went out to San Agustin, Etla (St. Augustine) to visit a center where they make paper! Which might sound a bit like a boring factory, but it was actually really interesting and they showed us all the types of cotton and other materials they use to make it. We went step by step through the process and even felt the “paste” of cotton that felt really weird but was pretty cool. Then we went upstairs where we actually got to see a few of the things they did with the paper. In a small store section upstairs we saw intricate earrings, necklaces, and bracelets made out of paper as well as kites and notebooks. They were all so pretty, and definitely what we would call statement pieces. 

 

After that, we went up to CASA which is a center for arts in San Agustin that held a library, classes and workshops for Mexicans, and also (currently) a gallery of Mexican silver from the 1800s until the 200s. The pieces were so beautiful and featured everything from jewelry, to knives and dagger looking objects, to dining sets and coffee pots and more. It was amazing and knowing us we wanted to try on every piece and possibly buy it for our mothers. But, obviously we could not and moved on.

 

We then had lunch at a really quaint, peaceful place and it ended up being a great day. And, lucky for us, we had the next day off to finish off our last project of the class!

At the end of the week, we took our take-home exam and  reflected on our experiences. We went over the main points of the course, remembering our discussions of ideas of “normal” mental health, how communities work as systems of mental health support, and the various prevention models that exist. What an adventure this has been!

Food Systems Week 4: Tropical Farming and Gardening Comes to an End #WeLoveVern

This week’s blog post is brought to you by @CaptainTortilla @mosquitomagnet12 and @ReinaDeFotos in a Twitter format, where each tweet is “live” from our different locations. *Disclaimer: these are all fake twitter names, but real (and obviously funny) accounts of what we did.  

Monday, March 24^th

9:00 AM @CaptainTortilla: Going 2 Solexico to edit our group paper about San Isidro from noon to 2, can't wait to see what everyone had to contribute! #collaboration

11:59 AM @ReinaDeFotos: Glad to be out of the heat for 2 hours and see everyone prepared in the classroom with their water bottles #HotWeather #Hydration

2:39 PM @mosquitomagnet12: Our paper turned out great, and even better news, I survived the walk home to comida with only 2 bug bites! #DontScratch #WhyMe #BugSpray

2:40 PM @mosquitomagnet12: Almost forgot the link! Click on “Class Writing Project, 2014: Visit to a Mixtec Village” #FoodSystems #Wheat #Corn #Tortillas #Donkeys http://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/OaxacaFoodSystems/welcome.html

9:24 PM @CaptainTortilla: Off to #bed early, big day tomorrow!  

Tuesday, March 25^th

6:19 AM @mosquitomagnet12: Meeting at Conzatti park at 7 to leave for chat @ 8 w/students at ITVO- Instituto Tecnológico del Valle de Oaxaca #WhyAreWeUpThisEarly

7:30 AM @CaptainTortilla: Whew, quick van ride! Ready 2 to learn about the students and majors the university offers! #agronomy #computerscience #biology

8:07 AM @ReinaDeFotos: We just had to introduce ourselves and our majors in Spanish, now they’re splitting us into small groups to talk with students... #WishUsLuck

11:37 AM @mosquitomagnet12: Got a nice tour of the ITVO campus and saw so many greenhouses, cacti, and animals! #CactusGarden

11:38 AM @ReinaDeFotos: Saw the saddest goose sitting atop a compost pile where his dead mate is buried. Very sad time, but at least he was cute! #PhotoFromMarge

12:09 PM @CaptainTortilla: A tour of the campus AND free cookies and coffee?! #BestMorningEver

1:15 PM @mosquitomagnet12: Back in the van to go to Cuilapam where Oliver has land and is growing things? We’ll see! #FarmerFrohling

1:41 PM @ReinaDeFotos: I put on all this sunscreen, but it turns out we’re listening to someone talk in the shade about #Milpa #Corn #Beans #Squash #Jicama

2:00 PM @CaptainTortilla: Yikes, there goes a farmer chasing his bulls! #BullsInTraining #MexicanRunningOfTheBulls #RunningFree #FarmLand #UhOh

8:33 PM @ReinaDeFotos: Host mom just asked where we’re going tomorrow, and I said “No sé” #IDontKnow and dug out our schedule. This happens todos los días.

