Crazy Adventures in the Life of a Redhead

In Cotopaxi National Park --> Since arriving at the end of September, I had been almost exclusively on the farm in Ibarra, in northern Ecuador. Although I have loved being on the farm, dedicating my efforts and time to the activities of this peaceful milieu, I was happy to be able to explore some fantastic parts of Ecuador. My boyfriend, Alex, joined me for a nine-day adventure around central and eastern Ecuador. We traveled to Cotopaxi National Park, where the second highest peak in Ecuador is located, to Tena and La Selva Vida (the rainforest) and to Ba ñ os, a breath-taking area of waterfalls and green-gilded mountains. I found this snow-capped peak quite mesmerizing, as it appeared from and disappeared behind the clouds. Cotopaxi National Park is about one and a half hours from Quito, the capital, so it was our first stop. We stayed at a fabulous hostel in the middle of nowhere at 11,000 feet, where all our meals were provided. Even though we did not summit t...

I am likely the slowest corn, bean and squash planter in the world, or in the bottom tier with the rest of my American muchachos. I need to take bean-flicking lessons. After being instructed how to take three beans and flick them into a small hole on the ground that I had just made with a spear-like tool, I went back to bending over and carefully placing the beans and corn into the hole. I tried flicking; really, I did. They went all over the ground like 52-card pick-up. I decided that bending over and proceeding with turtle speed was more efficient than trying to beat the hare to the finish line. My trench zucchini plants are growing well! I planted half an acre of one of our fields with bush beans and a quarter acre with pole beans and corn. The squash I planted along a trench that had been dug in the granadilla vineyard to allow water to flow through the land. In the field, the corn is intercropped with beans, squash and amaranth—a high-protein, gluten...

The group of artisans and their families learn about making organic fertilizer. One of the main concerns of this farm is the soil. I learned back in Wisconsin that plants need potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen (K—P—N) to survive, but also they need many other different minerals and elements (e.g., calcium, zinc, magnesium, boron) and bacteria—microorganisms that contribute to the decomposition of organic matter that enriches the soil. In conventional agriculture, farmers have a plant-focused approach to growth: give the plants what is needed to grow, using chemical fertilizers that feed the plants directly but do nothing to build the soil. When the plants are ready to be harvested, the soil is as or more impoverished. On the opposite end, biological organic farming concentrates on a soil-positive approach: feed the soil and the plants will be strong and healthy. When organic plants are harvested, they leave behind soil that will continue to contribute positively...