Focus on Cuba - Cuba`s Green Revolution

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Focus on Cuba - Cuba's Green Revolution :: PathtoFreedom.com ::
Saturday, November 05
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Resistance is fertile. Sowing a green revolution!
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Issue: Cuba, Green Revolution
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Cuba's Security In Fresh Produce? - Cuba's nationwide
commitment to food self-sufficiency without reliance on
chemical or mechanical technologies has borne some
startlingly successful results.
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Cuba Headlines
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Green Revolution
Elián Gonzalez
Cuba Links
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Biodiesel
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The Next Revolution (Terrain) - On thousands of urban gardens in Cuba, necessity has
mothered a successful mix of organic methods, market strategies, and good eating.
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CUBA: Natural Medicine Gains Wide Acceptance (Sacred Earth) - The impact of Cuba's
decade-long economic crisis on the local health system has contributed to a boom in the
popularity of traditional and herbal medicine.
~ Resources ~
The New Revolution - Urban Agriculture in Cuba - "Cuba has made what is probably the
most immediate and far-reaching changeover from chemical-dependent agriculture to
low-input, sustainable agriculture."
Cuba Daily
Policy Think Tank Releases New report On Cuba's Successful Organic Farms - First
time any country has made the transition from chemical-intensive farming to sustainable
agriculture on a national scale.
photo album
Scenes of Cuba
Cuba Gallery
Cuban Photo Gallery
A Taste of Urban Agriculture in Havana - Tara McGee and Jen Pukonen are two young
Canadian women working on urban agriculture projects in Cuba. They share some of
their experiences with us here. February, 2002
Photos of Cuban Agriculture - What follows are some of the highlights of the urban farms
we visited -- Cityfarmer.org.
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Don Heller's Photos of
Cuba
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Cuba in a Nutshell
Cuba Leads the World in Organic Farming - Didn’t catch this story on CBS? No surprise
there; according to Project Censored, Cuba’s organic revolution ranks among the 15
most censored news stories of 2000
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Farming with Fidel - Organic farming has taken root in Cuba because of a shortage in
chemical pesticides and herbicides. Maybe the U.S. trade embargo isn't all bad.
Cuba producing, perhaps the "cleanest" food in the world - The Cuban revolutionary
threat is back
Additional References & Resources
A small agricultural market
An organopónico (organic garden)
in the city of Havana.
· Havana: A City that can Save the World
· Revolutionary Food
· Permaculture in Cuba
· The Big Green Experiment
· Cuba's New Agriculture Revolution
· Urban Gardens in Cuba
· Green Medicine in Cuba
· Eco Cuba Exchange
· Greening of the Revolution
· Cuba - On the cutting edge of renewing energy
· Cuba Organic Support Group
· Agriculture production in Cuba
Related reading from Amazon.com
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The Cuba Files
Cuba Solidarity Web
Links
Center for Cuban
Studies
Cuba Information Links
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Founded by Jules Dervaes in 2001, Path to Freedom is a not for profit, family operated,
viable urban homesteading project established to promote a simpler and more fulfilling
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project is slowly becoming legendary and is widely considered as a very successful
model of functional organic farming-gardening.
Our objective is to live as sustainably and self-sufficiently as possible in an urban
environment in harmony with nature and each other, while also inspiring others to “think
globally, act locally.” Our homestead supports four adults, who live and work full time on
a 66’ x 132’ city lot (1/5 acre).
The homestead's front and back yards are fully cultivated, primarily with edible
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amendment methods and and agrarian principles.
These methods include:
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I especially enjoyed the
calculation of food
production and spending
comparisons. ~ Sat ~
I applaud your hard work!
Excellent site on the
internet. I'm amazed by
record keeping to the last
detail. ~ Jan ~
My compliments on your
beautiful site. ~ Stan ~
Really amazing site you
have. I look forward to
coming to visit your urban
garden oasis. Thanks for
sharing. ~William~
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espaliered fruit trees
mulching
rock dust application
worm, animal manure, and vegetation composting.
Organic pest management techniques include:
applying "compost tea" to combat blight
diatomaceous earth for fly control; microbes
and lady bugs and praying mantises for harmful insect control.
Water conservation practices include
heavy mulching to retain soil moisture
watering only in the early morning or evening to control evaporation
using “grey water” from laundry to water non-edible plants
capturing rain water
and installing dual-flush toilets installed with assistance of city rebate
program.