    

Wednesday, March 26^th

8:40 AM @CaptainTortilla: Conzatti park, we meet again. Vern is here. Waiting for rest of group to go 2 the small organic tomato farm #Yum

9:00 AM @mosquitomagnet12: A nice woman, Louisa, has joined us today. She’s helping us by translating at the farm #Ready2Go

9:33 AM @mosquitomagnet12: Learning about the organic markets, not as easy to be a part of one in Oaxaca as I thought! #WishfulThinking

10:26 AM @CaptainTortilla: Holy @#$% this greenhouse is HOT. Gr8 to learn about organic tomato growing vs. large scale like last week, though! #Infierno

10:27 AM @CaptainTortilla: Just saw a tomato that looks like a chile pepper, but it’s a tomato. Imagine that- a spicy pepper tomato #Genius

10:40 AM @mosquitomagnet12: Got a picture of that pepper-like tomato

11:01 AM @mosquitomagnet12: Drove past San Isidro Zegache where I stayed for my village stay with Sarah, Marge, and @ReinaDeFotos! Off to women’s farming/growing co-op #SpeedBumps

12:49 PM @mosquitomagnet12: Hannah better wash her hands after holding that baby pig! #cute #scared #bacon

3:31 PM @CaptainTortilla: Went to an amazing restaurant with the group. All of the food was #local and grown in the community #CreamOfCarrotAndSquashSoup #Fish #Tortillas #Salsa #Riquísimo

4:45 PM @mosquitomagnet12: A Mexican man approached us as we were walking around and spoke English with a southern accent. I don’t make these things up.

4:46 PM @CaptainTortilla: Just peed my pants jajajaja. This old guy from Mexico spoke to us with the thickest southern accent #Mississippi

11:11 PM @mosquitomagnet12: Everyone make a wish! *Wishing for mosquito net to magically appear* #itchy

Thursday, March 27^th.

9:00 AM @ReinaDeFotos: Well rested and ready 2 go! Here at Conzatti (surprise!) ready 2 go to INIFAP to learn more about #corn and #seedbanks

9:40 AM @CaptainTortilla: @ federal research center that is protecting local maize genetics. So much info about corn, Sarah is LOVING IT.

9:41 AM @CaptainTortilla: All of this info is pretty corny if you ask me #punny #JonathanPuns

9:45 AM @CaptainTortilla: 60 types of maize in Mexico and 35 in Oaxaca, ¡Qué chido!

10:02 AM @mosquitomagnet12: Aw shucks, our host Flavio just complimented how good our Spanish is! #shucks #punny

11:30 AM @ReinaDeFotos: Went into a seed bank and saw pink corn. If you don’t believe me, look at this picture!

11:49 AM @mosquitomagnet12: What an a-maize-ing experience! Time to go write a reflection paper for Vern before comida! #punny

3:30 PM @CaptainTortilla: Fresh tortillas at comida today and all I could think about was where the corn came from #YES

3:31 PM @ReinaDeFotos: @CaptainTortilla bit eye holes out of his tortilla for a mask at comida today because he’s Captain Tortilla #Ready2SaveTheDay

7:34 PM @mosquitomagnet12: Could not be more excited for tomorrow!!! Organic farmers market, coffee tasting, and going 2 a restaurant 4 class!! #Foodie4Life

Friday, March 28^th

9:30 AM @CaptainTortilla: All the girls in our Food Systems group are a little too excited about this organic farmers’ market right now #local #organic #granola #coconutoil

9:45 AM @mosquitomagnet12: Just bought the CUTEST pressed flower earrings. Last time I got freshly squeezed juice. Not this time. Ready for the coffee tasting!

