Yewwww! Another day of hardwork!! Today we had a 7am start once again to go experiencing working on another organic farm in Lajas, Puerto Rico. The farm is EEA-Lajas Organic Farm a part of the University of Puerto Ricos Experiment Station. The person running the farm is Dr. Bryan Brunner. Dr. Bryan Brunner is the research and project leader.
The organic farm at EEA-Lajas is 9.5 acres with 2.5 for set for experimental purposes. So far EEA- Lajas Organic Farm is the only certified organic farm in Puerto Rico.
"The organic farming project, the project number Z-NRCS-007 Lajas Experiment Station, is carried out with support from Conservation Service Natural Resources Department of Agriculture of the United States.Participants in the project include researchers Bryan Brunner, James Beaver, Jose Pablo Morales-Payan, and Sonia Martinez, Silka Besosa organic farmers, and Raul Rivera Mariel Rosado, technical assistants Luisa Flores and Juan Toro, Kevin Brady and graduate students, and Jaqueline Halbrandt Fernando Pineiro.The purpose is to promote organic management farming practices in Puerto Rico through a program of organic seed production, vegetable variety trials under organic management, organic gardening demonstration, newsletters and a website dedicated to agriculture organic Puerto Rico." (prorganico.info)
"In organic agriculture, soil fertility and agricultural productivity is maintained through crop rotation, application of animal manures and green manures, use of compost and mulching.Pests and diseases are managed through mechanical cultivation, biological control, use of crop varieties that have genetic resistance, crop association and the application of natural products of low toxicity.In addition to maintaining or even improving soil fertility, these methods improve soil structure, reduce erosion, promote biodiversity, prevent pollution of groundwater and surface water, and reduce food contamination and the pesticides in the ecosystem." (prorganico.info)
During our visit we were given hands on experience in organic farming. The activities we did included preparing a double dug bed using mulch and hay, making sweet potato cuttings and preparing them in sweet potato towers made of recycled tires in the mornign. In the afternoon collected germplasms (seeds) of basil, ocra, and protalaria(?)(very laborious). All these activities took about half the day and it was tough. Even tougher than the work we did at Ricardos organic farm.Of course, in the end it was another great learning experience and we all gained much knowledge through it. During our next visit we will be able to see the progress of our sweet potato cuttings and hopefully we will also be able to plant the seed we collected.
If you want to learn more about the EEA-Lajas Organic Farm please visit the website at www.prorganico.info
Special thanks to Dr. Bryan Brunner for having us at the farm!
Resources: www.prorganico.info
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