Mount Shasta & Lassen Region Farm & Food Economy

I had the opportunity to sit in on a luncheon on July 10th 2012 at the Gaia Hotel in Anderson and learn about our local farm and food economy.  Growing Local (a local grassroots group promoting what their name implies) hosted Ken Meter from the Crossroads Resource Center from Minnesota to give a talk on his findings of our local economy.  Other speakers included Dr. Glenda Humiston (State Director, USDA Rural Development and also fellow Ag Leadership alumni) and Dr. Shermain Hardesty (Director UC Davis Small Farm Program).

The two-hour event was very informative and really highlighted what this area is all about.  There aren't a lot of big corporate farms here compared to other areas in the state, but we are known well for small farms owned/managed by retirees.  We definitely lack infrastructure for agricultural processing.  I know that is kinda funny for me to agree with (considering Prather Ranch currently has the only USDA inspected beef processing facility in the "focus" area of the study).

One interesting thing Ken mentioned was that if every consumer in our focus area spent just $5 week on purchasing local foods, it would result in $89 million in new farm income for our local farmers.  He felt the best way to economic recovery in our region is to invest in our farms and food production systems and start supporting our neighbors once again.

I couldn't agree more.

After the presentation we had a tour of Churn Creek Meadow Organic Farm, owned and operated by Mary and Albert Occasion.  It was interesting to hear about their operation, how they produce their vegetables (I got a few ideas for my garden at home) and their thoughts on local food production.  The tour was around 3:00 and about 105 degrees.  The tour participants looked much more wilted than the farm.

Basil at Churn Creek Meadow Organic Farm

The next tour stop was a talk from me about Prather Ranch at our Bella Vista Ranch.  I shaded everyone up in the hay barn and I spoke about the history of the Bella Vista ranch, the history of Prather Ranch, our current operation and I even let them in on a few of my "Project X" secrets I've been working on.  Shhhhh!!!!!

Here's a link to an article about the event:

http://www.redding.com/news/2012/jul/10/food-analyst-grow-connections-between-farms

North Valley Ag Tour

I participated in an "agricultural tour" of a few locations in the Sacramento Valley.  Matson and Isom was hosting an annual accounting conference in Chico and this tour and I asked if I was interested in attending... of course!

We first met in Chico and drove to River West farms off Hwy 45.  They are both almond producers and processors.  This facility was spotless.  It was probably the cleanest agricultural processing facility I've ever seen.  These folks export a lot of almonds overseas and their buyers want it clean.  Impressive folks, impressive location... thanks for the 10 lbs. of raw almonds too!

www.riverwestprocessing.com

Our next visit was of Lucero Olive Oil in Corning.  I'm a fan of Lucero, they certainly have taken olive oil to the next level.  Now if they can take Corning to the next level, then I'll be a devout follower.  We had a quick tour of the processing facility.  I have had to appraise olive oil equipment for a local producer before, so I was quite interested with their malaxer.

They were passing out samples of the Mandarin orange olive oil with a small bit of vanilla ice cream- and WOW I was sold.  Thanks, once again, Lucero, for the great olive oil.  I always leave with a new flavor, basil, garlic, and don't even get me started on the flavors of balsamic too.

My hat is off to Dewey Lucero (also a Cal Poly SLO graduate) who is apparently the one responsible for their new venture.  Keep up the great work!

http://lucerooliveoil.com/

We went to Lassen Steak House for lunch.  Yep.  Right off the 99 at Vina.  Yep.  I was once told if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say it at all.  So, moving on.

When in Vina, you do as the Trappist monks do.  Luckily they grow great wine in a phenomenal location- the New Clairvaux Vineyard.  We learned about the impressive history of the property, took a small tour of the grounds, toured the Sacred Stones project (the reconstruction of an 800 year old Cistercian monastery from Spain) and tasted some wine.  The wine was great, it was a nice warm day and at the first sip of Albarino and I was sold.  The Abbots Reserve was also great.  I was extremely close to joining the wine club, but decided that if I came back and still enjoyed the wines, they may have to be my "local" wine club.

http://www.newclairvauxvineyard.com/

Our group got on the bus and headed straight for Chico.  Next stop- Sierra Nevada Brewery.  How much more do I need to say here?  I've never been on the tour before, and it is very well done.  It is absolutely worth the time.  There is some beer sampling at the end (I've already done my homework) but I did enjoy chatting with the tour guide regarding new beers on the horizon.

http://www.sierranevada.com/

So whatever happened with that organic strawberry nursery deal?

2005 Harvest

I get that question periodically.  So... here's the version straight from the source.

We all know that organic certification requires that all organic growers plant organic planting stock or organic seed when commercially available.  Here they are:  

NOP 205.204 (a) The producer must use organically grown seeds, annual seedlings and planting stock: Except, That (1) Nonorganically produced, untreated seeds and planting stock may be used to produce an organic crop when an equivalent organically produced variety is not commercially available… “

 

NOP 205.2 Commercially Available: The ability to obtain a production input in an appropriate form, quality or quantity to fulfill an essential function in a system of organic production or handling, as determined by the certifying agent in the course of reviewing the organic plan”.

