8/9/2019 Sustainable Harvest International "La Cosecha" Fall 2010 Newsletter
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SUSTAINABLE HARVEST INTERNATIONAL
fALL2010www.SUSTAINABLEHARVEST.ORg
THE HARVEST
planting hope restoring forests nourishing communities
Fr Pr & Fr, Fr R:
I will always be very grateul to the
Peace Corps or the opportunity it
gave me to grow, learn and become
a better American and global
citizen. The Peace Corps does a
tremendous amount o good
or America and her people whochoose to serve overseas, and I eel
I made a lot o positive change during my two years as a
volunteer in Panama. However, i we set aside all the good
created by building bridges between our two cultures and
looked only at the most ecient and eective way to get
the job done, I have no doubt that a local person could
have succeeded at the work. I know that is not true across
the board with Peace Corps Volunteers, but that was my
experience.
I came back rom my service with a wealth o new
knowledge, and there were two key insights I recalled laterwhen I ounded Sustainable Harvest International in 1997.
First was the importance o a long-term commitment
or any program seeking to make a permanent change.
Second was the value o hiring local people to carry out
the work on the ground. Local people would work in
partnership with us gringos who could bring technical,
fnancial and other resources as needed. This is why, even
13 years later, the 44 sta working in the Sustainable
Harvest International feld programs are rom the
countries where we work and usually even rom the
same communities. They know the local language(s),
culture, environment and other realities better than anyoreign expert.
While I value the new ideas and perspectives that outsiders
bring to our feld work (heck, I even like to think I have a
good idea now and then), I remain committed to the
premise that our feld work can best be carried out by
local people who care deeply about their neighbors and
the natural environment in their own countries. This issue
o our newsletter is dedicated to those people.
MEET OUR
Local staff carrying out the SHI missionFIELD TRAINERS
...continued on page 2
Age 22, of Punta Gorda, Toledo, BelizeMEET ROBERT CHAVARRIA, JR.
I was born the oldest child in a amily o our. I graduated rom the
University o Belize with an Associates Degree in Natural Resource
Management. When I was younger, I assisted my grandather
at his arm in Laguna Junction where we planted corn, rice and
beans. Now Im coordinating my own garden at home with
dierent vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce
and more.
I enjoy working in the elds, providing SHI participants with the
technical advice and assistance they need. I love learning new
things and interacting with dierent people. My philosophy is that
good things come true through hard work and dedication. The
actions you take reect the lie you live. I am honest, committed,
hardworking and dedicated to SHI and my community.
RobeRts woRk is Funded by thesymPhasis Foundation and the
jouRney chaRitable Foundation.
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visit us online: www.sustainableharvest.org la cosecha fall20102
Field Trainers... continued from page 1
Age 49, of La Pintada, Cocl, PanamaI am married to Bernarda de Navarro and we have two children - one is a
college sophomore studying medical technology and the other attends an
agricultural high school. My wie has been working at a arm store or ve
years in Panama City.
I have been working or SHI-Panama or six months. Im working in twocommunities, San Juanito and Pagua, with thirty-nine amilies. I am most
motivated to work with SHI-Panama because it is an organization that
runs on ew resources and identies with people that have ew resources -
humble people in rural communities, just like me. Another important thing
is that SHI-Panama protects the environment. Ive always loved nature and
have always tried to protect her, so that makes me identiy with this job.
Even though I have not worked or SHI-Panama or long yet, I eel really good
because Im winning trust. Families have trusted SHI with their great hopes,
and because I work alongside them and get my hands dirty with them, that
has helped me gain their trust.
I learned that sustainability is a set methodology - a process where eachactivity depends on another. This is a good use o our community resources
- without the need to bring in outside resources and without causing
damage to our environment. In animal husbandry, or example, we obtain
several benets at once, since we can generate income and use the waste
(manure) to prepare compost or our gardens; it is an integrated system.
SHI-Panama is a small organization, but we are ocused on sustainability.
We have qualied, compassionate Field Trainers who teach, prepare and
monitor amilies or long-term success. It will be very important to reach
more amilies, but o course that depends on nancial resources, more
time, sta and planning. I have condence in this methodology because it
is eective, and it makes SHI dierent rom many other organizations. With
SHI, amilies take an active part in each project. Education plays a major role,
helping the individual orm an awareness o our mission. I tell donors to
have condence in SHI - their money is well spent - and to visit us, as they
are part o this process and should see the changes they make possible.
MEET MARIANO NAVARRO GONZLEZ
MEET DAYSBETH LOPEZ Age 22 of La Pintada, Panama
maRianos woRk is Funded by the
aleX c. walkeR Foundation.
