Educate Yourself!  - Here are some great resources for learning about food, agriculture, and on farm sustainability:

Three Springs Fruit Farm Apple Cider rated one of Philadelphia's 50 "Must Eats"

"The Six Reasons Three Springs Fruit Farmers Have Unrivaled Peach Prowess in PA" - The Feast, Philly

"These guys have the best apples!" - Jenn of Straight from the farm, Philly Food Blog

"I bought like 22 donut peaches from you guys on Sunday. The best. I eat them, my wife eats them, I put them in the food processor and my baby eats them. I pass them out like business cards to my family. Long Live Three Springs!" - Ben of The Philly Food Feed, via our Facebook page

"Purchased some of your yellow peaches this past weekend at the Headhouse Farmers Market. Just want to say they are the best peaches I have ever tasted. Thanks" - unsolicited correspondence on our website by Ivanna S.

"Their Jonagold apples are the best of any apple variety I've had in years. Nice balance of sweet and tart delivered with the perfect crunch." - shopper at Green Aisle Grocery (link to full Jonagold review)

"I just wanted to say that I got rave reviews of the apples that I received from you.  I had lots of teachers tell me that they were "The best apples I've ever had."  Thanks for making our event a great one!" - Greenbelt shopper Donna L.

Complete Press Clippings

• Dave, John and Ben Wenk Recipients of the 2012 Master Farmer Award

• A Flair For Selling Fruit - Good Fruit Grower

• Lancaster Farming -Food Alliance Certification Helps Farm Family Find Its Place

• American/Western Fruit Grower (web) - "Capitalizing on Twitter and Facebook

• Pennsylvania Association For Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) - Press Release "Three Springs Fruit Farm Becomes Food Alliance Certified"
• Good Fruit Grower Magazine - "Next Generation Branches Out"
• March 16th, 2010 - Hanover Evening Sun - "Agriculture Form Set for Thursday"
• Cold Cereal & Toast - Peach Muffins, Apple Sauce Cookies
• September 2009 Relish Magazine - New American Farmers
• September/October edition of Philadelphia Style - "Home Grown Harvest"
• August 4th, 2009 - Philadelphia Weekly - "Phily's 50 Must-Eats"
• The Philly Food Feed - "I Love Being A Locavore", "Wow! What a Weekend!" media, baby food, article, new spot, accolades, greenfest, 3SFF, Honeycrisp, Phillies, schedule
• March, 2009 - Grid Philly Magazine's "Fire in the Kitchen", pg. 6 (under March '09 issue)
• Mac & Cheese Review - "Headhouse Beef", "Headhouse Report - 5/4/09"
• Messy and Picky "Fresh from the Farmstand"
• January 7th, 2009 - Philadelphia Weekly "Fruit of the Gloom"
• January 2008 - Fruit Grower News "Q&A Young Fruit Growers Optimistic About Future of Industry"
• Straight From The Farm - "Snappy Fruit", "Childhood Favorites", "Cherry Yogurt Pound Cake", "Potatoes" 
• August 2007 - Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture "Philly Farmers Market Offers Fresh Food For City Folks"
• August 2007 - Associated Press, Joann Loviglio "More young people entering farming"

What might be fun is to leave the top of the tree, the old variety, in long enough to try some fruit before you cut it out.  Sure, it may be nothing like the Granny smith you hoped for, but it might be a good variety, you never know.  Perhaps it will be a new discovery - the world's greatest apple!  Just don't forget who suggested leaving that branch in when the budwood is distributed!

And if the apples aren't good, just cut that part out!

- Farmer Ben

Further "Ask A Grower" reading:

• "Ask A Grower" vol. V - Proper Apple Storage
• "Ask A Grower" vol. IV - All About Cider
• "Ask A Grower" vol. III - Clingstone Peaches vs. Freestone Peaches
• "Ask A Grower" vol. II - Granny Smith Fables
• "Ask A Grower" vol I - Roots & Scions
  

It’s the last day of April and looking mighty nice outside. We will have temps in the 70s over the next three days with thunderstorms possibly dampening our first day in Towson, MD. That’s right-we have our season kickoff tomorrow at The Shoppes at Kenilworth in Towson from 3:30 to 6:30 PM! It’s a lovely little market with phenomenal produce, delicious grass raised meats, herbs, flowers, and the tastiest treats by Ruth (our market neighbor) I have looked upon in my short and silly life.