I was the sole source of organic strawberry planting stock in the United States in the planting years of 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009.  For these five years, I literally gave plants away to establish my name and reputation in this business.  I was establishing some great long term working relationships with some great people and life was good.  My product was of such high quality my plants were literally selling themselves- if I could get a box or two of plants planted on an organic farm those people would be my customers for life.

2009 Organic Strawberry Nursery

2009 was my fifth year of organic strawberry plant production.  Anyone who grew organic strawberries (specifically in CA) knew I existed.  Word in the furrow was that the main certifiers weren't properly enforcing the "if available" rule, as many growers were still using conventional plants when clearly the organic plants were commercially available at similar prices and all the main varieties.

In 2009 I had eight acres of organic strawberry nursery plants, harvested them and sold the crowns in the fall of 2009 and dormant crowns in early 2010.  I produced nearly two million plants with eight different varieties.  I wasn't getting the sales this year like I had in the past... I had done two different harvests of different varieties to offer the best varieties at all times throughout the planting season.  I pretty much did everything I could do on my end to provide high quality, low cost organic planting stock to the organic strawberry industry at all times in the optimal planting window.  Unfortunately I was not supported by the majority of my fellow organic growers.  

2009 Harvest

An organic strawberry grower in Watsonville, Stephen Pederson at Two Small Farms wrote an article that is pretty descriptive for his CSA.  It is from an organic strawberry grower's perspective, completely unsolicited on my part and quite entertaining for me to read.

http://www.twosmallfarms.com/Newsletters.pdf/2010/TSF%20Newsletter%20April%207%202010.pdf

He hit the nail pretty hard on the head.  Growers weren't being enforced because the vertically integrated companies were using conventional plants on the majority (if not all) of their organic fields.

Swanton Berry Farms freshly-planted field with Prather Ranch nursery plants

My 2009 crop year was devastating for me.  I grew nearly two million plants and had to throw away hundreds of thousands of plants that sat in cold storage in Watsonville and in Redding.  If it weren't for the plants I sold as conventional it would have been a total flop.  Yes, you heard that right... my plants were boxed up as conventional plants and they sold much better than if they were marketed as organic plants.

I did not plant my nursery in 2010.  Ironically, I won the IPM Innovator Award by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation in March of 2010, right as I was shipping the last of my plants out.  Bittersweet to say the least.

One day I was contacted by an investigative reporter who was going to write an article for the New York Times.  It pretty well speaks for itself.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/us/farmers-seek-to-raise-standards-for-berries.html?_r=1&ref=sanfranciscobayarea

This made some waves in the industry.  I soon was on NPR marketplace, on Mother Earth News, Grist, and a bunch of other industry publications.  I did have some interesting conversations after these articles.  I'm still not convinced the industry fully supports me.  Why waste my time and energy if the industry does not fully want it?

So that's where I am... working on some beautiful ranches, I've got some great projects in the hopper and life is grand.  Will I ever grow organic plants again?  I'm afraid that isn't up for me to decide... it's up to the organic industry.  

TEDx Redding

Why do you TED?

Earlier this year I was nominated and accepted to be a speaker at the first TEDx Redding event.  What a great experience it was!  I enjoyed developing the talk and getting my message out to the world.  I also got to work with some tremendous people, who now I consider friends.  Hat's off to everyone who made the first TEDx event in Redding a smashing success!

Here's a link to my You Tube TEDx Redding talk from February 2012:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe5y3LBjLcE

To Plant A City

Greetings!  It's been a while... I've been up to a ton of stuff lately.

I thought I'd start with this link of a local food documentary I was a part of recently.  It was created by Tyler Faires and Toby Johnston, two local Shasta County natives who wanted to find out more on the local food scene.  It won best documentary on the Sundial Film Festival in 2012.  Enjoy!

To Plant A City, Tyler Faires & Toby Johnston

http://toplantacity.tylerfaires.com/

http://vimeo.com/34549860

Blog much? No, not really....

Welcome back! (I'm merely saying this to myself) I thought I'd take a moment and write an update to my one follower (hey Jack!).

I just finished up my last seminar in Pomona last week. I had to make it up due to Ashton being born. The next class is visiting the Middle East, and spent time learning about Muslims & Islam. We toured a mosque in Chino. This was a fascinating experience, to get the first-hand experience of a religion that often has "radical" attached to it.

Islam is a wide spread of a religion, much like any other. Some are radicals (9/11 terrorists) and murder in the name of Islam, while others take on the more pacifist and peaceful approach. At any rate, it is an interesting religion that I didn't know much about. I still don't know much about it, but I've at least been exposed to it.

It was nice to finish up the last seminar on a good note. It would have been nice to spend it with my classmates (and not Class 40) but regardless, it was good to meet everyone in the next class and wish them well before their big journey. I'm excited for them- they will represent the program well.

Real life is calling. Time to shift gears and get to work!

Synthesis

This morning I had the pleasure of talking about my trip to the Redding Sunrise Rotary. They were a cheery bunch (especially for 7 AM) and all seemed to enjoy my presentation. I didn't notice any nodding off at least...

I took over 1,000 photos on my journey, and I condensed these down to 30 powerpoint slides and talked for 20 minutes. This was a chore, trying to condense over two weeks of experiences into 20 minutes. I merely focused on the major locations I visited and only included a few side stories- other than that I had to focus on the basics. I finished my speech with two minutes to spare for questions (and my long-winded answers got me over my time allocation). I think it went well, as I had many people come up to me afterwards and shake my hand, telling me how great of a job I did. I had the President of the group also trying to recruit me, which I may have to consider.

