After a long bumpy and dusty bus ride, we finally made it to Iracambi hours after sunset. Fortunately, we were just in time for a delicious dinner or rice and beans, an assortment of stews and a crisp refreshing salad. Iracambi is a research center in the heart of Minas Gerais, about a 7 hour drive from Rio de Janerio. This will be our home base for the next two and half weeks as we carry out our own research, trying to understand decisions made by local farmers, how they sustain their livelihoods and to get a sense of local initiatives to regenerate the land in the face of substantial deforestation, intensive agriculture and the threat of impending bauxite mining.
Right: Iracambi Research Center
Below: The group headed out to our first farmer visit
During our second day here we visited two creative and innovative farmers who were truly inspirational. Damian and Pavão are both Brazilians who have moved to this area to experiment with the land and help local farmers see what is possible. For example, Damian creates “Islands of Fertility” to reforest a section of unused pasture on his land. To protect the newly planted trees, he partners other plants in close proximity such as manioc to aerate the soil, cosmos flowers to protect the trees from wind and attract pollinators and beans as nitrogen fixers. The trees he planted at the center of these islands were passion fruit, plum and avocado. He thinks deeply about replicating the forest, in terms of varying layers and mutually beneficial pockets of ecosystems. Additionally, he is aware of making this process profitable to his neighbors to incentivize reforestation in a sustainable way.
Above: Local farmer, Damian, discussing the typical farming practices in the area and how he hopes to teach his neighbors better agroecology techniques.
Below: Damian’s “Islands of Fertility”: a team of manioc, cosmos flowers and beans which work together to protect a fruit tree in the middle (passion fruit, plum or avocado tree).
Pavão’s passion for his neighbors and fellow farmers was very touching. It was clear that he has dedicated his life to supporting others and fostering collaborative partnerships within his community. The first creative technique he employs is his creation of a ‘probiotic’ for the soil. He leaves food scraps out in the forest to mold, collects the most colorful portions and adds to water to let ferment. We had the chance to smell (and even taste!) his concoction. It had a fruity and fizzy aroma almost like orange juice just gone over. He said that just a few drops of this organic fertilizer greatly strengthens the soil quality.
Left: Chris tasting Pavᾶo’s organic fertilizer. Doesn’t look like it tastes like a caipirinha!
Right: Pavᾶo explaining his organic experimental garden where he grows green onions, strawberries, collard greens, cabbage, lettuce, sweet potatoes and bananas.
Another method of organic additives Pavão uses is a combination of ash and ground cow bones to remove toxins from the soil. His theory of agro-ecology on his farm is grounded in prevention. For example, when a batch of strawberries started to die, he pulled them all out and burned them because he knew something bad happened. His holistic approach and rejection of understanding success in purely economic terms was evident and inspiring. He said his plans for the future was to grow organic coffee while protecting your health, health of your neighbors and the health of nature while showing others that this system is financially viable.
The parting thought he gave us as we watched the sun set behind the rolling hills was that “you can’t do anything alone.” Although the work of these farmers are outstanding and impressive, the purpose of their work is for the greater good of the community and the environment, a lesson we can all learn from.
