Learning and sharing of ideas...

Bueno. We thought you might like to see what some of the workshops we have participated in were all about, as well as the progress of our projects. Everything is taking shape and we have become much more adapted to the organic time structures of Latin America. Below are fotos from a Farmers Interchange with different co-ops within La UCA, a Food Soverignty Workshop with an awesome featured speaker from Managua, Permaculture workshops as well as construction of the garden terraces at the local Primary School -- ¨Monte Grande¨, the herb spiral we are building at our host family´s casa, and a bit of inspiration along the way. Check out that squirrel with the mango! The squierrels down here are after some major cargo items. I´m not talking nuts BUT mangoes and huuuuge avacatoes!!! They literally hang upside down from tree branches with ginormous fruits in their grips -- often losing them to gravity... que triste! Y que chistoso para nosotros a observar.

Nathan and I were both crazy sick almost all last week, bed ridden for two day and barely doing anything for 5 days! Yikes, being sick sucks. Especially when Nathan is seriousely the sickest person that has ever lived and ever will live and I had better have mercy on him. And bow down to the master... hahaha I recovered a few days before he did but thank the gods, NOW I feel that this morning may be when he truly gets back to his big STRONG energetic and positive self. Nate The Great! It was tough there for a while. We are realizing how lucky and spoiled we are back home, having certain expectations and ideas of comfort for ourselves when sick. It is definetely not that way down here and it is difficult to be comfortable even when we are healthy. These kinds of experiences are so character building and will leave both of us stronger and more compassionate -- and no joke, make items like big comfy couches seem as gold.

So far, no matter how crazy this life becomes or how deeply complex and perplexing the problems appear, especially when working desperately to fathom solutions for them... The most powerful answer that I can come to is educating the youth. AND building community through local Permaculture gardens. Collaborative Roots Permaculture, at your service. We are on week 3 of our lesson plan at the Primary School and will begin next week on concepts of Nutrition (especially the moderation of salt, sugar, and oil & increasing consumption of veggies). We plan to close "The Sustainability Model" with Economics. We began with Permaculture and Eco Agronomy and have been working through the ideas of Social Equity as well. The kids learned to make maps and participated in a site analysis using the garden site at the school. This was a super cool community involvement excersize and really worked at empowering the children. They are clear now that this is their school garden.

I have already told the kids that I will not preach of Capitalism because it is really NOT the solution... particlary not in rural impoverished zones of the world. Instead we plan to talk of Community Economics -- LOCAL durability and the traditions of PLACE. En serio the ugliest sides of Capitalisms failures are so raw and in your face here. It is really too too sad. I cannot imagine a world where beautiful unique cuture and traditions continue to be replaced with cheap unhealthy shit juxtaposed to suffering community values. Consider my passions infused... With vivid tormenting truths of poverty and injustices. You wanna talk about unfair? Try selling these people that your life is not fair.

Okaaaayy, just to reassure ya´ll, we are healthy now, and we are doing work! A wise man once told me that you are making a positive change in the world just by planting 1 seed. We are about to plant some seeds my friends!!! And we encourage ya´ll to do the same -- in the hearts and souls of your neighbors and in this great earth we are so blessed to share...

Hugs de Nicaragua xx