Later today I'm traveling to Williams to have a synthesis session with my fellow classmates (or at least my northern California contingent). I get the opportunity to talk more about this amazing experience and reflect upon it. Since I have been back, I have been very busy and had little time to reflect on this blog. Tonight at synthesis, I will have a good chance to take some notes (maybe I'll pack my computer) and put my scattered thoughts down in print. If they are worthy enough, maybe I will share them on here.

Reality?

Haven't posted much since I've been back home. I've considered it, but work deadlines (argh, gotta get this appraisal done!), baby and the CPA wife in tax season keep me pretty busy this time of year. Last weekend had a few rounds of friends over to share some Peruvian food (ceviche!), try my hand at Pisco Sours and go through the slide show journey.

I was just asked to select five pictures for our 'synthesis' session next week. It wasn't easy picking five, so I just closed my eyes, and tried to recall some of the more memorable aspects of the trip. From that, I tried to select different pictures that represented those experiences. Were they the five best pictures of the trip? No. They meant something to me, that's all that counts. I get to explain these five different pictures to members of my class. I'm looking forward to seeing what others selected.

In addition to this, I need to start working on a 20 minute presentation. I have been asked to talk for the Redding Sunrise Rotary on my experience and had another request to talk in a public forum. As usual, my response was a yes! Need to start thinking about the powerpoint... better yet, I better get back to work!

Otovalo, Ecuador to Redding, CA

The next morning we woke from our slumber with a slight headache of the abundant South American wine flowing from our finale dinner. We boarded the busses and headed into Otovalo. The first stop was a livestock auction. When I was younger, my parents had an office at the Shasta Livestock Auction, so I essentially grew up around the livestock auction culture. Basically this wasn’t my first rodeo. When we arrived I was awestruck by the loosely organized chaos that was termed an auction.

Animals of al shapes and sizes were moo-ing, clucking and snorting. The alpacas stood their ground off to the side and held their heads high, obviously the nobility of Ecuadorian animal agriculture. The pigs were rooting around for the coolest spot they could find, as the sun was already starting to get high in the sky. Large crates of chickens and chicks were tended to by various locals. The cattle were the most abundant animals around- the Holsteins there were very skinny and in poor flesh. The oh so famous cuy were often found in large burlap sacks, people pulling them out one by one and examining them. I walked around with my camera dangling from my chest, finger on the shutter snapping photos in an inconspicuous fashion- I wanted to give these people respect with their culture and not be a slob tourist (pretty tough being light skinned with a camera around my neck!).

After the fascinating walk through the auction, we took our lives in our own hands and crossed the road towards the central market area. Otovalo is famous for hosting the largest Saturday market in South America. We first took a walk through some of the produce stalls, looking at the variety of products. The colors were vibrant, the food looked fresh and healthy. The meat department was filled with the usual roasted pigs and piles of chicken feet. Touring the meat department is always a personal highlight.

The textile market was next on the agenda. This market held anything imaginable, colors as bright as you could imagine and all sorts of crafts and clothing. We walked around, haggled over a variety of goods I wanted to take home. I was enjoying the bartering process, ah, the free market at work.

Our small group retreated to a coffee shop along the edge of the market and I enjoyed some espresso. Eventually our class converged at the designated meeting spot and we meandered back to the busses. Back at the hotel, we had a quick talk by one of our Campus Coordinators- Dr. Thomas (animal science professor at Fresno State). In the typical Dr. Thomas fashion, he covered the potential to transmit animal diseases from the livestock auction. He especially talked to Joyce and I (Joyce is a poultry farmer in Riverside County) because we spend a lot of time around animals. Heck, I have cattle in my front yard, so he explained the best quarantine procedures for me and my clothing. I sanitized my shoes with bleach and took a long shower, scrubbing every square inch I could to prevent the introduction of some nasty Ecuadorian endemic animal disease to our livestock. It’s going to be hard to not get out on the ranch as soon as I get home- I’ll take my quarantine more as hibernation in my bed!

We had a ‘Synthesis’ session at the hotel, which consisted of discussing the various aspects of our trip. We talked of the extremes we witnessed, the arid deserts of the Peruvian coast to the Amazon rainforest. Discussions rambled from oil exploitation to agricultural systems. Before we knew it, the time had come to board the bus and start the lengthy trip back home, bus to Quito, flight to Lima and then on to Los Angeles.

Once we arrived in Quito we knew we were in for a long trip home. The LAN Airlines are based out of Santiago, Chile, which had just suffered a 8.8 quake. Their computer system was down and they had to hand-write our boarding passes. It was a nightmare. When we arrived in Lima, we discovered our flight was cancelled. Miraculously, we wound up on another flight (all 23 of us!) and were headed home, although delayed. We witnessed many class mates at near break down mode- but luckily nobody completely snapped. Landed at LAX, I had to hustle through customs and barely made my flight to Redding.

I'm back, Shasta County!!!

Otovalo, Ecuador & crossing the equator

Straddling the Equator

The class arrived down in the lobby, anticipating the last leg of the journey. We noticed that one of our fellows, Mr. Rick Stark had broke the code of conduct and shaved his Amazonian beard. This sorely disappointed the rest of us, especially me. I can’t grow a beard at all- and this beard growing experiment merely just showed the class how little facial hair I can produce (I like to consider that I’m just more evolved). We boarded the bus and were on our way to Northern Ecuador.

