Farmer-to-Farmer Program: Day 10-11 Estelí, Jinotega, and La Concordia

My impression of Estelí, as formed through the windshield of the truck, was a boom town. At least, every other building appeared to be a ferretería (hardware store). How can it possibly support all of them? A little digging told me that Estelí tops the list of most efficient cities for obtaining a construction permit in Latin America.

Being on the road wasn't too bad. The stretch through the city is actually the Inter-American Highway, which is the Central American leg of the Pan-American Highway. The latter, for those of you wondering, is the crazy route that runs all the way from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to the southern tip of Argentina. How's about 30,000 miles sound for a road trip? So I got a little kick out of taking it for a spell.

Onward to Jinotega and La Concordia we went, where more potato and horticulture growers awaited. These were some of the most packed rooms yet. Members of the National Potato Commission, Ministry of Agriculture technicians, and chemical industry reps also were in attendance. Discussions about physical controls (e.g. using mulches and black plastic) and pesticide safety were active, and everyone wanted to talk about the new pest and disease problems in Nicaragua. Breaks came with typical Nicaraguan snack packs (carb base in the form of rice/yucca/or tortilla, shredded meat, and usually topped with a vinegar cole slaw) and drinks... even juice of nancite, a sort of sweeter tamarind or tangier membrillo flavored fruit.

As these days were partly organized with ongoing field schools, we got to hear some of the other guests also speak. It was interesting being on the audience side of things in Nicaragua and even more curious to hear who was making what recommendations. When you hear someone of influence talk, it's not too hard to figure out how growers might decide to make a mind-blowing two applications per week of multiple pesticides in homemade "bomb" recipes!

Not all recommendations were so horrifying, of course. There were also highly knowledgeable, dedicated, and conscientious people sharing their experiences and suggestions. It was really great to see when one of them would get behind an idea or new approach. Other growers respected their opinion, and a few more previously skeptical people might start to pay attention.

Farmer-to-Farmer Program: Day 5 - 9 Granada, Managua, Matagalpa, and Estelí

At 6 am, we caught the local bus from Granada to Managua. There were no chickens on board, but the guy drumming up business on the door did his best to keep it packed with fares. The constant stopping and starting nearly doubled the time, but at 20 córdobas (~ 90 cents) a ride, they had to line their pockets somehow.

In Managua, we got into the truck and straight back onto the road, heading to the main potato-growing region. While the highlands of Nicaragua are gorgeously pastoral and green, it can be rough going from a farmer's point of view. Since other pursuits like drying coffee and growing rice occupy the ideal land in the valleys, the steep and rocky slopes make manual and animal labor the norm for potatoes. Potatoes in Nicaragua are grown mainly for consumption. Some are used for seed, but not enough to meet demand, so much gets imported from as far as away as Europe. Very little goes for processing although french fries (chips) are on many menus, and chips (crisps) are also becoming more popular.

In Matagalpa and Estelí we met with members of potato growers' cooperatives. In the fields I saw plenty of familiar faces from my past, that is, of the insect and disease kind (e.g. leaf beetles, leafhoppers, whiteflies, white grubs, late blight, and Erwinia spp.). Growers were also worried about the newer guys as there are a couple of serious, emerging problems in Nicaragua. While there was plenty to chat about in the fields, we did formal training sessions, too. Sometimes in the most unlikely places. One was a tin-roofed, dirt-floored shack in the middle of a nature reserve, where the solar panel eeked out just enough juice to fly through one presentation and a couple videos. The ensuing discussions - almost in the dark - though were some of the most dynamic, which just goes to show that you don't always need the technology.

Visiting a warehouse gave us insight into post-harvest practices, and some suggestions were made for improving sanitation and storage. We also got better informed about the resources available by trotting around to several agricultural supply shops in town. We had to go incognito, posing as interested buyers. Apparently, the clerks in general in Nicaragua tend to deliver death stares to the shopper who dares to tell them, "I'm just looking."