I have worked or SHI-Panama or our years and I assist orty-ve amilies in two communitie
(Tranquilla Norte and Rincn Claro). Working or SHI-Panama is a great honor because I previously
cleaned houses to nance my studies since my amily could not aord to pay or school. Now
because o this job, I am in my third year o university ( Bachelor o Agricultural and Environmenta
Management) and I built a house that I share with my ather and sisters.
When I rst began, I had to learn about organics since my technical high school only taught traditiona
arming. They did not explain that it was damaging our health and our soil. At SHI-Panama, we wan
amilies to adopt organic arming techniques and reorestation so they can teach their neighbor
ater they graduate and become leaders in their communities.
Most young people go to Panama City or work because they eel they cannot live o arming, bu
now I see some returning to their communities. SHI-Panama has shown that with organic techniques
you can generate results and income without leaving your amily. We do not make amilies wealthy
but they now live better lives in a healthier environment.
daysbeths woRk is
Funded by bRown
enViRonmental.
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3planting hope restoring forests nourishing communities
Age 29, of Blueelds, NicaraguaMEET MAURA MEJA
I was born in Blueelds on the Atlantic Coast and studied Agroorestry
Engineering in school. I am a single mother with two daughters who are nine
and ten years old. I have worked or SHI-Nicaragua or three years in the Kukra
River region, where I help thirty amilies in our communities (El Naranjal, Cao
Azul, La Reorma and Poza Azul).
It hasnt always been easy. In the beginning, it was a big problem being a woman
working in an environment where only the men perorm agricultural activities
and make decisions. Our culture is very religious and male driven. I elt a
rejection rom the armers because they, as men, were not used to working with
women. Also, the wives were worried or their husbands who worked with me
because they thought that a woman could never lead a man, and that women
should never work in the elds but only on household chores.
But over the past three years, my thirty amilies have come to love, respect,
admire and support me. They now welcome me into their homes and share
with me. I also love and respect them. I work together next to the men, womenandchildren - amily integration has been achieved.
MEET JORGE RODRGUEZAge 36, of Pinalejo, Santa Brbara, Honduras
READ MORE & COMMENT ONLINE: www.sustainableharvest.org/tags/2010all
I am married and have two children - a ten-year-old girl in th grade and a ve-year-old boy
in kindergarten. My wie is a primary school teacher.
I have worked or SHI-Honduras or six years, and I assist sixty-eight amilies in ve
communities in the area o Concepcion Norte. Working or SHI is more than just earning a
salary. I have learned about environmental protection and amily nutrition. I have taught
these things to my children, and I can see the changes in my amily.
One o my greatest achievements has been the changes in our participant amilies since
improving their nutrition. In the beginning, the children and adults had almost no ood.
They told me that they put up with hunger every day. But now, they harvest radishes,
mustard greens, and other vegetables to eat nutritious and healthy ood throughout the
day. I can see their happiness because we ocus on ood security. The amilies are very
grateul and always want to share everything they are producing with me and visitors rom
SHI. That makes me very proud to be part o Sustainable Harvest International.
joRges woRk is Funded
by the newmans own
Foundation & the hancock
united chuRch oF chRist in
leXington, ma
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Busy in the Barrio
visit us online: www.sustainableharvest.org la cosecha fall20104
BELIZE HONDURAS PANAMANICARAGUA
FIELD PROGRAM UPDATES
Thouh the dry season is , m r , m.
Despite these environmentalchallenes, SHI-Belize hashelped to plant over 45,000trees and diversiy participantarms so that they can cultivate versus the usin miratorytechniques o others.
Alon ith the hardoods andruit trees planted, participantamilies are producin cash-crops, like cacao and iner.r, plantin the leuminous
drumstick tree (Moringaoleifera) in their aroorestrysystems to utilize their nutrientrich leaves in a iner tea/spicepoder. The tea is currently , expand that market elsehere .
SHI-Belize is also innovatinin areas that reduce costs andaste, such as a ne approach
to tree nurseries. Holloed sliced in 12 and 18 sections alternative to plastic nursery -transplant stress.
with the rains o the ne emere, SHI-Honduras ishopeul that harvests ill
the 500+ participant amilies , enerate additional income.