The first stop was at a major tourist attraction- the equator. Expecting a bright red line (similar to the yellow first down lines in the NFL) again I hit a major disappointment (#2 for the day). In typical Ag Leadershilp fashion, the class set into formation and we took a class photo. We were getting this class photo thing down.

Heading north, we soon were at our next stop, Hacienda La Compania de Jesus. This hacienda was a very interesting stop- we had coffee (the best all trip) and snacks awaiting us as we arrived. Also throughout the house were elaborate bouquets of roses. These Ecuadorians sure know how to grow a rose. Massive bouquets were located throughout every room in the house. We took a tour of the grounds, including their own chapel. We had a little girl walking around and giving us each one rose… and once again, the mandatory class photo and we were back on the road.

Arriving in Otavolo, we could barely make out the mountains (volcanoes) surrounding us amidst the fog and mist. The first stop was for lunch at a place famous for its Cuy (guinea pig). Looking over the menu, there were many options to choose from- the mandatory Cuy, rabbit, blood sausage and other mystery meats. I was being adventurous (as usual) and ordered the combo plate, which consisted of all of the above. I also tried some fried Cuy livers as an appetizer, and let me tell you, that was some appetizer!

After a very large lunch we were ready to visit the Universidad Technica del Norte- the main agricultural university in Northern Ecuador. We unfortunately were on a bit of a time schedule, but were treated to a great tour regardless. The highlight of this particular tour was the cuy production facility. Little did we know we’d see confined cuy. We took a quick walk down to some grain production trials. This school contained 500 agricultural students led by 25 faculty members. This university was very well maintained, unlike the university farm we visited in Cusco, Peru. You could feel the pride that the students had in their projects.

After the university visit, we had a special treat lined up for us. We had representatives from the Benson Institute, a group that has developed a nutrition program in rural Ecuador. This program analyzes current diets and works with families to help integrate other crops and livestock into their diets to help improve their health. We had a few family visits and were able to see this first hand. The institute would provide things such as technical support, seeds and seed stock livestock. One family for example were provided a few cuy and grew that into a thriving enterprise of 90 cuy.

Family in their garden plot

Another family working with the Benson Institute

The family visits wrapped up and we hopped back on our busses. We headed to the Hacienda Cuisin, the location of our final night on our trip. When we arrived at the site, I was pleasantly surprised. The grounds were expansive and immaculately manicured. We walked around and checked out everyone else’s rooms. Many of the females in our class had their own cottages… this place was great! We cleaned up and met for our finale dinner.

We had a large banquet room all to ourselves. The food was great, but the toast was the highlight of the night. None other than Mr. Peterangelo Vallis gave an elaborate toast to the class. There is no way I can capture this moment in words, or even by pictures. Peter, with glass of wine in hand, roved around the room, and told the many stories that we had from our experience that was coming to an end. Fellows were dropping like flies due to the hysteric laughter. We saluted ourselves in one last great toast, here’s to a great trip!

Sincha Pura & Quito, Ecuador

I awoke after the thunder and lightning storm to a completely soaked camp. The rain had just let up right as we were waking up. We ate a basic breakfast of sliced fruit and moldy bread. We gathered up the few belongings we had at the village and we ready to go. On our way out, we had one of the villagers show off his pet boa constrictor. I was a little uneasy that when he went to go retrieve it, he didn’t walk very far. I probably wouldn’t have slept so well knowing a boa constrictor was so close to my cot.

We walked out of camp and hiked back to the bus. Walking over the large bridge was easier this time. I made it once, I can make it again, right? We made it over the bridge and the bus was awaiting. We boarded the bus, and were supposed to go straight to Quito, as our bags were in the bus. Our guide Norby informed us that we needed to go back to beautiful Tena to retrieve his bag. Que? Did he miss this memo as well? Alas, it was one more chance to go back to Tena, jewel of the Amazon. I thought this was a good opportunity to find a good souvenir shop to find a shirt, “Happiness is Tena.” No such luck unfortunately. By the way, we decided that our guide Norby and our slick driver Jose were actually running drugs to Quito via a tour bus filled with Americans, thus the ‘pick up’ of bags at the hotel in Tena. There’s always an angle.

The day was bright and sunny, quite a contrast from our trip in. As we left, we were treated with magnificent views of the surrounding peaks and the seemingly infinite jungle. We were a bit under a time constraint, as we needed to be near Quito at a flower producer’s facility by 12:30. Our bus driver didn’t get this memo as well. He took his sweet time, stopped to get gas as soon as we left Tena (why he didn’t fill up in the morning before he picked us up I have no idea). He did try to make up some time by passing even slower vehicles (there were a few) on blind corners. At one point, we turned a blind corner and some large flatbed truck was making a U-turn in the middle of the road. Jose slammed on his brakes and we nearly t-boned the guy.