The productive 1/10 acre organic garden now grows over 6,000 pounds (3 tons) (that's
right, this is not a mistype!) of organic produce annually, providing fresh vegetables and
fruit for our family’s vegetarian diet.
In addition, Path to Freedom operates a viable & lucrative home business that supplies
area restaurants and caterers with salad mix, edible flowers, heirloom variety tomatoes
and other in-season vegetables.
Jules Dervaes states:
“In our society growing food yourself has
become the most radical of acts. It is truly
the only effective protest, one that can-and will--overturn the corporate powers
that be. By the process of directly working
in harmony with nature, we do the one
thing most essential to change the world-we change ourselves.”
Path to Freedom, front yard garden
The income earned from produce sales offsets operating expenses and is invested in
appropriate technologies, such as solar panels, energy efficient appliances, and
biodiesel processor, to decrease further our homestead’s reliance on the earth’s nonrenewable resources.
Over the years, by purchasing energy efficient appliances and using electricity
conservatively, we have cut our energy usage in half. Solar panels have reduced our
dependence on electricity by two-thirds and have furthered our goal of energy
independence.
In 2004, our family constructed a biodiesel processor from a discarded hot water heater.
Every month we brew over 30 gallons of low emissions biodiesel (a renewable, nontoxic,
biodegradable replacement for petrol diesel) from used vegetable oil to fuel our diesel
suburban, reducing air toxins by 90%.
Future projects our "to do list" is the installation of a greywater reclamation system,
composting toilet, and a cistern to capture store rainwater which would dramatically
reduce the use of precious water.
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In addition, our family has been invited to participate in a number of events and festivals.
The project is slowly becoming legendary worldwide and has attracted local and national
media attention, including television, magazine, and newspaper coverage.
Funding
While Path to Freedom has enjoyed widespread recognition, we are not incorporated nor
do we have non-profit 501(c)(3) status. PTF receives no outside financing through grants
or memberships.
Projects that we have undertaken in the past and plan to accomplish in the future are selffunded with the earnings of our produce business.
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personal experiences we can offer encouragement to those who are on the same
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calculation of food
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sharing. ~William~
Inside Path to Freedom you will find:
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Resources and links on such topics as organic gardening, simple and
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Ongoing record of facts and figures from our urban garden project.
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Informative articles relating to many areas of self-sufficient & sustainable
living. Including articles dealing with the environmental & genetic engineering.
A means to bring individuals together who have similar visions and goals-for encouragement, education and support.
Vision
Nothing less than a revolution is required in order for man to achieve the realization of
his human potential. The future will be one of tremendous struggle because the world
has been held captive. It is time to rise up to break out of this bondage. VICTORY can
only be won by those armed with "plowshares." When the land is liberated, the people
will be; when the people are liberated the nation will be. And, one nation--truly, fully
liberated will lead the world to real freedom!
We will use our hands as weapons of mass creation. With this natural choice the gates
will be opened to return to the garden. And, so this is a call to begin to go back to the
old ways and continue until nature has been restored to its original state. Nothing less
will do!
Our inspiration: "...and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against
nation, neither shall they learn war any more." ~ Isaiah 2:4 ~
Jules Dervaes 1999
About PTF
This site is a living document and work in progress that will continue to grow.
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calculation of food
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sharing. ~William~
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The path to change the world begins right at your door....
PATH TO FREEDOM.COM Presents an...
Urban Homestead Model
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Basic Training Ground
Located in Pasadena, California
A futuristic site for students of all ages.
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Spread the Word...
Our wonderful, new brochure is available! If you would like to receive some copies, all
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This colorful brochure outlines our urban homesteading project and gives you an
overview of what we are accomplishing here.
You can help by distributing to places that you most frequently visit, schools, college,
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sharing. ~William~
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and dreams.
Thank you for visiting! See you along the path...
JULES DERVAES
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631 Cypress Ave, Pasadena, Calif
Tel: 626.795.8400
Email: [email protected]
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Hours: 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Pacific Time
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The Path Project - Living a Self Sufficent Lifestyle in the City :: PathtoFreedom.com ::
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Small Is Beautiful...
Here we present a self-sufficiency resource center and on-going report on our urban
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"homestead" which we have been recently developing. Since our aim is to break free from
the system, we have taken some small steps in our yard and lifestyle to make it happen.