11:59 AM @ReinaDeFotos: I. Haven’t. Had. This. Much. Caffeine. In. 6. Months. So. Many. Kinds. #CoffeeCoffeeBuzzBuzzBuzz

12:05 PM @CaptainTortilla: This Sustainable Harvest place is in Oregon, too?! Bringing in Fair Trade coffee all day every day. #Caffeine

12:06 PM @mosquitomagnet12: Here’s the website for Sustainable Harvest! My hands are too jittery from caffeine to write about all the cool things they do http://www.sustainableharvest.com/

12:10 PM @mosquitomagnet12: After sampling 4 kinds of coffee, I’m ready to EAT. Vern is now going to try and navigate the streets of Oaxaca to find a certain restaurant #hangry #HungryAndAngry

2:30 PM @CaptainTortilla: At Itanoni, no one can figure out how to order. It’s literally just a tally mark on the menu.

2:41 PM @CaptainTortilla: Despite the confusion, the food was so gr8! A la carte style, fresh off the comal tacos, quesadillas, and other stuff. I like tacos. And tortillas.

2:45 PM @ReinaDeFotos: Our week with Vern has sadly come to an end, but I think he will be pleased with all of our reflection papers and the blog post!!!

4:45 PM @mosquitomagnet12: Recovering from comida. Trying to nap. So much caffeine. And too many bug bites. Still can’t figure that last one out #BloodType #SweetBlood

That’s all for now!

@CaptainTortilla (Carter Lincoln)

@mosquitomagnet12 (Lauren Truncellito)

@ReinaDeFotos (Caitlin Safford, Photo Queen)

Health Track Week 2!

It’s our second week studying community health in Oaxaca and it’s another week packed with more field trips to learn about different mental health approaches and organizations available here in Oaxaca. At this point, we’re really starting to get the hang of the class and what to expect for the next 2 weeks!
For our first trip of the week, we met in a great little restaurant named Jicara to meet with a woman named Betty Ramirez to speak about her position and what she sees at the women’s shelter that she works at. This talk was a rather bleak one, so I’ll spare all the details but it was hopeful to hear of programs like this available in the city. Our only hope is that it expands and accepts more women! To sum it up, this shelter accepts about 30 women and their children who are going through very severe instances of domestic abuse. Due to the small capacity, they can only accept women who are in dire, life-threatening situations, and unfortunately many of the accounts she told us about were that bad. However, she explained how it supports the women and builds their communication and conflict resolution skills, as well as boosting their self-esteem and encouraging them to form better relationships with their children. They also receive help in four areas: medical, social work, legal, and psychological. Although it was very hard to hear about, this trip proved very useful and informative to the three of us.

  For the next trip we went to a small town outside the city to visit a center called Casa los Abuelos (which literally received that name because it is located in their grandparent’s house). Here we received a very interesting and detailed account about what limpias (cleansings of the body) are, how they are done, and what their purpose is. It was our very first conversation with a curandera (a traditional/alternative healer) so we were all very interested! After our discussion, Anna perked right up and volunteered to do a limpia which consisted of having a bundle of herbs brushed on every part of her body along with smoke and some water. Basically, the herbs brushed the negative energy out of her body and released her spirit, and the water that was spit on her was so that the body would be shocked and recollect its spirit. The curandera then rubbed an egg along every part of her body as well, and later cracked it into a cup of water to do a reading. It was a very interesting experience, and we all ended up wanting limpias! But that will have to wait ‘til next time.

The last trip of the week consisted of going to another town outside of the city and visiting a shelter for kids called Casa de los Hijos de la Luna. In this shelter, they accept any children that their parents voluntarily leave there, usually during circumstances in their lives that may include having domestic violence at the home, or the mother being a night worker. Although the children were delighted to have us there, and they were all so adorable (just imagine a handful of 3 year old Mexican babies), it was a bit sad to see them in light of the situation. However, the people who worked here obviously had very well intentions and cared about the safety of these children, or else they would’ve just been alone at their house and/or neglected.

Overall, this was a very intense week for us what with all the information that we’ve received and all the stories that we heard. However, it clearly gave us a much deeper and broader understanding of the kinds of issues that are going on here in Oaxaca and although these programs are small it gives us a glimmer of hope that maybe they will grow and expand and help the majority that are in need, and not just a small subgroup of them.