Another interesting aspect of our trip was the condition of the bus. Once we got to the Andes and started climbing, a smoky smell started to seep throughout the bus. Upon further inspection, our transmission appeared to be smoking. When asked, Jose the driver said that it was normal in these higher conditions. Yeah, right. We were finally getting acclimated to the crazy driving and the lack of attention to his vehicle when suddenly the bus pulled to a stop in the middle of the road. What are we doing? Jose said he needed to check the tire pressure with a smile. Great, he’s taking care of his rig. I watched Jose go back behind the bus and relieve a little pressure of his own near a tree. Nice. His tip is getting diminished rather quickly.

Running very late, we finally arrived at a gas station near Quito to meet our next hosts. We were only two hours late, yet they still were very glad to see us (or were very good actors). We followed them towards their greenhouse facility, where they realized that our large bus would not make the very rough road. The people were driving a small compact four-door Chevy truck, with five occupants already in it. We parked our bus and started to shuttle our group up to the greenhouses. We were able to fit nine people in the first load, and with five in the cab- a grand total of 14 people in that truck. I commented that our program director who is typically overly concerned with our safety would crap a brick if he saw us. I couldn’t reach my camera let alone snap a photo of the situation. We safely (barely) arrived without the tailgate flopping open to the greenhouses. We were greeted and shown around the facilities.

We soon were walking in a sea of roses of every color imaginable. There were approximately 35 acres under glass in predominantly in rose production. The main markets were the United States and Russia. We walked into the packing facility and saw how they sorted and boxed the flowers.

The class was in and out quickly. We sauntered down the road to the bus and made it back in to Quito during rush hour traffic. Slow as molasses down the main roads into town we finally reached our end destination- the lovely Hotel Quito. Civilization at last! We quickly made our way inside, checked in and hit the showers to wash off the jungle grime.

A select group of adventurous types met up for a highly recommended place in downtown Quito- ZaZu. The cuisine was amazing and affordable. We enjoyed some South American wine (recommended by none other than the Peterangelo Vallis). After some varied appetizers of ceviche, fried calamari and oxtail ravioli, we were set for the main course. I opted for the salmon- which turned out to be a wise choice. After dinner an even smaller group of us took the taxi back to the hotel. Across the street was a nightclub called Flashback- an 80’s retro place with some very loud 80’s music. When we arrived, the dance floor was empty. Cara from Morro Bay was the first to get out and shake her tail. After her lead, the dance floor was soon throbbing with people dancing to Billy Idol and Michael Jackson. We ended the night and ventured back across the street- we had a long day the next day in Otovalo and needed all the rest we could get.

Buenos Noches Quito!

Sincha Pura, Ecuador- Jungle Fever

Our class woke early to prepare for our trip to the village. We were apprehensive as we were finally given more information about what we had in store for us. The lodging facility was described as ‘primitive’ with ‘local building materials’ and ‘very rustic.’ Who would have thought we were just having drinks with the US ambassador in Quito, wearing suits and ties and here we are looking like jungle commandos. We had to hike in to the village, so I consolidated things into my day pack. The rest of the luggage was stored on the bus, as we all decided we could live through life not going back to the hotel. We were very clear that we didn’t feel safe having our belongings stored at that location, as we probably wouldn’t have anything left when we got back.

We set off to the village, still un-named as of yet. The paved road soon turned to gravel. The gravel road turned to little more than a trail, I was amazed our bus made it this far. We finally got to a spot that was just large enough for the bus to turn around, “Here we are everyone.” Grabbing my backpack and walking off the bus, I was greeted with the image of a long footbridge that was eerily reminiscent of something out of Indiana Jones. Our group assembled at the entrance of the bridge, and our guide Norby instructed us that we had to walk about 15 feet apart, only ten people at a time. Stepping on the first planks, I realized that this was going to test my adversity to heights. I took a deep breath, and put one foot in front of the other. I couldn’t keep looking ahead, as there were a large amount of planks that were rotten or huge gaps between them. I tried as hard as I could to not look down at the water, and completely blocked out the beautiful scenery that was surrounding me. With a large amount of people on the bridge, it was swaying side to side.

We walked through the jungle down a narrow gravel road. We crossed a stream channel hopping from rock to rock, surprisingly everyone had kept dry. Norby our guide took a small path carved out of the jungle, and we walked single file line, penetrating the jungle. This small path winded around and soon we could hear the river in the distance getting closer with every step. We heard a hacking sound and came across two men hacking down some vegetation, clearing a plot for a future subsistence garden. The trail opened up and we were soon in the village of Sincha Pura.

This village was very small, yet was maintained more than the village of Huamani. There was a large open area that was cleared out. I quickly noticed the abundance of yellow grass in this area- sure sign of a Glyphosate (RoundUp) application. There was a large futball area and a small structure that served as the school. Overlooking the river was the open-air dining hall, on stilts and with palm fronds as the roof. This was as authentic as you can get.

There was another small covered porch down closer to the river, with hammocks strung up to catch a weary traveler. Off to the side of the village was a decent amount of huts on stilts- these were the ‘barracks’ where we’ll be staying. What, no dirt floors? They had very basic cots with insect nets above them- which only provided a limited amount of reassurance. Two cots and a candle per room, nothing more. Guess that’s all you need, right?

We dropped off our luggage and congregated in the dining hall, which also served a dual purpose as a meeting hall. We had a warm greeting by the head lady of the village and were welcomed to Sincha Pura. We had a quick discussion of the language, as they still speak the native tongue of Ketchuwa?. A few were bilingual and knew Spanish.