Great goals, however, come at a great price. Thus, it has been a real, sweaty struggle to
learn a new way of living. Things don't turn out the way we want them to. The pace is so
painfully slow and, most of the time, after moving three steps forward, we end up going
back two.
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By showing what we are doing locally at our home in Pasadena, California we hope to
prove that Living Free is possible one day. Until that time, we intend to offer
encouragement with this website to all who desire to join us along the way, along the path
to freedom.
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To forget how to dig the earth
and tend the soil is to forget ourselves.
~ Gandhi ~
Projects: Urban Gardening
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DID YOU KNOW?
2001-2002
· Year Report '01: Plant Listing - Varieties grown
· Yield Chart '01 - How much we harvested
· Harvest Graph - Total annual harvest
Join us as we walk the
path to freedom.
A typical morsel of food
journeys 1,400 miles before
it reaches a mouth.
· New Plants - Added in 2002
· Plant Listing for 2002 - Over 300 plant varieties and counting
· Water Usage - Gallons of water used NEW
· Harvest Goal & Progress - Check up on how we are doing NEW
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OFF THE GRID
There are people in search of a new lifestyle, who seek to
return to certain basic truths about man and his world: I
call them homecomers.
~ E.F. Schumacher ~
Projects: Self-Sufficiency in the City
· Cooking w/the Sun - Homemade solar oven
· Drying Food w/the Sun - Homemade solar dehydrator
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DID YOU KNOW?
2002
· Self Sufficiency Rating Chart - How we're doing
Since 1950, Americans alone have used
more resources
than everyone who ever
lived before them.
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SIMPLE LIVING
The soul of our quest for the simple life...
reflects a need to re-establish control of our lives.
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Path to Freedom Journal
Friday - November 04, 2005
'WE THE PLANET' COMES TO LA
Julia Butterfly Hill, is collaborating with local organizers at Los Angeles
City College to put on an environmental and social justice convergence
on Tuesday, November 15th.
These events, which are part of our cross-country We The Planet Tour,
will include a keynote presentation and discussion with Julia Butterfly on
ways we can all use our power and creativity to raise greater awareness
of environmental and social justice issues, to highlight the connections
between them, and to work together more effectively.
Please join PATH TO FREEDOM and other concern citizens at this
http://pathtofreedom.com/journal/ (1 of 31) [5/11/2005 9:47:36 PM]
community event.
EVENT: Modeling the Solutions Activism Convergence with Julia
Butterfly Hill + Campus and Community Groups!
WHEN: Tuesday, November 15th from 7:00-8:30 pm
WHERE: Camino Theater, L.A. Community College, 855 North Vermont
Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029
For more information about the We the Planet tour, please visit:
http://www.wetheplanet.org
We'd love to see you there!
TIME OFF
The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the
man who cleans up the river. ~Ross Perot~
Gloomy weather has but a damper on the recent heat wave. Just two
days ago we were experiencing 90 temps and today we'll be lucky to hit
60 degrees.
I am going to extremely busy these next couple days to post on the
journal. Entries will resume in about a week.
In the meantime, please visit our forum and chat with other kindred
spirits, share your experiences, tips and advice. Also, please take time
to contribute articles and links at our online portal. Unfortunately, the
portal doesn't seem to be generating enough input and interest as we
had hoped. Additional resource and articles contributions are needed so
it would be great to see more submissions. Please take a moment to
post a link(s) or article(s) that you have found helpful in your journey.
The links and articles will then be reviewed upon submission.
Posted by Anais at 07:23 AM Comments (0)
Wednesday - November 02, 2005
ALL IN A DAYS WORK
Dirty bunny
Someone's having fun! Sierra's enjoying the warm fall days by digging
a tunnel in the animal enclosure. She certainly is taking the digging
seriously! Unfortunately, we'll have to fill in her excavations since it's
pretty deep and we don't want to have any accidental cave-ins.
The guavas are ripe! We have been looking forward to them for a whole
year. The pomegranates, we juiced -- delicious and healthful! The heat
has certainly helped ripen more of the fall tomatoes. Justin harvested
about 5 lbs just yesterday (decent sized ones too!) Today we will enjoy
delicious lima bean soup (with homemade herb bread made yesterday in
the cob oven). The limas are certainly a wonderful, "meaty" addition to
our diet.
The fall garden is turning out to be quite a success thanks the sort of
weather we've been having. Temps are expected to cool down, but no
chance of frost in the foreseeable future.
