Qachuu Aloom Staff Visits Sustainable Agriculture Projects in New Mexico and Arizona
As an addition to the participation of the Qachuu Aloom team in the 13th Traditional Agriculture/Permaculture Design Course, the group of six Mayan leaders from Rabinal, Guatemala embarked on a series of visits and exchanges with a number of Pueblos in New Mexico and Arizona. During the visits, the group shared the work of the Qachuu Aloom Association in Guatemala, and the successes and challenges that have been encountered in sustainable farming and cultural strengthening projects. In return, the local leaders shared their own successes and challenges in their own work to achieve these objectives. In many cases the whole group got to work in the various farms visited. Some of the topics addressed were: methods of managing pests without the use of chemicals, techniques to avoid soil erosion and water evaporation in desert-like environments, native seed saving, and the fostering community participation in sustainable agriculture.
During the stay of the group in the United States, they visited projects in Tesuque Pueblo, Isleta Pueblo, and Hopi. They also visited non-Native projects that are devoted to strengthening sustainable farming in the area, including gardens in Bosque Farms and the Seeds for Change company in northern New Mexico.