The class brought some school supplies for the children of the village. We went to the small school and provided the kids with some supplies... which brought out some nervous smiles.

Next on the agenda was learning about subsistence farming. We learned about their native crops and how they farmed in the Amazon. They integrated a variety of bananas, yucca and other crops into the landscape. We harvested some native tubers- which would be later served at dinner. A little later the group went down the river to another small hut and had a demonstration on cooking methods of Chincha- an alcoholic drink that was enjoyed by the villagers.

At this point, we noticed our group had grown by two fresh new faces. A man and a woman, I assumed European (we later found out they were French) were doing a documentary on eco-tourism in Ecuador, and this was one of the villages they were studying. We realized that we were soon being videotaped and photographed… a little unnerving at first but hey, whatever.

Back to the village we went, and had a little free time before dinner. I went upstream on the river and waded in the river, the fresh, cool water felt great in the humid environment. Soon it was time for dinner. We ate a soup and some presumably free range chicken that was tough as leather. I got some stuck in my teeth and had to use the string from a tea bag as floss to set it free.

After dinner, we had a presentation on the Shamanistic rituals and met the village medicine man. We took our chairs from the dining area and formed a circle and the shaman came out and sat in the middle. He explained the rituals and their medicinal use of Jimsonweed as a psychedelic. Their ‘trip’ could last days or weeks. Often times the subjects of the medicine man may never come back to reality from the Jimsonweed journey. He asked if anyone wanted to be ‘cleansed’ and a few in our group went for it. They took their chair out close to the shaman, took their shirts off and the shaman would drink some potion, and spit it out over their bodies and into their hair. This ritual was a cleansing experience. I considered getting myself a little cleansing myself, but stopped myself short.

Next we traversed the large area with our chairs and prepared ourselves for the next event- a traditional dance. Soon, men came out wearing little more than palm fronds and then girls of the village and women came out in quasi-traditional garments. The music soon started and the dance began. We were excited to share this amazing experience. The girls went back in the tiny hut and I could see them out peering at our group and laughing. Next thing we knew, Norby announced that they would like us to dance with them, and the girls ran out and picked their dance partners. Greg, David, Josh, Cannon and I were ‘selected’ and we went out and cut a rug. Soon, the entire place was dancing and we got Greg to show off some major dance moves. We taught them an important lesson, white men can’t dance. The dance was soon over and we retreated to our cabins. Pulling the insect net over me, I closed my eyes and quickly fell asleep.

Around 4:00 in the morning, the scent of rain came associated with powerful thunder and lightning. I’ve seen bigger thunder and lightning storms at home in Shasta County, but keep in mind it was behind the comforts of an actual, not a hut. I spent a little time out on the porch of the hut, amidst the downpour and lightning. Watching the jungle light up with every bolt of lightning was a sight I’ll take to the grave. It wasn’t too long until I heard something very large rustling in the bushes nearby, so I quickly retreated to the hut and the comfort of my cot (which really didn’t offer much physical protection, more mental protection). I listened to the rain and eventually it put me to sleep.

Quito to Tena, Ecuador- Welcome to the Jungle

Our class gathered down in the lobby of the Hotel Quito in anticipation of going somewhere we’ve never been- the Amazon Rainforest. Beauty pageant contestants also were boarding their bus. We unsuccessfully tried to get one of our classmates convinced that their bus was our bus, and he almost made it in before one of the stout body guard stopped him.

A Mercedes bus pulled in to pick us up. We realized that the luxury stopped there, a bullethole in the windshield and chairs that were all stuck in the ‘recline’ position was going to make an interesting trip to Tena. The bathroom was merely a shoebox in the back with a light that didn’t work. Our jungle guide, Norby appeared, an Ecuadorian with surprisingly good English. He had multiple band aids spread across his face- obviously he didn’t get the memo that all the guys in the class had decided not to shave for the duration of the trip. I suggested he was on the losing end of a razor, while another in our group thought he had face-eating parasites. Either way, it wasn’t pretty. Our group also picked up another Ecuadorian, Roxanna, a lady who was finishing up a phD and was joining on us for this leg of the trip. She was going to speak to us later that evening about oil and the environment in Ecuador. Our bus driver was a fellow named Jose, and after his quick introduction, Mendes quipped, “Hammer Down, Jose.” We were off.

We drove out of Quito and soon were out of the city and into the countryside. We passed the Ecuador National futball team’s headquarters. The Redding soccer park is much better than their practice fields. In their credit, the stadium in downtown Quito is first class. The bus pulled over at a gas station and we inundated the small convenience store with gringos on a quest for ice cold Coca-Colas and chips.

En Route to Tena

The trip took us to the highest elevation in our trip so far- approximately 13,000 feet as we reached the Continental Divide. The countryside was much like we experienced in Cusco, Peru. Keep in mind, this elevation is higher than Mt. Lassen yet a little lower than Mt. Shasta, yet it was still lush and green, due to the fact it's near the equator. The vegetation was lush and green, cattle dotted the landscape. We soon found ourselves dropping in elevation, drastically.

We pulled off the road at a ‘scenic overlook’ while at a high elevation still and the wind and rain started to pick up. On a clear day, it would have been spectacular, but unfortunately the scenery had to be left to our imagination. We ate our marginal sack lunch of cold chicken (hopefully chicken) nuggets, canned vegetables and a ham sandwich (with the crust cut off, such attention to detail was impressive).