The garden is undergoing another drastic transition - out with the old
summer crops and in with the new fall ones. So we are busy with a
flurry of fall plantings to fill in the empty gaps in certain parts of the yard.
Now that it's dark at 5pm, we are using more of the oil lamps. It's quite a
challenge to knit under such conditions since the radius of the light given
is quite small. But, we've placed lamps in strategic spots and our eyes
are adjusting more -- actually I think we are seeing better.
Life on the homestead
Yesterday a boy scout troop came by the homestead to observe plants
and other environmental aspects of the homestead. After their brief tour,
they sat down to eat a pizza lunch that was cooked in the cob oven.
One of the boys told us that "he didn't know such a place existed" and
went on to enthusiastically exclaimed " I love this place!"
Another batch of bread was made it the oven, these turned out great. In
addition to cooking the bread and the pizzas the boy scout troop
brought, we also cooked a few pizzas for ourselves topped with fresh
tomatoes, peppers, squash and herbs from the garden (and some tofu
sausage from Trader Joes).
Before retiring to bed that evening around 10 pm, Justin went to check
the oven and it was still warm (around 200 degrees -- nearly 9 hours
after putting in the last piece of wood!) A new "business" proposition is
rolling around and I am thinking if I get good at baking, cooking in the
oven perhaps I can make some extra money by selling such things like
bread (or maybe pastries) made in the cob oven. We already have
contacts with restaurants and caterers - so there's definitely an
opportunity there.
Next on my list to try in the oven are pies (especially made with our
pumpkins and sweat potatoes), then perhaps cakes and cookies. So far,
we have cooked lasagna, soup, potatoes, steamed vegetables, pizzas,
bread and warmed up a few other dishes. The oven now takes about 1
1/2 hours to reach 475 degrees and hovers around that temperature for
a good three hours or so ( I have yet to write down the exact temps and
hours which I should really do)
Tuesday - November 01, 2005
HEAT WAVE
Yesterday and today temperatures will be in the low to mid 90's! But
these hot temps aren't, thankfully, going to last very long. With the sun
low in the horizon, the sun ray's are quite strong.
I spent the afternoon yesterday cleaning a lady's house and worked up
quite a sweat (especially cleaning the AGA stove).
HEE HAW
This morning we be picking up 10 bales of straw (for free) from a store's
pumpkin display that otherwise would have been thrown away. Last
year we did the same and the straw certainly does make the back yard
feel so downright country!
In other news:
The Nov/Dec issue of Natural Home & Garden didn't print the article on
PTF as was told to us. We hope that the magazine will run the article in
another issue -we'll see. I think they should do so since they paid a
photographer and freelance writer for the article? Who knows?
Lots to do today -- one being that it is baking day in the cob!
PRINCELY WISDOM
(Courtesy CBS 60 Minute interview with Prince Charles)
“Well, that's what I’ve been trying to encourage people to think about. …
To break the conventional mold in the way we've been building and
designing for the last, well, during the last century really, has all been
part of a throw-away society,” Prince Charles said.
Everything in the village is constructed of native or recycled materials,
“sustainable development,” he calls it, that conserves the Earth’s
resources.
Single-family homes are mixed with small apartments so there are
people of all income levels here living side by side in a community with
shops and light industry. The narrow twisty roads discourage automobile
traffic, and cars are parked out of sight in landscaped lots.
“The whole of the 20th century has always put the car at the center,” the
prince explained. "So by putting the pedestrian first, you create these
livable places, I think, with more attraction, and interest and character.
Livability."
He believes that the modern world with its cars and computers is slowly
eroding our humanity, that we are losing touch with the world around us.
Read more about the Prince's village
The Prince’s organic aspirations were put into practice and the process
of converting Highgrove and the surrounding Duchy Home into a organic
food business called Duchy Originals.
Occasionally working now and then in a local English tea shop we are
quite familiar with the Prince's brand - jolly good fare!
Monday - October 31, 2005
PATHS ARE MADE BY WALKING
Last post for October -- long winded as it may be!
BATTLE OF THE MITES
There's a serious battle going on right now in the garden, a battle
against the spider mites. This year we experienced the worst infestation
we have ever seen since we began gardening (due to the unusual wet
winter). We are not alone in this infestation. Other gardeners in the
area, too, noticed an increase in disease and "bad bugs" this year.
Time is critical--we need to destroy these pesky nemeses before they
over-winter and survive to live another year and ruin yet another growing
season.