Health Track Week 1

This week began with a small group of three Psychology and Human Development Students and Professor Lynne Bond. We started our class by discussing what "Community Mental Health" means in general, and then moving forward to discuss what it looks like in Oaxaca. We assessed what the needs and assets of Oaxaca might be in the area of mental health. What resources exist in mental health? How does Oaxacan culture foster or impede mental health development? In our next class, we began to discuss what is considered "normal" mental health in American culture and Oaxacan culture. By observing and naming the norms for health in a certain culture, we can start to form a better understanding of why certain health issues exist in certain places, and what is being done to prevent or treat them. Much of this week was spent in discussion about these themes, so that when we visited places that provide mental health support, we could have a more holistic view.

Our first excursion was to visit the Centro de Atencion y Formacion Humanista. This is a center that offers "alternative" mental health services to the community. There are a few characteristics that make this organization different than the current options that exist to treat mental health issues. They take a stance rooted in social medicine, which takes social identitiies such as socio-economic status into account when considering the issue of mental health. They believe that each person has a crisis at one point or another in their lives, and to label oneself with a mental illness can be stigmatizing. They seek to question the idea of "mental illness," and encourage their clients to question the social, culture, and political systems that influence how they look at their health. It was interesting to hear their take on mental health!

Our next excursion took us to the town of Zapata, a place mostly made up of immigrants from other areas of Mexico. There, a group of women called "Union de Mujeres trabajando por el progreso" formed from 12 women who were mostly working at home, and wanted to find a way to form a community among themselves. The group makes tinctures of herbs and plants which they use for health and healing. They come together multiple times a week to make tinctures, attend workshops, and keep their group in touch with one another. It was incredible to see a group of women who found a cause to unite themselves and form their own community. Many of them had felt isolated or estranged in the community, so this group offers much more than a trade, it offers emotional and social support. Also, we got to help make some tinctures, and learn a little about the process!  

To learn more about community mental health in Oaxaca, we met with a group called "Nueroticos anonimos," or Neurotics Anonymous. This is a group of people who identify themselves as "neurotic" and choose to meet in a similar format as Alcoholics Anonymous or other self-help groups. They told us their personal stories and shared a little bit about their philosophy. It was great that they felt comfortable enough to share their lives with us!

The week was incredibly rich with all different approaches to mental health in the Oaxaca community. We began to appreciate the diversity of the field of health, and began to assess what needs exist in the system. Overall, we were off to a great start with out journey through community mental health in Oaxaca.

Health Track, Week 3: Cuetzalan, Puebla, Mexico

Off to the magical small town of Cuetzalan, Puebla for the week!

Very early Sunday morning, March 16th, our tiny group of 5 took an 8 hour bus ride to a small town in Puebla, Mexico called Cuetzalan. As soon as we got there late Sunday night, you could definitely tell we were in a different state. Being there felt as if we had just traveled back in time to a town resembling something between that of Beauty and the Beast and a magical rain forest.

Monday, March 17th, our first full day in Cuetzalan, we spent the day exploring the town. The whole town was built in to the side of a mountain and our hotel happened to be closer to the top. Needless to say, we got our fair share of exercise for the week. The town was very lively today. There were many tourists out and about and markets with venders selling all sorts of things. There was a beautiful old church that stood right in the middle of "downtown" Cuetzalan surrounded by small shops, restaurants and cafes. At the end of the day we went back to our hotel, Taselotzin, to eat dinner and enjoy massages and a Temezcal (to study traditional alternative healing methods of course).

Tuesday was a long, educational, fun-filled day. We went to visit an organization called Casa de las Mujeres Indigenas (CAMI). This is a mostly women run organization that helps empower and help indigenous women in their community. The women who run the program told us about all the things they do, including helping women who are victims of domestic violence. Later that afternoon we went to visit a battered women's shelter. We helped the women and children with their herb garden and then sat down with a Curandera (healer) to discuss her work with the shelter and her all-natural, traditional healing methods.