The bus slowly made it’s way down the windy ravine, along a large cliff overlooking an impressive river. Waterfalls cascaded down the sides of the mountains amidst areas that were cleared out for agriculture. We passed a few oil refineries, our first exposure to oil exploration in Ecuador. The first signs of clear cuts of the rainforest were seen here as well. Before we knew it, the heat and humidity saturated the bus and we were in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest. Welcome to the Jungle!

Wild white orchids lined the roadsides and massive stands of bamboo towered over the road. Periodically we would come across an areas that was cut- lush grass and livestock grazed. From what I saw on this trip, I didn’t see any areas that were cleared with heavy equipment. All of it appeared to be by hand with very little pesticide use. The subsistence farmers would clear enough space to graze a few head of cattle, plant some banana trees and have a small dwelling.

After a few hours of fascinating countryside, we arrived in Tena. Tena reminded me of a tropical Tijuana with a river running through it. Although the poverty was likely similar to Ica, the homes were more substantial. In Ica, you would see small reed huts everywhere, where here something like that wouldn’t survive the rainforest environment- heavier concrete buildings were the norm. The bus driver was lost and we toured Tena quite a bit before we arrived at our hotel. Wow. The “Hotel Christian Palace” was the polar opposite of a palace. Most of the rooms were not ready yet, although it was around 4:00 in the afternoon.

Reading my tour book on Ecuador, the few paragraphs of Tena talked about a park that was located on an island near the center of town. A few of us brave souls decided to venture out into the town in search of this tourist attraction. We walked past the town square, which actually was kept up fairly well, although the statue in the center was missing. Not exactly the gardens of Versailles, but hey, in the heart of the Amazon it was a pleasant surprise. We soon crossed a footbridge and were at the park, which actually was a zoo. I think we surprised the pleasant folks at the admission- they organized a special English speaking tour guide for us. We paid our $2 admission and we entered Tena’s version of Turtle Bay.

"Alf" the tapir

Free Range Monkey

First we came up to the snake cages, where we saw a few boa constrictors. They were just fed (I think they were fed as soon as we stepped footbridge so we could get a show). Fascinating to see a huge boa gulp down a bird. Monkeys had escaped from cages and were running amuck. Our mini safari hit it’s peak when a large tapir we dubbed ‘Alf’ started following us. I quickly realized that there were more animals out of the cages than in the cages, and soon started to be more in touch with my surroundings than usual. Our tour guide showed off a variety of poisonous plants, all along the walking trail. Lovely. A few gallons of sweat later, we left the park and found the one somewhat decent watering hole and enjoyed a little Pilsener to quench the thirst.

Alf, Hot on the Trail

It was nearly time for us to venture back to the hotel. We went up to the top floor in the conference area were greeted with a powerpoint presentation by Rosanna. She discussed environmental issues with clear cutting and oil extraction in Ecuador. We had an interesting discussion, dripping with sweat. We soon went down for dinner, and one of our classmates Cannon informed us there was a sign out front of the hotel, “Cook for Hire.” Very reassuring. I ate what I felt comfortable in eating- very little.

Lovely Tena, Jewel of the Amazon

In for the night at the roach infested hotel, sleep came quicker than I thought. The next day we were going to hike in to a remote village and stay- I was enjoying at least having a bed.

Quito, Ecuador

Our first full day in Ecuador started out with a trip to the US embassy. We were treated with a variety of speakers. We had Gene, the FAS advisor who helped plan this thing give us a quick overview of Ecuador agriculture. We met Gene in Peru a week ago when he gave a similar talk for Peru. Next we had a speaker talk about environmental issues and challenges in Ecuador. One interesting bit of information here is that the constitution has been changed many times, and that more recently in 2008 natural resources were given specific rights. The environmental laws have become stiff here in Ecuador, now only if they were being fully monitored and regulated- that's the tough part.

We had a US diplomat give us a history of the political climate of Ecuador. There have been 20 constitution changes since Ecuador was founded in 1830. Rafael Correa is the current president of Ecuador. Interestingly enough, Ecuador is keeping a very diverse portfolio when it comes to international ties. It keeps relations strong with Russia, Iran and other US-hating countries, also while keeping the US at an arm's distance. They think the US is too dominant in the world and want to keep the American influence to a minimum.

Next on the agenda was the Undersecretary of Agriculture. The class learned about how the land reform has severely hurt the productivity of farmers in Ecuador. They import a vast amount of food, although they have abundant land and water. The country is composed of a multitude of small farmers, small enough that efficiency is not very high and productivity is low. This results in a large amount of imports to the country. Subsidies from the government are the only thing keeping the farmers going. This in essence isn't exactly a bad thing though. It keeps a small amount of profit on the farms to decrease the amount of urban migration and poverty that is abundant in Lima, Peru. There are some large producers and those typically are the cocoa and banana producers. Coffee and corn producers are often very small. I view this small farm subsidy as an interesting form of welfare. Heck, it beats sitting around the TV all day watching Jerry Springer. Unfortunately, it hurts productivity and is very inefficient.

