Our eco-club recently went on a field trip to an organic integrated farm in one of the nearby Cotacachi communities, called El Batan. This farm is owned by Hector and Aya, who carefully plan and cultivate organic vegetables to sell to the Cotacacheños. By using natural fertilizers (such as manure tea, compost, animal feces etc), crop rotation, companion cropping and natural pesticides, they produce delicious and healthy vegetables!
During this field-trip we learned about the importance of organic farming for the health and quality of life for the communities we live in. We learned about how and why they use organic/natural fertilizers, crop rotation, inter-cropping, companion cropping and more. We also got to see their dry toilet, which uses no water and in about 9-12 months, the feces can be used to fertilize native trees and shrubs, but not vegetables for consumption. We were also shown their compost piles, solar-water heater and bicycle-powered clothes dryer machine. At the end of the field-trip we were treated to wheat carrot muffins (very delicious!). Overall it was a very educational and delicious field-trip!
Hector and his daughter giving an introduction to the farm and their objectives of using only organic practices.
Walking down to where the vegetables are grown, outside and also in their greenhouse.
Hector and Aya explaining the importance of crop rotation.
The students checking out the compost piles, enjoying the different smells of decomposition! 🙂
A demonstration of their dry toilets that use no water and use the feces as compost after about 9-12 months.
Checking out the cuyes (guinea pigs), which live in these boxes with a mesh wire bottom, so their feces falls directly into the compost piles.
An awesome bicycle-powered clothes dryer!
The view from behind the bicycle-powered clothes dryer!