                                                         Her name's Bond.....Professor Bond, hard at work.


Wednesday morning we woke up, had a fantastic breakfast (food here is amazing) and then hiked to Cascada de las Brisas, a beautiful waterfall located within the jungle surrounding the town. Later that afternoon we made a surprise visit to a local "natural healer" by the name of Pedro Martin Lara. We learned all about common mental and physical illnesses throughout the town and certain herbs and therapies he uses to treat them.

                                                                             Cascada de las Brisas


Thursday we went back to the women's shelter to play with the kids, observe the environment of the shelter and eat a lovely comida with everyone. Even though we were only there for a few hours, the experience was eye-opening. The women and children that were there seemed happy to be there. Everyone seemed to get along and the kids immediatly opened up to us, inviting us to play soccer or draw or just run around with them. It was a fun, heart-warming experience.

Friday morning we had to depart from this Pueblo Magico and make our way back "home" to Oaxaca. Overall it was a great time. It's always nice to get out of the city for a few days and explore other places but, at the same time we were happy to be returning to our friends, and families in familiar surroundings.

                                                          Enjoying our 'Last Breakfast' at Taselotzin.

Botanical Adventures Come to a Close

Botanical Adventures Come to a Close

We returned from the field trip on Monday, a little worn out, bug-bitten, and full of plant knowledge.  I’m not saying there was too much plant talk, but now being back in the city, I can’t help but identify a Rubiaceae in the back of a coffee shop, or a the famous purple BIgnoniaceaes on the street. We were given the day off on Tuesday to start our research papers, which, to be honest, feels a bit backwards after having spent a week with only our knives and magnifying glasses as our only research tools in the rainforest. The final research assignment was open-ended enough for the kids to delve into whatever interesting concept their hearts desired- as long as it pertained to botany of course, and the students have gotten very creative. From carnivorous plants, to the acceptance of Nightshade in the Victorian era, to squash used to make instruments, we seemed to have covered it all!

On Wednesday we met at Crespo for a riveting class about how to define a species, which is apparently a rather controversial topic! Michael taught us about the history of species' classification and how its been rather disputed over time what a species actually is. After the power point we had some one-on-one action with species classification as we examined plants that were all from the surrounding area. Who knew that you could find so many species within just a five-minute walk, the biodiversity of Oaxaca is really quite spectacular! After a week of a more relaxed class schedule we met on Thursday at Solexico for the last time. Michael presented to us about his current botanical research! His research centers around ferns and distinguishes between the taxonomic characteristics of various fern species. While the topic may put the average college student to sleep, it was clear to all of us the passion that Michael has for his research, and it was interesting to see what it really means to be a botanist! This Sunday Michael is actually leaving Oaxaca City to venture off into Oaxacan forests and continue his research on Mexican fern biodiversity!

 We wrapped up the botany course with a tour of el Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca, Oaxaca’s Ethnobotanical Garden, a summary of the climatic and topographic variations of the biodiverse Oaxaca state and cultural tidbits about the plants. Before we began the tour, our guide Diego graciously offered us all sombreros to shade us from the already searing sun (at 9:00 in the morning). As we wandered through the arid valley, temperate forest, and cloud forest, we encountered the wedding tree, named for its prickly stems, and the gringo tree, whose red bark peels like a tourist without sufficient sunscreen. In one courtyard, what seemed to be merely aesthetically arranged stones was actually a water catchment system that collects enough rainwater during the wet season to nourish the plants that represent the more humid regions, even throughout the city’s dry season.