The final speaker at the embassy was Luis Bakker, president of PRONACA, the largest food company in Ecuador. Luis provided a fascinating insight into how Ecuador feeds itself, and the challenges it faces in agriculture. PRONACA produces 1,200 different products under 26 brands. They feel very socially responsible and look out for the small farmer. They help the farmer with purchasing them seed and fertilizer, and also buying their crop. This helps increase the efficiency of a typically very inefficient system. I was very impressed with this speaker, he surely had his act together.

We went to the hotel and had a speaker set up in the conference room. Jascivan Carvalho from Conservation in Action gave an eloquent talk of issues in the Amazon rainforest. Jascivan covered topics such as oil exploration, timber harvest, clear-cut agriculture and eco-tourism. This talk helped prepare us for our trip to the Amazon tomorrow.

We had a little free time, so Josh and I went on a mission- a soccer jersey from Ecuador. We walked down into the center of town, and I crossed the largest (and most complex) intersection I've ever seen in my life. How we survived nobody knows. Luckily, we found a sports store, only after asking around for soccer jerseys in broken Spanish which later we found out we were asking for soccer swimsuits. Ah, crazy gringos. I found the perfect soccer jersey- a keeper jersey (I am an indoor soccer player at Big League Dreams) from the Ecuadorian national team, and it was cheap too!

Back to the hotel, got cleaned up for a big reception at the US ambassador's house. I met a variety of people including Ambassador Hodges. There were many US diplomats available to greet the delegation of California farmers. Many people were very curious why we where in Ecuador. In fact, we had a large contingent of media at the event, snapping photos like paparazzi. Peter Vallis and I were interviewed by Betty Jumbo, the editor of Grupo El Comercio, the largest newspaper in Ecuador. I'll keep my eyes peeled for an article in this newspaper with the only words not in Spanish- "Peter Vallis" and "James Rickert." I'll need an interpreter to figure to see how bad I botched the interview. Ah, ignorance is bliss.

After an inspiring reception, we came back to the hotel just as the Miss Ecuador pageant contestants were arriving. Yes, you heard that right- Miss Ecuador was crowned tonight and we saw her. All of the contestants are staying at this hotel. Quite an interesting twist to a fascinating day. Tomorrow will begin with a long bus ride to the Amazon... I'm excited!

Cusco, Peru to Quito, Ecuador

Finally we get to leave Cusco. Not like I don't like the city, just the fact it's time to move on. We went to the airport early- half the class made the first flight and I was on the second flight, many hours and many espressos later. There was a very distinct possibility that we weren't going to make it at all... or at least get to Lima and miss our connection to Quito, Ecuador. Luckily, everything worked out- before too long the entire class was back together on our flight to Quito.

We landed in Quito and it was very sunny. Quito is around 9,000 feet elevation, closer to the equator so the sun was bright and powerful. We found the bus and rode on down to the colonial part of town. It was a Sunday in Latin America, so most of everything was closed and people were moving slower than usual. Quito is a massive city- around 2 million people. Every square inch is built up, all in the shape of one long sausage. Mountains line the city, and houses go up in every direction. The views in any direction were breathtaking.

We took a walk around the colonial old town, viewed architecture and very old churches. The Plaza Grande was packed- people filled the beautiful square to capacity. We meandered through the colonial buildings to the Plaza de San Francisco next. Here we posted up at the only coffee shop open in town and tried the national beverage- Pilsener. We also tried Club, another beer, and decided that was a bit better. Neither of them rivaled the Cusqueno we had in Cusco, that took the prize.

We checked in to the hotel, and then promptly went out in search of something that was open on a Sunday night.... and we found Chinese food. It was surprisingly good, we had excellent service (we also were the only people there) and we stuffed ourselves. This was some of the best Chinese food I've had in a while... nothing in Redding rivals it unfortunately. We sat near a big screen that played Chinese 'American Idol' and also the Olympics in Chinese. Very authentic, indeed. Back to the hotel because we have a long day at the embassy tomorrow.

Cusco, Peru

Main Square in Cusco

The day started out too early. Somebody in our class called in a 5:00 AM wake up call. That's 2:00 back in California- not exactly my ideal time to wake up. We went to the airport in the rain, checked in and got through security. Once we finally sat down near the gate, the overhead came on and said that all flights were cancelled. Well, what's Plan B?

Plan B was to book a flight the following morning and enjoy the day in Cusco. There are worse places in the world to be stuck. We went back to the hotel, had a 'synthesis' session- which was a large discussion on the socio-economic conditions of Peru. After that, a small group of us broke for lunch. Some of us went to McDonalds. I just couldn't do that- when in Peru do as the Peruvians do. Once we walked out of the hotel, we were blinded by the sun. What? Cancelled flight due to the rain, yet a perfect day was on tap for Cusco. I'll take it, thank you.

A few of us headed to a highly recommended authentic Peruvian place. We ate cuy, or guinea pig as an appetizer. I would say it tastes similar to rabbit or duck. It does not taste like chicken, as some have said. I also ordered beef heart and potatoes for my main course, as I am looking for a good beef heart recipe. I think I found it.

First bite of Cuy

Cuy (Guinea Pig)

Beef Heart with Potatoes

After lunch we located a nice covered market. After a little shopping, we continued to meander around Cusco. The sun was getting to us, so we decided to find shade on a patio overlooking the main square. We enjoyed a Cusquena (local beer from Cusco) and watched the day go by. We eventually headed back to the hotel and called it a day.