The Kenilworth market runs from May 1 to the week of Thanksgiving in the parking lot of the Kenilworth Mall. I really like the feel of this market-the vendors are all friendly and enjoy good relationships. It has a small town feel. Dog and kid friendly-what a deal. But to top it all off, Atwater’s Bakery and Restaurant is nearby and makes use of the available produce every week! They incorporate the fresh finds into their menu and strive to accomplish this at their many locations. Since I can diminish the swell of my Black & White in mere seconds, and eat there almost weekly, I heartily encourage you to sample their wares when you pass through. They even have a bread stand at the market-it also appears at our Silver Spring, MD location, too! You can visit their website here: http://atwaters.biz/

One of our good friends and neighboring vendor is One Straw Farm and CSA. They should arrive at our market the second week of June and have a smorgasbord of options. Joan and Drew Norman work diligently to uphold their personal and professional standard of organic practices, and push that standard when they find innovative technology in the field. Ben speaks very highly of them and I am impressed with Joan’s tenacity and warmth every time I see her. Visit their site at: http://www.onestrawfarm.com/index.html

In other GREAT NEWS: We open our season at Headhouse in Philly this Sunday (May 6^th) at 10am! It is a packed market with a long list of stellar vendors, a wide range of products, and a great downtown location. It’s a great place to shop for fruits, veggies, canned goods, flowers, pastries, and then eat at one of the food trucks/stands! It’s in the heart of historic Philly, with gorgeous brick houses leading out to the waterfront if you are the wandering type. This is Ben’s baby and a huge reason for him returning to the farm and starting these markets. It you want to catch a family affair, join him this Sunday and meet his charming mother, Emily, his soon-to-be brother in law, Russ, and family friend, Erica! The market hours are 10 AM to 2 PM, but the best produce is yours for the picking when you arrive at the START of market. Always keep this in mind at the peak of summer-all soft fleshed fruit should be snatched immediately so you can wash and cool it! We tried to ask our customers to bring Tupperware to market last year to store their berries…it works better than jostling around in the display cartons we use. I plan on writing a blog in the future about canning since it’s staging a comeback among the younger generation-YAY! Even washing and freezing your fruits when you get home increases its staying power and offers you tasty summery options in the dark days of winter.

Alrighty then-we covered this week’s new markets but what about the second week of May? I have answers! May 9^th marks the start of Farmers on the Square OUTSIDE market in Carlisle, PA. Running from 3 PM to 7 PM, we will be taking over the front courtyard of the gorgeous stone Presbyterian Church on Carlisle Square. Very kid friendly, with activities for them and space to run around, parents, grandparents, and young alike can browse to their heart’s content. We have the Dickenson Farm, Pretty Meadow, Roots (cut flowers), pastries, chicken and eggs and jars of goodies from the Otterbeins, and several more vendors! This market runs outside until late October and then moves inside on the Dickenson Campus.

If you like the vendors and feel of Farmers on the Square, then please come out this Thursday (May 3^rd) to the Farmers on Walnut interest meeting held at the Cleve J. Fredricksen Library in Camp Hill at 6:30 PM. We have been pursuing a market at the Library in Camp Hill with resistance from a small number of residents, who believe that we will bring large crowds, large farm equipment, and a lack of safety to their quiet neighborhood. We have been feverishly working to dispel these fears (to limited success) at monthly Council meetings, but if you haven’t made it before, please attend the Library meeting to get a general idea of what is offered at a farmer’s market, chip in your opinion, and support fresh local produce in Camp Hill in a safe neighborhood. We also need experience farmer market attendees to speak up because some people are saying that baked goods and other non-fresh items have “no place or purpose” at a farmers market. Say whaaaaaaaaat??! Please visit the Library website for more info and the address: http://www.cumberlandcountylibraries.org/index.aspx?nid=88

 If you live in the Camp Hill area and would like to attend a Thursday market from 3 PM to 7 PM from May 24^th until November, show up and speak up! Our main goal is for a market to happen in Camp Hill, with baked goods and a variety of vendors. Please help us achieve that goal-one that adds to the health and happiness of Camp Hill’s residents.

On May 12^th, we begin our weekly trip to Fell’s Point in Baltimore, MD! It’s the 2^nd annual Fell’s Point Farmer’s Market running 7:30 AM to Noon , May through October! You can visit their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fells-Point-Farmers-Market/177166742337662 to see the impressive vendor list, check out nearby restaurants (it’s so worth it), and see the gorgeous view of the waterfront! Our stand is run by Josh, a long term stellar employee, Shane (2 years of air-guitar EXCELLENCE), and Pam (a very lovely lady poached from our Towson market). Check out the good looks and better tasting produce in two weeks! Extra incentive: the genius popcorn vendor from Silver Spring (Capitol Kettle Corn) will be at the market with his amazing Ethiopian mix. I ate 2 bags. 2 BAGS. I haven’t eaten popcorn like that since the Lion King, folks. I ate it. All. Ohhh, drool.

If that doesn’t bring you in, then I’m out of ideas. Wait, no I’m not. Because it’s Apple Blossom Festival on May 5^th and 6^th!!! If you love apples and supporting the industry that works hard to provide tasty and beautiful apples, join us at the South Mountain Fairgrounds this weekend to eat too many delicious items, shop handcrafted gifts for Mama, watch clogging, local musicians (BLUEGRASS-YES.), and cheer on the Apple Queen candidates. Shout out to the Baugher clan-OO Yeah! For a full list of vendors, activities, and a description of our orchard tours, go to the festival site: http://www.appleblossomfestival.info/. Dave Wenk will be hosting Orchard tours on Sunday, I shall be there helping with my pet project, Crunch Quest, and if those aren’t great reasons to attend-besides oodles of free parking, I am at a loss. If you have kids or just love scavenger hunts, come out for Crunch Quest-a scavenger hunt for all ages-but particularly those 4-11-and learn about Apples For Health. This is the second year that the Adams County Fruit Growers Associate, Penn State Extension, and WellSpan have partnered to design and host this activity for children to become more aware about apples and their own health. I had the lucky opportunity to design (with many necessary and appreciated suggestions) the Quest and I sure as heck hope that it learns ya good.

