TWENTY-TWELVE

Hola Todxs!

Today I am writing to you from my studio in Rosario, where I’m sitting and wearing a bear apron that I found at a local flea market for a few pesos, smiling widely from the gratification of a few busy and inspiring weeks of work.  Since I last posted, my internship with the Programa de Agricultura Urbana at the Municipality has shifted into high gear! March into April is one of the most active times on the Huertas in Rosario, as everyone is busy harvesting summer crops, planting fall ones, saving seeds, and redesigning/updating other parts of the landscape.  I’ve been working long days helping to do accomplish all of these tasks, sometimes as much 10 hours, sometimes as few as 5 or 6. Someone is always heating up water for mate, or preparing the meal for a slow lunch, where we all sit together around the picnic table laughing and sharing a meal.  I couldn’t be happier. Truly.

Here is a bulletpoint list of some of what we’ve done (just) this week:

• Every Monday I attend a 4 hour capacitación (meeting) with most of the leaders at each of the Huertas.  This week, we talked about Trofobiosis, IPM, and the negative effects of pesticides and herbicides on the plants metabolism.
• Harvested Chauchas (dried beans)
• Harvested and saved Zinnia seeds
• Burnt my tongue on Mate
• Harvested Hibiscus, for marmalade and juice
• Seeded a field with a mixture of Anise, Grains, and Legumes
• Saved cherry tomato seeds (messy!)
• Sprayed Supermagro (bio-fertilizer made from an infusion (tea) of manure, compost, and herbs that is enriched with mineral salts) on squash plants which will be grown for seed
• Harvested zapallo and zapallito (2 different types of squash) and saved their seeds
• Weighed out lettuce and onion seeds and put them in tiny envelopes for the farmers
• Prepared a raised bed for cabbage, pulled out rhizomes of a common weed whose name i didn’t catch. (will do soon)
• Harvested Ceylon, and plucked the tiny leaves off to dry.  Apparently, also delicious with mate.

What a week.  Lookin’ forward to the next.