-Julia, Lilly, & Maggie

Los Sistemas de la Comida: Semana Tres

La Iglesia de Teotitlán del Valle (Photo: Sarah Shaw)

To round out our week of hands-on culinary learning experience, we headed to the local village of Teotitlán del Valle on Monday and Tuesday in order to learn from the wonderful women of Vida Nueva.  Teotitlán, which lies approximately 30 minutes outside the city and is easily accessible via taxi or bus, is a bustling town that is still brimming with examples of its Zapotec heritage.  Almost all of the residents speak Zapotec as their first language, with Spanish being their second, and the town’s gorgeous church boasts remnants of Zapotec ruins as part of its construction materials.   Upon our arrival in Teotitlán on Monday morning, we headed to the ‘headquarters’ of Vida Nueva, an all women’s weaving cooperative aimed at enhancing economic opportunities of its members while preserving and promoting the traditional art of rug, or tepete, weaving with all-natural dyes.  Jonathan, an old friend and patron of Vida Nueva, introduced us all to Pastora, the co-op’s founder, Patrona, Isabel, and Rufina, all of whom welcomed us warmly with a greeting in Zapotec.   We then gathered round to discuss that day’s menu that consisted of sopa de garbanzo, a red mole called ‘Zeguesa’ with pork, agua de mango, and a sweet apple dessert that all had us reminiscing the tastes of VT with its hints of canela (cinnamon).  After splitting up into groups led by each of the women, we headed to the small market located in the middle of town to purchase the necessary ingredients and some breakfast treats for ourselves.  With baskets filled, each group was led to the home of the woman that they were cooking with to begin preparing the seemingly large comida that we would all share.  Admittedly, we each found it difficult to be able to document the recipes and corresponding measurements that we were utilizing because each of the women performed their culinary magic from memory and years of experience.  However, we managed to capture the instructions pretty clearly and all lent a hand in the process, from cleaning and peeling fresh garbanzo to chopping several kinds of fresh veggies and chiles.  We also had the opportunity to view and even purchase some of the gorgeous rugs that these women spend weeks at a time weaving by hand.  Sarah and Hannah even had the opportunity of working on some of the rugs in progress on the looms at Rufina’s home!  Side note: if any of you someday find yourselves in Oaxaca you MUST go to Teotitlan del Valle to see these incredible works of art, we promise that it will be a purchase you will never regret!  Once each groups dish was ready, we all trekked back to Pastora’s house/ Vida Nueva to share the delicious ‘classwork’. 

Isabel grinding garbanzo on the metate

On Tuesday, we returned to Teotitlán to embark on another day of cooking with our lovely hosts and instructors.  That day’s menu consisted of a sopa de chipil (an herb) with elote and squash, a bread-based mole with chicken, pico de gallo, agua de tamarindo (tamarind) and dulce de garbanzo, a sweet garbanzo dessert prepared with canela and panela.  Unfortunately after arriving a bit later than expected, many of us didn’t have the opportunity to return to the market because our instructors had already ventured there earlier that morning to do the daily ‘grocery shopping’.  Again, we split into groups based on dish preparation and headed to the homes of our assigned teachers.  While some made an herb-based broth for the soup others peeled and boiled garbanzo for the dessert.  We then all came together at Pastora’s before the meal was ready to work together on making the pico de gallo with fresh tomatoes and avocados and the agua de tamarindo.   Again, we shared the tasty ‘fruits of our labor’, complemented with tortillas of course, while chatting about the work Vida Nueva does and the special weaving projects that Pastora has worked on to promote the co-op.

Dulce de Garbanzo

Perhaps one of the most astonishingly wonderful aspects of our days spent in Teotitlán was the warmth and hospitality we received from all of the women we worked with.   We never entered a home without a full tour and an offer of some chocolate or atole. To put things more in perspective, the culinary spaces in Mexican culture are dominated by women and are considered as atmospheres for self-expression, power, and creativity.  Thus by allowing us to step into their kitchens, the women of Vida Nueva were yielding their arenas of ‘power’ and expression to virtual strangers for the benefit of creating productive relationships and mutual learning experiences.  Its safe to say that we all pretty much fell in love with our hosts at Vida Nueva, and were floored at the kindness and patience they showed us- we simply cannot thank them enough.