Well. That was a lot of info and I bet your reeling. No? Well then, aren’t you a smarty?

Yes you sure are-because you’re following a farm blog and becoming more informed about what you eat and how it gets to your table. Good for you! Now get out there, conquer the day and the carp, and attend some community festivities this weekend!

Toodles!

Alana

I'm pretty excited right now as I sit and look out the window at our flowering apple trees-never mind the grey sky! Because it's ASPARAGUS season! Forget that I spent several dedicated years trying to mow over our asparagus patch at the old house as a teen, forget that I lied when asked about the uniform sleekness of the patch...multiple times. None of that matters because now I am a quasi adult and spontaneously like my vegetables. Except, of course, mushrooms. Bluurgh is all I have to say on that subject.

But I digress.

ASAPARAGUS!!!! NOM. 

Really folks, it's a wonderful thing to eat, look at, and grow. The darn thing is a wonder; shooting spears at 6-8 inches a day at its prime off of its underground crown, which can live as long as 20 years! So I bet that patch is still going strong back at the old house....

For all you green fanatics, Ben and I want to clear some things up real quick when it comes to this delightful spring green. Sprue Asparagus is the thin first spears of a crop and sometimes sold as more tender and flavorful and whatnot. We call bull and so does Good Eats host Alton Brown. He wittily named Sprue as the supermodels of Asparagus-watery and insubstantial. It does NOT have the amount of fiber and nutrients that the later thicker stalks will have...a certain "fat bottomed girls" song comes to mind. So, the whole "I'll eat the Sprue because it's tender and high class" is really someone on the farm and supermarket saying, "let's get rid of these by saying they are tender." Now you know. Say No to Sprue!

Same thing goes for white asparagus. It's HUGE over in Europe, my boyfriend lived in Germany for awhile and talked about how white asparagus was super pricey and everyone went nuts over it. Well folks, they went nuts for albino greens. Does that sound sensible to you? DOES IT???! It doesn't to me. It sounds hypocritical. And I don't trust hypocritical food.

If you didn't know before, you obtain white asparagus by covering up the young asparagus so it decreases its exposure to sunlight, thus eliminating the chlorophyll that is almost uniformly present in veggies. Its supporters say that the white stuff tastes less bitter and is more tender. Again with the tender. You know what should be tender? Babies. Kisses. Spinach.

Asparagus is a champion. It is strong, vital, tall, and full of fiber that keeps you vital and regular. Great qualities in a person and a veggie. You know what tender does for you? Makes you a target for bears, lions, man-eating aliens, and poorly written romance comedies. Not great qualities if you want to start and raise a family, folks.

So, what is the difference between green and white asparagus? It only has one thing more than green asparagus-sugars, so more calories. While on the other hand, one of the best things about green asparagus is the presence of "anthocyans, which are responsible for the purplish coloring of the green asparagus, protect the cardiovascular system." We should all follow the advice of Beyonce-"like a ghost, I'll be gone." Go for something solid!

Now-the most important part of asparagus is storage prep and prep before cooking. If you buy asparagus from a farmer's market or supermarket, plan to eat it as soon as possible. The flavor quickly goes downhill so freshness is key. The spears are literally the flowers of the plant, so like Alton Brown says, treat them like flowers. Cut the bottom inch off the stalk, put them in water, and place a loose plastic bag over top. Remove the rubber band before you stick the bundle in the fridge!

Before you buy your bunch of spears though, check that they aren't limp, cracked at the bottom, rotting at the top, or just plain scary. Take your right to buy great produce firmly in hand. Empower yourself at the market.

Just so you know, You Tube has the Good Eats "Age of Asparagus" episode in three parts-I am embedding one but I highly recommend you watch the whole thing-I repeat a lot of the info because it is so good!

Next important piece of information: when you go to cook the asparagus and you cut off part of the stalk do not immediately pitch it. You always have options: stalks are great for veggie stocks and you can toss them in your compost. Second: cook asparagus briefly to keep maximum nutrients and firmness. This means NO BOILING VEGGIES. If you don't have dentures, please, please, please do not boil. The heated water saps out all the goodness from your veggie. But if you want to cook it, you again have options. Alton points out two great ones: microwaving in a damp paper towel, or roasting on aluminum foil at 500 degrees for 5 minutes, each side, with olive oil/butter and some kosher salt. Grate some lemon zest over that and BING! Delish asparagus. Ben is a big proponent of the roasting and I wholeheartedly agree with that, but me and mon cherie want that wrapped in prosciutto.

