Notes from the Field- Emily Oakley and Mike Appel in Guatemala

By Emily Oakley and Mike Appel

In the
beginning of October, we traveled to Guatemala as volunteers with Partners of
the America’s Farmer to Farmer Program.  This is our third volunteer
assignment with program.  Previous assignments have been in Domincan
Republic, Haiti, and Nicaragua.  It has been four years since we have been
on an assignment and our first since having a daughter.  Fortunately, our
daughter, Lisette was able to travel with us on this trip and “helped” out on
our farm visits and presentations.

We
are full-time organic vegetable farmers from Oklahoma.  We love sharing
our experiences utilizing organic growing methods with other farmers and
gardeners around the world.  During our two weeks in Guatemala we were
hosted by two different organizations: Semillas Para El Futuro and INCAP
(Institute for Nutrition for Central America and Panama).  During both
assignments we discussed soil health, composting, growing green manures (cover
crops), organic fertilizer and pesticide recipes, and other organic growing
techniques with extensionists and farmers. 

It was
a privilege to meet the amazing individuals and organizations that are working
to improve their homes, farms, and communities.  The conditions in
Guatemala are challenging due to climate change, steep terrain, and lack of
resources, but the people we met were innovative, strong, and determined to
overcome their challenges.  They are an inspiration.  We look forward
to seeing how some of the organic practices discussed are being adapted to the
farmers’ local conditions at some point in the near future.

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