These tiny mites are still attacking the tomatoes. The predator mites
don't seem to be doing too good a job at eradicating them (no decrease
in the spreading of the mites after releasing hundreds of their predators
). We rarely spray any organic insecticides, usually allowing nature to
balance itself out but she's needing some help this time. In a pinch
when we do spray and don't make our own we have used 'Safer
Insecticidal Soap.' But with this infestation this brand soap hasn't done
anything! A friend, and local nursery man, told us "this stuff is so safe,
even for the 'bad bugs'!" So, it's time to bring out a weapon of mass
destruction and a natural born killer - neem ( a tree of many uses).
Justin sprayed the infested plants on Friday. We notice an odd smell in
certain parts of the yard; however, it's not too bad a smell. Really hopes
this works to kill all those little buggers!
BOUNTIFUL HARVESTS
The fall crop of beans has been productive. We harvested 5 lbs on
Friday which provided us with more meals made from fresh garden
produce. Yesterday for dinner, we ate a huge bowl of tender steamed
beans with limas (all from the garden) over rice - simple, but yummy.
We'll enjoy more beans again today!
If the weather keeps up, we'll be eating tomatoes, peppers and beans
through November -- perhaps December? The snow peas are chest
high and blooming, so their sweet pods are not far behind. As for the
sweet potatoes, we should harvest them in a few weeks time. The
salad greens are filling out the raised beds like a carpet ("square inch
gardening" is what we like to call our method of sowing ), providing us
with salads all winter and spring. Crisp and spicy radishes are ready
and they add another wonderful flavor to the salads. We are, however,
craving fruit. Especially apples. So I will keep my eyes peeled for
organic, California grown ones in the market.
In the meantime, to satisfy our fruit cravings, the pomegranates were
harvested today which will be a great vitamin C boost to our diet. The
guavas (pink and red) will be ready soon. I am quite sure that they are
ripening much later than they did the previous year. The citrus trees
(grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange and tangerine) are filled with green fruit,
awaiting the right mix of temperatures to turn color and ripen. The
passion fruit vines are dotted with little green fruit and those, too, should
ripen very soon. If they all ripen at once we shall be enjoying tropical
fruit through the holidays.
A few disappointments in the garden this year were, again, the
humongous kiwi vine. This year we were hopeful in spotting first ever
flowers. Unfortunately, those flowers failed to produce fruit. Don't know
how much longer to give these three vines ( 2 female, one male) more
chances. The vines are over 4 years old now, time enough to be
mature to give fruit. The vine is stunning, yet a waste, if not producing especially in such a small growing area where productive space is vital.
ANIMAL FARM
The animals are doing well. The ducks are still producing eggs. These
two are certainly dependable layers, more so than chickens (don't have
to deal with female chicken tantrums, otherwise known as broodiness).
The chickens are, sadly, finished laying. No more "sunshine eggs" as
we like to call their eggs. Since they are bantams they don't lay for very
long. They lay for only 3-4 years and, since we got the chickens in 2002
(that long ago already!), the ladies are nearing old age. Lucky for them,
we don't eat/use many eggs and are vegetarian so there is no danger of
them ending up in a stew pot. So, they happily live out their retirement
years, hanging with the bunny and ducks and scratching and digging to
their hearts' content for bugs and other crawly things in the soil.
WEB WORK
Jordanne and I have finally started work on the new PTF site. Having
finally finished tweaking the template, we are now putting the pages
together with text, links and photos. The process of redesigning the site
has been going slower than expected due to our having to learn a new
web design program - Dreamweaver. The new site will certainly be
easier to navigate with more detailed info on steps we have taken in our
journey - more documentation of our steps. Jordanne's been working
on the photo gallerynew header logo(still has yet to link the top menu
bars as she works to figure out how to tweak the coding). Besides that,
there seem to be problems with viewing the gallery with Firefox - darn all
those different browsers! Doesn't make our job any easier.
SIMPLE LIFE
We splurged a little and we are getting a few more oil lamps for the
home. I did score on Ebay, getting three old oil lamps for $8! Going to
be placing them throughout the house to give us light during the winter
months.