Final note folks: we grow both regular green and purple asparagus. Ben does say that the purple appears more tender (sigh) because it snaps easier and it isn't an overwhelming flavor-so pairs well with many dishes. Now-purple food is usually great stuff because the color means the presence of nutrients. It has higher levels of the anthocyanins which have higher amounts of antioxidants. "Antioxidants help fight off free radicals that cause damage to your cells, or eliminate these toxins from your body, thus protecting you from chronic illnesses, like cancer. In addition to antioxidants, purple asparagus is also rich in B vitamins that help keep your skin, nails and hair healthy." For the history buffs out there, the Chinese, Greeks, and Romans used it for digestive issues. (Can't get any more "heritage" than something used thousands of years ago.) "Purple asparagus was found to have diuretic and laxative properties that help flush out toxins from the body. The diuretic effects of purple asparagus also help alleviate bloating and cramps during menstruation."

It's kind of a big deal, amIright?

We look forward to seeing you at market-Silver Spring, MD and Carlisle, PA this Saturday morning 9am to 1 pm! If you have any great recipes that you will bet your hat on, share them with us. I compiled a list of rhubarb and blueberry recipes that made my mouth drool for an hour before lunch today. It's on our website under recipes...makes sense.

I wish you well and happy shopping for fresh, local goods!

Alana

• Weather Update
• We're Honored with Two Awards
• A More Updated Weather Update
• Market Season is HERE? Yes... yes, it is!
  

Strange world we live in, aint it folks?

On the heels of the most difficult growing season for at least a generation, the strange bedfellow we aggie types have in Mother Nature has brought us a spring so early it's off the charts.  Perhaps remorseful over all her perilous tricks last year, the Earth, it appears, is in a super big hurry to start a new growing season and strike the last one from our minds.  We're cutting a pretty wide path these days, so I'd have to say she's been successful in doing so.  Let's talk shop.

In early March, we got 17 degrees overnight.  This past Tuesday the 27th, we got 26 at one farm, 31 at the other.  Between these two events, we lost some cherries and a few apples.  How many we lost remains to be seen.  It's usually significantly colder in Wenksville than in Gardners, so I'd spent most of the day thinking we're ok.  Unfortunately, the danger still exists to lose our crop because the spring is SO early.  How early?

Well, when we look at insect lifecycle models we talk about a unit of measure called degree days which, without getting jargon-y, is essentially a measure of accumulated temperature - I believe it's hours over 43 degrees.  At any rate, as of the third week of March, degree day accumulation was similar to other years... in June.

Just spoke with one of the men who sells us our mating disruption today.  He covers an area spreading from Winchester, VA to the escarpment-ringed Niagra region of Ontario.  The bloom period over this latitudinal range is usually six weeks, as in bloom starts in Virginia normally in mid March and starts in Canada six weeks later.  This year, that gap is three weeks!  Which, if you think about, means many of the crops on the East Coast will all ripen at the same time, negatively affecting the prices farmers can get for their crops (and making us all the more appreciative of the fact we can sell them directly to you and not on a flooded wholesale market)!

Other sad news, the strawberries were a complete loss - root rot from the deluge this fall.  Fortunately, we will be planting a spot three times larger than the lost patch this spring!

However, as with everything in the farm business, there's a silver lining behind every cloud.  Should we have a crop - still touch and go for another month, this crop will be early which is probably good for everybody.  The winter was so mild, we didn't lose any work days to excessive snow and our pruning is right on schedule despite the early spring.  What this means is we are able to plant in a very timely manner despite it being so darn early - also a very good thing.  

Three Springs Recognized (twice) By Our Peers

While on the subject of good news, we recognized by our peers in the agriculture industry with two awards this winter - either of which would have been the highlight of the chilly months between seasons.

The first such distinction was my father David Wenk's recognition by the lifeblood organization of the fruit industry, the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania (SHAP), who chose Dave as 2011 Grower of the Year!  Words can't describe what an honor this was for Dave who was able to collect himself on the podium long enough to express his gratitude for his brothers and sisters in the fruit biz, for whom he has such an amazing respect.  Lancasting Farmer was on hand to document the ceremony.  We were able to keep it a secret until the halfway through friend and PSU classmate Matt Boyer's presentation.  He was surprised and honored for sure.

The second distinction belongs to all three owners; John (L), Ben (C), and Dave (R) who were awarded the honor of Master Farmers for the Mid Atlantic area in 2012.  Just as was the case for Dave's "Grower of the Year" honor, it's the recognition of your peers that makes these awards special to us.  While the SHAP honor was chosen by past recipients and board members of that tree fruit organization, the Master Farmer award can be offered to an operation growing any commodity and is chosen by the membership of the Mid Atlantic Master Farmers.  The American Agriculturalist magazine provided coverage here.  We're looking forward to meeting the rest of the Master Farmers at the reception in Harrisburg in early April.

Weather Update:

Things continue to play out like a Charles Dickens novel at Three Springs Fruit Farm as we get doused with another frost last Friday (3/30).  Once again, the effects were isolated and mostly minimal.  I'm learning that a lot of our neighbors did not fair as well.  Some businesses are competitive with neighbors in the same field and I'm happy to say the fruit business, likewise agriculture in general - especially our alternative agricultural brotherhood, do not feel competitive with one another by in large.  We ask that you send all of us some good vibes and warm thoughts as it's starting to look like some trying times for many of us in the fruit business in 2012, same as it was in 2011.