Carter & his wee tomato plant at Harvest Pride

On Wednesday, we shifted gears and began our new class on Tropical Farming and Gardening with Vern, a UVM extension agent that works primarily with VT fruit and vegetable farmers.   We met at good ole’ Solexico at 9:30 to get oriented with the topics we would be covering during the following week and a half and discuss some of the intricacies of food systems.  After a formal class session, we headed to the Mercado de Abastos to complete a group assignment in which we were required to talk to different food/produce vendors about where their products are cultivated.  Many us found that most vendors do not grow or raise their own goods locally, but rather purchase them from local bodegas that source them from the state of Puebla or other regions in Oaxaca.  After completing our mini-investigation we ventured with Carey to a restaurant near the Zócalo for a comida corrida before parting ways until the next morning when we headed out on a multi-day excursion.

Processing and Distribution Center at Harvest Pride

On Thursday, the food systems crew, Vern, Jonathan, Carey, and our driver Jose Luis headed up to the state of Puebla, which is about 4 hours north of Oaxaca city. Nearly all of Oaxaca’s produce and poultry comes from Puebla due to their booming agriculture industry so it was only fitting that we were there to see a farm We had a scheduled visit at a huge, industrialized tomato farm called Harvest Pride. In an effort to get the maximum amount of information without a defensive attitude, we acted like we were interested in conventional agricultural production as a great solution to global problems like hunger which was great because the representatives from Harvest Pride fed off of this and told us everything we wanted to know and more. They let us into every greenhouse, the chemical fertilizer rooms, the control rooms, and the packaging plant. It was pretty interesting to have to put on a hairnet, wash our hands as if preparing for surgery, and step in some chemical sanitizing powder just to look at tomatoes. It was really incredible to see all of the inputs that go into growing these tomatoes to uniform perfection. One of the coolest parts for me was on the packaging floor where there is a big conveyor belt that takes photos of each tomato individually as it comes down the line and then categorizes it by size, weight, and color and then flicks each tomato at the exact moment where it will land in a box with all of the other tomatoes that have the exact same characteristics, pretty cool stuff. The company exports to all corners of the U.S. to major supermarkets, so it was really interesting to see how the tomatoes that show up in anonymous piles in Stop and Shop and Shaw’s are actually grown, for better or worse.

A prepared milpa in San Isidro

On Friday, we left Puebla and returned to Oaxaca, but not to the city. We went to the Mixteca which is a highly indigenous region of Oaxaca known for strong community systems and traditional lifestyles. Compared to our high tech tour the day before, it was quite a contrast. We first visited an organization called CEDICAM which works with developing sustainable agricultural practices in indigenous communities and also with reforestation. We then went to a community where CEDICAM works and is also home to two of Jonathan’s friends, Phil and Kathy. They are from the U.S. but moved to Mexico about 15 years ago to pursue a more sustainable lifestyle. Friday afternoon was spent touring the fields of the town and listening to the farmers talk about their systems, which are completely and fundamentally different from the systems used by Harvest Pride, as you can only imagine.  For dinner, we had coffee and bread (made with wheat harvested in the town, of course..) and talked with a few community members who grew up in the town, moved away for a while, but then came back to reconnect with the campo lifestyle and their roots. Saturday morning, had a delicious breakfast of blue corn tortillas, beans, and eggs and then headed to the campo to work. The town just installed a new water pump line so we spent a few hours filling in the ditch with dirt which was pretty intense because the sun was so strong and the soil was so dry and compacted so it was more difficult to dig up. After we had our fill (ha!), we headed to the wheat field to process recently harvested wheat which involves a horse and a donkey walking the wheat plants to separate the grain from the straw which we then finished by hand and with sieves. Around 1, we went back to Phil and Kathy’s house and Kathy showed off all of her solar ovens that she has built over the years which are very impressive in their effectiveness. Around 2, we had comida of tortillas, nopal cactus salad, beans, and rice that many women from the community prepared for us. Not only was the food delicious, but the sense of community and hospitality was just wonderful. After a wrap-up talk with Phil, we boarded the bus again and headed back to the city to shower and nurse some pretty brutal sunburns and sore shoulders.

Threshing wheat via animal power

With love,  Sarah Shaw & Margaret Liljedahl