The nighttime and morning temps are in the mid 50's now. Yet, for us,
it's not really cold at all since a few of us are walking around the house in
bare feet still. At least it's a crisp cold and the sun is out (big plus!). At
night we still sleep with a few windows open. The front and back doors
are kept open to let in fresh air in the morning and left open throughout
the day. Soon it will be time to bring out extra blankets for the beds and
dress in layers (and put on socks!). Over the years we have become
hardy, acclimating to the change of seasons and temps (think our
camping experiences help). Our old house is/was only heated by a gas
floor furnace which we haven't used for many, many years. Instead, we
have a small electric heater that we plug in and only when necessary in
rooms that in are use. It's not worth heating the whole house if you only
are in a couple of rooms for a few hours (just like it is with unnecessary
lights).
When the days get cold and damp (and we do get those sometime
around January and last till about March) we do use the heater to get the
chillness/dampness out of the air and, oh, can this old houses be
downright cold somedays. Of course, that is when our bedrooms feel
like Siberia (in my room especially-- we jokingly say that we can hang
meat in it) but once you get under the covers, who really cares? Lucky
for us it's really cold a few months out of the year, so what's toughing it
out for a couple months anyhow. Thankfully, we have a huge south east
facing window in the dining room which allows the sun to heat up the
most used living quarter. And, as for the living vines that provided the
house with shade during the summer, it's time to cut them back,
allowing the sun to shine back in and warm the place. This year,
however, we are looking into replacing the electric heater with an oil one
since we heard they were more efficient. One day, perhaps, we'll get
our roof fixed so we can use the fireplace. In the meantime, we find
ways to keep warm.
Thursday - October 27, 2005
Grease load
Manual Labor
I really like (when I have the time) using the hand washer and wringer.
The wringer especially does and excellent job of taking out all excess
water from the clothes. This contraption, without doubt, helps lessen
drying time on the line. One less addiction to worry about that's tied to
the grid, allowing us to be freer while giving us a great workout as well.
We do our laundry once a week (twice, if really necessary) having
learned not to wear so many sets of clothes during the week. But, when
we do really dirty work, then the clothes pile up fast! It's important to
continue to make small changes. However, we are tempted to want to
do the "biggies" (yet to be accomplished) because it makes us feel as if
we are progressing faster..
Smells like fries
Yesterday afternoon, on the way home from our deliveries, we picked up
9 five gallon containers of wvo (waste vegetable oil) from our client.
Sure beats the gunky, messy chore of pumping out of the greasy drums
behind the place. While placing the containers in the car, one of the girls
who works there commented that she heard that "Willie Nelson and his
wife run their car and bus on biodiesel." Word is definitely spreading
about this alternative fuel.
If you are interested in making your own fuel, check out our section on
homebrew biodiesel.
Here's an email that we received which makes our time here on the
internet worthwhile. Furthermore, I think the world would be a better
place if more and more people "fell out of the box."
Changing Paths
Hello,
I work for a Major Oil Company and I have opened my eyes, but I am not
sure I am on the right track. Maybe you could help me understand. But
this much I know I work in a heavily regulated and extremely dangerous
and unhealthful business. We blow $16 million on a well that has a high
water cut. I wonder what $16 million in Oil Palms would produce? What
would $16 million of any plant produce and what good economic effect
and environmental effect would it produce? Would it take the pollution
out of the air?
Can a Gasoline engine be converted to run on biodiesel? Why do I care
you might ask? The production of Oil and Gas uses a lot of energy and
has a horrible toll on those who produce it. The energy to repeatedly lift
50K to 1.5M pounds of steel in and out of a hole 6000-26000 feet deep
how much energy could that be compared to growing plants? not to
mention the energy making all the equipment to drill and produce the Oil.
It just blows me away from Well to gas tank to milk carton. I think I just
fell out of the box.
Regards, Gary
In the Garden
The garden is still turning out many a summer veg: peppers, tomatoes,
beans, limas, squash, radishes, tomarillos, sunchokes and leeks. For
the past few days we've been enjoying vegetable soup made from these
garden veggies. The guys are keeping up succession plantings in the
raised beds and the homemade self watering containers, in addition to
amending the soil with our own compost, mulch and effective micro
organisms. The damp weather contributed to a damping off some of the
closely sown salad green crops. Really, who would have thought it
would be dreary in October, as normally this time of year we have warm
temps, so we were unprepared for the rain and dampness. But, as with
all gardeners and farmers, there is no time to complain or wonder why.
You go with the flow and just take what nature gives you. In the fruit
department; guavas and a few strawberries bring a bit of sweetness to
our diet. We eagerly anticipate the citrus ripening sometime early next
year. This year we'll harvest a few pomegranates (definitely more than
last year) and these should be ripening fairly soon.