Final Thought:

It's hard to believe that I'll be writing a weekly market update for DC NEXT WEEK in advance of Silver Spring opening 4/7... and that the update WILL include asparagus, AND possibly rhubarb.  Heads up for the official Markets 2012 announcment very soon and don't agonize over any major changes.  If you're expecting to see us, you'll see us for sure!

               This was the main purpose of our trip, to visit Talolinga and see what steps Javier had taken in  implementing family gardens and other agricultural initiatives over the course of the year. It was exciting and nerve-wracking. What if he was fighting an uphill battle? What if he made some progress but found some insurmountable obstacle-whether in disease and pests, or irrigation, or a traditional mindset? What if we were disappointed?

               These were the questions keeping me, and other group members, up at night. There were so many things we admired about Nicaragua: the people we met who are fighting to improve their land and quality of life,  the work financed and carried out by Nuevas Esperanzas, and the infrastructural developments completed by the Ortega Administration in the last year. Yet many rural farmers in the mountains farm at a subsistence level because of the terrain, weather, and lack of crop diversity. It isn't that the quality of the soil is subpar, quite contrary, when we tested the pH of the soil in Talolinga and El Najo it registered within the optimal range. It is the constant struggle against the wet season washing away the topsoil, making it more difficult to grow healthy crops the following year. That is why compositing is so important, it not only rejuvenates the nutrient levels after the rainy season ends, but it could drastically improve the soil in cases of failure to rotate corn crops on a plot of land.

               So you can infer that we were pretty preoccupied as we prepared to visit Talolinga, but we were hopeful because of the trip to El Najo (remember, tilde over that N) and witnessing the progress Enrique and Javier had already achieved. 

               We needed to leave early to make it to Talolinga at a decent hour since it is a long drive and the road is pretty perilous. (Not really, I just don't get to use the word 'perilous' frequently enough to suit my romantic nature.) You should know that mountain roads aren't like the majority of our mountain roads. If anyone has an orchard or pastures on steep slopes in rocky soil, they can imagine what we were dealing with. Despite the government road crews bulldozing the road a few days we arrived, it was still a rough trip. Huge rocks, really steep inclines, and 5 people jammed in the back of the truck bed with duffel bags, bottled water, sleeping bags, and food stuff in around us. Thank God for that material because it kept us from being popped out of the bed like champagne corks.

               We had a lot to be thankful for though, last year the group rode mules or walked for several hours in the blazing sun. So our hour or so ride to the Talolinga road and the hour or so drive up the road were a luxury in comparison to the villagers who walk, bike, or ride pack animals. We were sitting pretty...dirty.

               Besides Greg and the six group members, Don Orlando-the chemistry professor from Leon High School, and Mueces-a Talolinga native and driver for some of our local excursions-were to accompany us.

               We picked up Javier at a meeting point below the mountain and he rode with us to the village. We left early so that we would have enough daylight to tour the garden and meet some of the families. We arrived around 11am and ate lunch at our hostess' house, Dona Angela Rivera before walking through the village to see the community garden. There are many houses that seem to appear out of nowhere, tucked behind some trees or a ridge, beautiful pink flowers announcing its presence, or perhaps some children hanging by the doorframe staring at the strangers. There are 45 families, about 200 residents, in Talolinga. We met many of them throughout that day and the next morning as we walked to and from the garden, visiting wells, fields and pastures, the school, and nutrition center.

               The highlight of this particular excursion was clearly the garden plot that Javier had cleared after the space was volunteered by its owner. It had a relatively flat surface and the men had worked fastidiously to uproot small saplings in order to make way for the "double dug" gardens so popular here in the U.S. Javier and his helpers, several older farmers from nearby houses, also built stone walls bordering the front and back of the garden to cut down on flood waters exacerbating erosion issues during the rainy season. Another common deterrent for erosion is to plant pineapple bushes, which lay low on the ground and grow quickly. These were in place at the bottom of the slope.  

               We first saw the garden with two in-ground beds already begun, each roughly 10 feet long. Javier and the Dons showed us what tools they had used to dig and turn the soil over so it was evenly mixed and light enough for plants to easily grow. They had a digging iron that broke the ground and the pitch fork to sift through any dirt clumps. We also used our hands to make sure it was fine enough to suit the men. A couple of us worked with the different tools but it wasn't easy.

               When Javier decided we understood the work behind the garden beds we saw his personal composting pile. It was exactly like the ones in El Najo! We helped him start a second pile and returned the next day to finish it. It was great having our hands on the material and practicing the steps. It was also beneficial for Javier to practice being the teacher-he even quizzed us on the steps and we...barely passed. He truly has a spirit for learning and teaching-not everyone can present information in an accessible way. The garden is located near one of the highest wells, with a stream nearby, some orange and bananas trees, and a clay brick field. This is where the villagers cut bricks, dry them, and haul them to the various houses to build additions. The location of the well made me realize how difficult it would be to water the plants in the garden if there was not enough rain in the season to fill that well. They would have to walk to the nearest willing neighbor, fill containers, and haul them back up the mountain to the garden. Or worse, if neighbors couldn't spare enough water, they would have to walk down to the nearest watering hole. I cannot stress enough how important it is for the installation of an advanced irrigation system-not just for ag purposes but for domestic ones in dire times.

