The reason why Santo Domingo wanted a vermicomposting system (lombricomposta en español) as opposed to a traditional compost system, is because these red wrigglers produce some amazing compost that they can use on their crops, helping the garden grow some pretty tasty fruits and veggies. Along with this, they can also make a profit from the worms, compost, and compost tea that will be created over the next few months. These little wiggly wormies produce and duplicate extremely fast, so eventually the village can create a small business by selling their organic products. Pretty cool, eh?
On Tuesday, I gave a quick presentation to a few people in the community about vermicomposting basics, and different techniques on how to grow and care for the worms. On Wednesday, a woman who sold us the actual worms came up to the village, gave a workshop, and helped us set up the vermicompost.
Here's Carolina explaining how to set up the compost
Don Isauro mixed the precomposted material that will be the food and home for the wormies for the next few months.
We then placed the worms in the compost, and watered it so the worms would be in a humid environment (they will die if it's not moist enough, and will also die if it's too wet).
Y voila! Now you have your compost and you wait to see the amazing effects that these little creatures have on compost, not to mention all the soil in the world! Pretty impressive :)
Besides playing with worms this week, I worked at La Huerta de Lucía again, cleaning up strawberry plants and transplanting lettuce. This little farm and orchard is a tranquil paradise, so it's a nice little escape from the city life. Not to mention that you can pull ciruelas straight off the tree and pop them in your mouth :) NOMNOM
We've been getting situated in our new house this week, getting accustomed to the new location, learning how to live together (there's about a dozen of us in the house in total, so it can get a little hectic every once in a while). We have this awesome terraza that gives a great view of the cathedrals in the center, and it's a great place to kick your feet up for a couple of hours.
We also got five new volunteers this week!! Two from Los Estados Unidos, two from Australia, and one from Canada. Welcome new volunteers!!!
Yesterday we had a little adventure when Gerardo was nice enough to bring us to a festival in Tepoztlán. The event was a fundraiser for a new alternative secondary school called TerraMar. In order to raise funds, they invited people to listen to GREAT music, watch a circus, eat delicious local breads, desserts, veggie burgers, traditional mexican food, and also play with their contraptions that someone had constructed out of recycled metal (bikes, weight machines, and German wheels for the circus!)! It was a great opportunity to meet some more people who are really involved with the community, and who are doing some incredible alternative projects.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMVxTiYVCHw&feature=youtu.be
An amazing band called Sonidero Meztizo played. They are a couple, the chica from Chile, the muchacho from México, who sing/rap about the political and social atmosphere in Mexico. They believe in a united South and Central America, and the social and political changes that need to happen. Powerful messages!
Clowns, fun mirrors, German wheels, trapeze
We all piled into the back of a car for the ride back. How many güeras can you fit into a car?
After the festival, we had a going away dinner for Link, who has been a volunteer here for the past 3 months, and the Mama Bear of the group :). We went to a delicious restaurant called La Maga (best sandwich I've had in Mexico), and then went dancing and fiesta-ing for a few hours. A very fun night indeed!
My advice this week: Play with more worms :)
Nos Vemos!!
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