In addition to improvinthe nutrition and income orural armin amilies, SHI-Honduras successully plantedover 103,000 trees andinitiated ork in Sulaco, Yoro.families in Sulaco are alreadycompostin kitchen aste and ,
.t ,amilies in Sulaco are eaerto learn other means o soil armin.
folloin a to eek intensivecourse on permaculture,oranic armin andchromatoraphy, sta has trainins or their co-orkers
and proram participants. Additional emphasis on , -input armin systems ill reener uture or many oHonduras rural poor.
t , amilies orkin ith SHI-Nicaraua improved 1,000 armin, aroorestry andreorestation. families
planted a variety o treeand ruit species in theirmixed-use orests, includinavocado, oranes, star apple(Chrysophyllum cainito), , partride ood (Andirainermis). families are plantinreen manures and covercrops in and around their , , and taro, to improve nitroenlevels in the soil and reduceeed roth.
families in Nicaraua are and the techniques they have. i gzo El Panchon says, I havediversied my farm andimplemented organic farmingtechniques that benet myfamily.
Lastly, SHI-Nicaraua put 15.5 acre demonstrationarm, Center for the Family
and the Environment.s, c armin techniques tauht toparticipants.
SHI-Panama sta andamilies consider their recentcommercialization o produceas a monumental step orard.In the past, most amilies ould sell their produce or
hatever price a middle-man ould oer. No, seventeenamilies in El Entradero sell p c csa (cSupported Ariculture) inpartnership ith a local, Culantro Rojo.
SHI-Panama is settin thestae to open three ne rural El Entradero. Also, ith co- FundacionNatura, SHI-Panama is
p c wzone hich ocuses on homeardens and ood conservin. t a startin point or SHI-p this environmentally sensitivereion o the country.
SHI-Panama has recently 25 testin in the communities
o Paua and San Juanito. Inthe last year, SHI-Panamaparticipants successullyconverted 59 acres to ,hile reorestin 22 acres ith15,986 trees.
On March 6, 2010, ater many months o planning, we (members
o the United Church o Christ Chapel Hill) were nally on our
way to Honduras as volunteers on an SHI Smaller World Tour.
Two SHI trip coordinators and the SHI-Honduras Country
Director, Yovany Munguia, met us at the airport in San Pedro
Sula. We were soon on the road to the mountainous district
o Yoro, where SHI provides hands-on training in sustainable
agriculture to more than 300 amilies.
Our group enjoyed warm hospitality and delicious Honduran
are in homes o SHI arming amilies. Our rst stop was in
the small village o Barrio Abajo. We were so happy to see thehealthy and expanded goat herd, with its tidy house and new
encing, that volunteers rom our North Carolina community
had supported the previous year. Some o us hoed trenches o
animal eed while others dug post holes or encing. The othe
hal o our group built a chicken coop, started a garden, and
planted seedlings. Even with all o our projects, there was stil
time or a walk to a nearby stream beneath the ridge line o the
mountains. The scenery reminded me o our mountains back
home.
a nr cr rp p
f pr fr 2 hr
by volunteer Jill Edens
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planting hope restoring forests nourishing communities 5
EARTH UNIVERSITY:
o
development in many rural areas o
Latin America is the lack o access to
a practical education. One
c a
orkin to chane that is
EARTH University, located
in the heart o the tropics in
c
c r. t u
acilities, demonstration arms
and a sath o primary and
secondary roth rainorest here students rom Latin
a, c
a
and natural resources manaement.
The hands-on approach practiced at
EARTH University encouraes students
knolede that they ain in the classroom.
This unique curriculum has iven the
University an excellent reputation
,
,
the admissions department
oes out o its ay to recruit
student leaders rom rural and
underserved areas o the tropics,
85%
ith ull or partial scholarships.
t
payin o, as EARTH alumni areoverhelminly returnin to their
countries o oriin 86% o them
. t
minded initiatives they learned at EARTH
. t
earth u 20 a,
, earth
the University and riends to plant over
one million trees in 31 countries, a sin o
the natural environment.
Ater two nights it was a sad goodbye to the amilies in Barrio
Abajo and on to our next community, El Ocotal, where we
observed and helped with a wide variety o projects. I helped
build a wood-conserving stove - a beautiul adobe creation that
could heat the kitchen, bake bread and provide a hot surace or
tortillas and other stovetop cooking. This low-tech stove uses upto 50% less wood than the traditional stoves in the area and was
properly vented to improve the indoor air quality or the amily.
My husband, Rick, helped dig a tilapia pond that would provide
an additional source o protein or the recipient amily. I helped
plant seedlings or a reorestation project including everything
rom mahogany to cedar trees in a thoughtully planned projec
that would shelter the community watershed and provide
the amily with a sustainable income or decades to come
Other group members helped create a biogas digester which
transorms cow manure into usable methane gas - enough or a
amily to cook all their meals. The decomposed manure would
also serve as a valuable source o compost or the amily garden
Others built a water-catchment tank, while my group ended ou
stay by helping to plant cassava and plantains.