               That night we ate at Dona Angela's and listened to Javier sing and play his guitar. He is very talented and has a natural ear. We embarrassed ourselves tremendously as none of us could sing a full song when he played "Hotel California", the Titanic theme song, and I...can't remember the third. He played a little of the national folk song, "Nicaragua Nicaraguita" which is a hauntingly beautiful song. He also sang my new favorite by a Nicaraguan pop singer, Hernaldo Zuniga, "En El Mismo Tren." We stayed up pretty late listening and talking, playing some card games, and enjoying the cool of the night before retiring to our hammocks. I will speak for myself-I didn't sleep well. I promised myself at that moment I will never purchase a rooster in my life. Those silly things start around 3am and just try to out-crow each other for the rest of the darn dark morning.

               I can't complain too much though because rising at 6 and seeing the rosy pink of the sun creep over the edge of the horizon while watching chickens work the courage enough to drop out of their roosting trees. Yup folks, in Nicaragua and many parts of the world, chickens roost in trees and take about 3 hours to work their nerve up to flutter clumsily down to the ground. They look ridiculous. It makes me feel better about eating the silly things.

               Like I mentioned earlier, we returned to the garden to finish our composting project and then watched Javier prepare an organic pesticide to protect against fly and larvae damage. Don Orlando was very interested in this and I think will offer advice and help as needed in the future. Since Javier took that recipe from the guidebook we sent to him, we asked him if there were any problems or questions regarding the book that we could answer. This just reaffirmed to us that being there in person is so important-there are some things that you best address face to face, as opposed to email or phone.

               One concern that farmers did talk to us about was the burns we saw on young avocado trees, such that they didn't bear fruit. We didn't have too much information but we have heard of sunstroke in the desert. Farmers who grow in the southwest wrap young trees because avocado trees have sensitive skin and need protection during their first 3-4 years. But if anyone has more information regarding possible diagnoses and solutions regarding avocado trees, please send me an email at alana.a.anderson@gmail.com.

               We left around lunch time in order to make it back to Leon at a decent hour. It was a bittersweet departure. We were all super pumped to get back to modern conveniences but knew we would miss the simplicity of life in Talolinga. People rely on each other, they care for children as a whole, they aren't glued to the television or iPod or computer, and they understand the importance-no, the necessity for growing healthy and sustainable produce. While they face many obstacles, many of which appear overwhelming, they also have their priorities straight. Family, Faith, Community, then making a profit. I won't say what I think far too many Americans and other developed nations have first in their priority list, but I bet you can guess it.

I am so grateful that I went on this trip. The first thing I did before almost hugging the Miami Airport Women's toilets, was thank God for blessing me with all the conveniences I forget about on a daily basis. Steady warm water, reliable electricity, a mattress, shoes, littering fines, ban of open fires, healthy livestock, and money earmarked for Ag Innovations. We can not only afford the basics, we can afford the nonessentials. That, ladies and gentlemen, is wealth.

Thank you for reading these ramblings. I hope you came away with a respect for the Nicaraguan people and will consider donating to Javier's continued education. PGL will be sponsoring 50% of his tuition at Leon University in Agriculture courses. He will be paying the rest out of pocket. If you would like to donate to his internship/education, follow this link: http://www.gettysburg-leon.org/pgl/index.cfm/sponsorship-project/talolinga-ag-extension-project/.

Thank you again.

Cheers,

Alana

On Saturday we left the hostel early to visit El Najo, the "n" has the tilde over it, because they dug a community garden with the help of a U.K. NGO, Nuevas Esperanzas. Before we left Leon we picked up Enrique, the Extension Agent for Nuevas Esperanzas and Javier's tutor, and Mike Richardson, a Nebraskan native who was a founder in the urban organic garden movement in San Fran in the 60s. We would pick up Javier closer to our destination.

In the recent past, Nuevas has sponsored the building of several domestic rainwater harvesting tanks. The tanks generally hold 10,000 gallons which is enough to last one family for the 4 month dry season if they ration conservatively. Since Dr. Tara, Eddie, and Maggie visited a nearby town of El Ojochal del Liston last year, they were very interested to see the garden, composting area, and rain tanks in this village. The drive took 2 hours from Leon, but we only had to walk a short distance at the end. The path was steep, narrow, and perilous if you intended to walk quickly. Let's just say "rocks"; there were tons of rocks. El Najo appears to be small at first sight, like many mountain towns, but as you wander through the woods and brush, you stumble upon another house, or corn field, or pasture. We stopped first at the house of a leading lady in El Najo. She and several other neighboring women joined us to show how they were taught to build compositing piles. I say pile because they do not use composting bins, they cut stakes and hammer them into the ground to mark a meter by meter space for the compost. (Side note: the program specifically teaches the women of the community to garden because they are the main presence in the kitchen. This way women can provide a more diverse and nutritious diet for their families.)

Here are the steps in order:

Broke the ground for better aeration.

Water said ground. (In all the steps with water, neither drench nor sprinkle. A nice soak is plentiful.)

Arrange a layer of elbow to wrist length thin sticks on the ground so the area is fully covered.

Water.

Layer of dried cow manure that has been flayed so it is able to spread without clots. Also good for its nutrients.

Water.

Green leaves from black beans bcause of their nitrogen levels.

Water.

Layer of earth.

Water.

Dried plantain or banana leaves for their potassium.

Water.

Repeat process minus long sticks. After their second earth layer, they switched to finer sticks and straw.

It was extremely dusty because there wasn't as much rain in October and November as normal. I really want to make a compost pile according to their methods because my house is in the woods and I have been hesitant to start a pile with leftovers because of skunks, foxes, and deer. This was a nice alternative. You can also find more information on the Action Ecology website, has Spanish and English directions, for composting.

Enrique told us that you repeat the process, adding stake to horizontally to hold it in place, until it is about waist high. Rotate the once every week and it should be fully decomposed after 3 months of airing. Remember, their climate is radically different than the Eastern Seaboard, so keep that in mind if you want to attempt one here.

After we finished composting we ate before hiking up to the garden. It was great-green beans, radishes (which they dislike but use for nutrients), peppers, and sorghum used to distract aphids from the vegetables. I did find some aphids on a bean plants which they then pinched off. It was heartening to see the strides the women have made with Enrique's guidance. Javier has learned so much here, as well. He sees the benefits of expanding your diet, seed saving, drip irrigation, and building trellises-which he did.

Picture of Javier (Enrique assisting but not pictured) setting up Bean trellises below on left: 

 

Besides having the help of Enrique, who was trained in the Urkaine in Horticulture, the villagers rely on Luke, a Nuevas representative from Wisconsin! He speaks fluent Spanish and travels frequently to the nearby villages to oversee projects.

When we finished in the garden we hiked down the other side of the mountain and had a spectacular view of the Nicaraguan mountains. We drove back to Leon, washed, swam, and relaxed before we went to a restaurant in Leon that offered dishes from around the world. I had their take on vegetarian curry, not too spicy but very delicious! Then it was bed and that, too, was glorious.

Day 3, Sunday.

Twas a day of touring the city of Leon, hearing more about the history pre Revolution and post. I think the last time I read about the Nicaraguan, and largely Central American revoltions, it was in high school so my knowledge had large gaps. What I did know, and it still rang true, was the history is sad and violent. I recommend learning more about our involvement in Nicaragua and the despotism of the Somoza years. It may not make for light reading, but it's something you should know about.

One a lighter note, we visited seveal plazas associated with the student protests of the Somoza regime, founders in the revolutionary movement, the gorgeous Leon Cathedral, the Museum of Myths and Legends, and then we left. We waited until Mass finished and then we were allowed to walk up into the Belltower of the Cathedral to take pictures. It was so COOOOOOOOOL! And loud. The post mass ringing of the bells was happening and I thought I saw blood running out my ears. Joke, but it sure felt like my ear drums gave up. Then we walked on the roof and looked over all Leon, you could see all the volcanos surrounding Leon, including the famous Momotombo.

The Museum of Myths and Legends was a tricky experience. It was a former Somoza run jail where Sandinista rebels were thrown in with common criminals, but a couple years ago a Leon resident bought it and restored it as this museum. She really loved the rich culture of ancient Nicaragua plus the culture that developed with the arrival of the conquistadors. However, because of the jail's past she acknowledged the horrors that took place with paintings of the torture on the wall. It wasn't pleasant and seemed almost farcical that you could walk into a room with giant mannequins representing ghosts or giants and walk outside and see a man being electrocuted in a well.

We left Leon after that and headed west for twenty five minutes to the Pacific shoreline. It was absolutely gorgeous. A lot of tourism takes place here so it has many quaint hostals and hotels with the traditional thatched roofing. We ate lunch looking out onto a small bay where children played, parents waded, and dogs peeded. We didn't go in. We did order a boat and visted the mangrove forest!!!! Which I will highly recommend and say you should come to Nicaragua specifically to see both shorelines and this amazing 22 kilometer reserve. So many birds!! Great Egret, Little Egret, Ibises, three types of Heron including the Green Heron, I SAW A PYGMY KINGFISHER OMGITWASSOTINYANDCUTEANDGREEEEEEEEEEN!!! We also disturbed some nocturnal spoonbills and a weird looking one that I forget. And oh, no big deal, we saw a miniature alligator. Some may call them caimans, but I shall call them "Bitey." They looked like this:

Mark leaned out over the boat edge and almost made Tara have a "Mom" moment.

Our guides were two young boys from the shore town who really knew their flora and fauna. They were seeing things that I really couldn't even place. It took three iguana sightings before I could see one. We were super impressed with the guys and I want to go back next year.

After our two hour tour by boat and a brief stop at the secluded beach where we swam, we returned and watched the sunset from our restaurant. No words.

It was a great way to finish out a day that started with a weighty topic. I was grateful we had this break to learn more about the culture, history, and beauty of Nicaragua. It helped me associate more positive images when I think of the country and other Central American countries. It is sad to think that we rarely hear good things coming from this region, mostly stories of corruption and violence. But I will be a proponent of the profound natural beauty you can encounter all over Nicaragua. You simply have to go yourself to experience it!