We were amazed at how many projects SHI and their loca
eld trainers had organized or us, and additionally, to see o
ourselves the proound dierence these low-cost, sustainable
practices can make or the well-being o communities. The
contrast between SHI communities and the arms around them
was easy to see. I am so grateul to have been the guest o ou
Honduran riends and to have had the opportunity to see the
eective work that SHI is doing among them. With a sad adios
we let or our nal days o sightseeing in Copan. We will loo
orward to our next visit!
LEARN MORE ABOUT OURSMALLER WORLD TOURS ONLINE:www.sustainableharvest.org/travel
a honduRan schoolboy
tRansPlants a tRee seedling
on the hillside.
FOR MORE
INFORMATION, VISIT:
ear th-u sa . o r g
In addition to an excellent academ
program, EARTH University provid
training for organizations, including SHI
Several years ago, the majority of our staff
from all four country programs learned a
tremendous amount during a week-long
course on organics at EARTH. On severa
occasions, SHI-Belize has beneted from
the four-month internship that all EARTHstudents complete during their third year of
studies. And, one of our programs has the
distinction of having a very special tie to
EARTH - the Board Chair of SHI-Nicaragua
is an EARTH graduate. We appreciate
EARTH Universitys efforts over the past 20
years and hope to work even more closely
with them in the future.
_______
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visit us online: www.sustainableharvest.org la cosecha fall20106
This spring, we released our much-awaited short documentary, Planting Hope, capturing
lie in rural Honduras rom the perspectives o SHI eld trainer, Juan Carlos, and SH
graduate armer, Don Cheyo (photo let).
Juan Carlos has worked or SHI or ten years and exemplies the commitment to community
and sustainable arming that is at the heart o SHIs mission. Watch as he visits rural villages
to provide assistance and advice to armers transitioning to sustainable techniques. Don
Cheyo provides a tour o his arm and insight into how his lie has changed since working
with SHI. He shows us that there is hope or change and stability in an oten degraded
landscape.
You can help spread awareness about this crucial work and start showing your community
the dierence SHI makes or the planet and its people! w r pr v
p sr Pr r r. Whether you
invite just a ew riends or your entire community, please take action today to help protect
our planet. We need your help now to continue planting hope in Central America!
WATCH IT ONLINE: www.sustainableharvest.org/hope
HOST A SCREENING PARTY: [email protected]
P
LANTINg
HOPE
Our Garden GrowsSHI was a recipient o the 2009 Dirigo Award or Non-Proft
Excellence rom the Maine Association o Nonprots. We
used the unds to expand our
organic community gardenat our Surry, Maine ofce. As
you can see, we have enjoyed
many delicious vegetables
rom the garden!
ABOVE: Vice President,Greg Field, digs in &
gets his eet dirty!
RIGHT: Authentic
Maine potatoes
ABOVE: Major GitsCoordinator, Randy Morrison,
takes a kale break.
BELOW: Young broccoli
well on its way to
becoming a ull head!
Planting Hope was produced by Myriad Media, who generously donated their time and resources to the project
8/9/2019 Sustainable Harvest International "La Cosecha" Fall 2010 Newsletter
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8/9/2019 Sustainable Harvest International "La Cosecha" Fall 2010 Newsletter
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SUSTAINABLE HARvEST INTERNATIONAL779 NORTH BEND ROAD
surry, maine 04684 u.s.a.
address service requested
non-profit org.
u.s. postage
paiDbangor, me
zip coDe 04401
permit no.76
la cosecha is printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks. please enjoy it, then pass it on!
sustainable harvest international 779 north bend road surry, maine 04684 U.S.A.207.669.8254 [email protected] www.sustainableharvest.org
Join SHI in Belize!April 2010Now taking reservations!
Get more information:sustainableharvest.orgor call 919-967-3662
Sustainable Harest International c a .
acebook.com/sustainableharvestinternational
twitter.com/SHILaCosecha
CONNECT wITH SHI ONLINE!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1. m f t4. field Proram Updates4. Busy in the Barrio5. EARTH University6. Plantin Hope6. Our garden gros7. k c - r
REGISTER FOR SHIS FIRST
BEEKEEPINGWORKSHOP!!
May 22 - 30, 2011
TRAVEL TO HONDURAS
TO LEARN ABOUT BEES!
VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR THE FULL
SMALLER WORLD TOUR SCHEDULE:
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