Next week I will submit my last post focusing on our trip to Javier's home town, Talolinga!

Ciao,

Alana

Alana Anderson

Nicaragua is a land of impressions: physical, emotional, and spiritual. It is a land encompassing rich jungle soil and the coffee that flourishes on it; to an un-paralled shoreline, Atlantic and Pacific; to the sparsely populated and dusty highlands. Nicaragua is rich in history and possible new markets but encumbered by poverty only the most unfortunate Americans know. Yet it is a country comprised of villages, towns, and cities of people who desire the education to better their circumstances and Nicaragua’s future. To put it succinctly, Nicaragua is a stark reality converging with unlimited potential. 

As you can tell, Nicaragua, her people, land, culture, and agriculture overwhelmed me. This was not my first visit to a third world country, nor my first time in Central America, but it was my first trip designed solely around agriculture. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I was extremely apprehensive. I was still trying to learn about PGL and their mission in Leon and Talolinga, and I was nervous/ intrigued about Javier and his progress thus far. We know how difficult it can be to achieve multiple goals in a year here, despite our modern conveniences, but we cannot truly understand how many obstacles Javier could encounter in a day attempting to communicate, travel, or obtain materials for his education and projects.

To better illustrate my trip, I will briefly outline each day’s activities and exploits in three blogs. It is too much information for one blog so I think this will work better. I am not attempting to do anything other than inform you of my experiences so take from it what you will. I wrote in a rather haphazard manner, as sights or people struck me, so please bear with me. 

Thursday January 19, 10:15pm

         In the hotel in Alexandria before our 6am flight tomorrow to Nicaragua. Lord guide us safely there and back again without harm or illness.

Friday January 20, noon

Left Managua airport in a bus with Greg from PGL and headed to volcano lagoon in Masaya for lunch before hiking in the national volcano park. Land is very similar to El Salvador, perhaps a tad greener.

I saw volcanos while flying in and crater lakes of gorgeous blue hues. It’s very warm, slightly humid from the early morning rain.

Random cows pop up in fields, lanes, and back yards. Also, chickens- everywhere.

Much like San Miguel (town in El Salvador), there is corrugated tin for homes, roves, latrines, and much more.

Trash. So much trash. Lining the road, in lots, being burned constantly in areas that would have our fire departments sweating in anxiety.

Peanut plantations appear to go on endlessly with gleaners dotting the fields. They harvest by hand, plow with tractors if the plantation can afford it. Small farms use mules, horses, and/or oxen. Horses are tied by string to signs.

We had lunch at a crater lagoon-phenomenal-probably 2 miles long and 1 mile wide. It was a beautiful open air restaurant built right up to the edge of a high cliff. The restaurant is popular with tourists, national and foreign. It was pretty packed but we managed to get the closest table to the edge and enjoyed a spectacular view and meal. I ate ceviche and tostones con res.

After lunch we drove up to the park and parked near the lip of the volcano-which is still active, like the majority of Nicaraguan volcanos. Sulfur smoke lazily made its way from the chasm before spreading in all directions in the wind gusts. It was quite windy up on the volcano and was pleasantly comfortable due to the cloudy sky, elevation, and breeze. We walked up to a scenic view area marked by a 30 ft. wooden cross. It overlooked the whole crater, which appears to be more than a mile long and the same wide. The sediment layers are amazing, I could only identify 4 by color but I am sure that there are more that are covered up. The high altitude grass reminded me of Rocky Mountain Park vegetation in Colorado. It looked like the stiff heather colored grass on the alpine slopes.

I can’t get over the view. We could see most of Lake Managua, Managua, and part of Lake Nicaragua. The entire view was actually a crater formed by an explosion several million years ago. Scientists acknowledge the activity of the volcanos and say that it is liable to erupt on a large scale in the near future, i.e. several thousand years. Kinda scary to think too intensely about, eh?

We then walked up a steeper part of the crater where it was much breezier and it began to spit rain. Quite nice, actually as it was so much hotter here.  I could see the crater lagoon from lunch and more of Lake Nicaragua, which is like an inland sea it is so large, thus making it one of the coolest views ever.

         We left the park and drove for 2 hours to Leon. We arrived at the Hostal Mariposa, a hostel owned by a young French couple, and were relieved and elated by its simple elegance. It has beautiful bungalows, and enclosed outdoor showers for each cabin. You could literally shower under the stars. The couple is fluent in French and Spanish, with some limited English. After we quickly unpacked and cat-washed, we drove to Café Rosita in Leon for dinner. It is a small restaurant and gelateria and boasts some of the most delicious coffee in Leon according to Greg. The group discussed tomorrow’s visit to Nuevas Ezperanzas, our agenda and goals for Javier. Realized we need to earmark funds for a zip drive and memory stick for his documents, possibly computer classes as well since he has only recently been exposed to one.

It’s been a long day. Bed now. Early morning tomorrow.

*I will post the second blog this coming Friday*

Alana

• Pre-Nicaragua Post: the inevitable pre-trip jitters