Survivor
We had a family discussion the other day where each voiced his/her
opinion about what he/she thought were the successes and failures for
the year. Of course there were a few major steps ( cob oven, cob oven,
cob oven -- just kidding, there were others) and a few setbacks which we
thought by this time we'd have finished (compost toilet, grey water
system and solar water heater) But those weren't failures because of
lack of effort. Simply put, we were overwhelmed-- it more had to do with
time and funds. We'd have like to accomplished more, just about
anyone would; however, things always don't turn out as planned. The
year was fraught with obstacles and death (losing two grandmothers
within a few weeks on one another). The one thing that was our great
accomplishment was that we survived. Yes, survived, to live another
day. Although our steps may seem painfully slow and accomplishments
miniscule, it's a wonder that we are even here at this point. So instead
of looking at the hole in the donut, it's great just to finally say "what the
hey and eat the darn thing" .. and enjoy!
Wednesday - October 26, 2005
HOMESTEAD REPORT
Baking day
Oh dreary days. Each day seems to be a carbon copy of the other - cool,
foggy mornings, clearing to hazy sunshine. However, for the last two
days, the cloud cover has so thick it's brought light to heavy drizzling.
Today looks to be a much better day with the sun peeking through the
clouds. It's perfect weather for salad and cool weather crops and
cooking in the cob oven.
On Monday, Justin fired up the oven (which he likes to do-- what is it with
guys and fire?) and I baked four tasty herb breads: two Irish soda
breads. The herb breads were delicious with warmed up homemade
vegetable soup for dinner. For dessert we made crepes with peach
sauce. I could have cooked and warmed up more tasty goods but the
weather changed, started to drizzle, then it was crucial to cover the cob
oven. The loaves were a wee bit burnt on the bottom. With a little
research I learned that I can't determine the correct temperature using a
basic thermometer that we have placed in the oven. Seems that the
thermometer is reading the air temp of the oven, not the marble slab.
Reading a copy of THE BREAD BUILDERS, I came upon a valuable tip
for my next attempt which would help me determine if the slab is too hot-"the flour test." It stated that one should sprinkle flour on the interior
surface and it should turn a light brown in 15 seconds. If that happens
then the slab temperature is correct. Cooking with fire and in such an
earthen oven is a more intimate experience (getting to know this
particular oven) and I am slowing building a relationship with this oven,
my oven.
Cob cover
Ray dropped by Monday afternoon to bring the last pieces of metal for
the cob covering. Once it's erected we'll see if it will do the job of
keeping the rain off. We did "mock rain" test using the garden hose, but
I still am a bit apprehensive if it will keep off the rain that blows in from
the sides. I still have to seal the oven with boiled linseed. So that's
something I need to tackle soon before the winter rains descend on
SoCal.
Another load of sweet smelling conifer mulch was delivered yesterday.
Since early this dark and foggy morn, the guys have been moving the
load from the driveway to the backyard, filling all empty containers on the
property. These loads of mulch will be valuable topsoil by spring which
is always a welcome occurrence in the garden. People often ask us
what our secret is to getting good soil - it's mulch and compost. Those
two simple processes will pay off in time building healthful soil and
,eventually, healthful plants. We have so much soil on parts of our
property from the continuous mulching and composting, that our property
is 1 foot higher in some places than it used to be.
Now that the days are short and sunshine is less, we supplement our
use of electricity by using oil lamps that sat useless, collecting dust, dust
during the summer months. For years, there has been a rule in our
house that no unnecessary light is used in rooms that aren't occupied.
This habit has gotten so "bad" that when we are visiting relatives, we
habitually turn off lights in rooms that aren't in use and they, of course,
think we are a bit odd. Through constant practice our eyes have
adjusted, helping us navigate into rooms that are dark . If you visit our
home at night, we limit the lights (or no electric lights at all) and it
appears that no one is home. Quite a contrast to houses that we used to
see on nights when we'd walk to the Rose Bowl where every room in the
house was brightly lit. (Comment--a French lady who was a friend of the
family lived in a dimly lighted house in New Orleans. Even though she
was old she had good eyesight. She said, "This is how we light our
homes in France. There is too much light in American homes.) This
lights off policy not only reduces our use of energy but benefits our
health. It's been reported that exposure to constant artificial light may
reduce levels of melatonin, which regulates the body's internal clock, and
the Circadian cycle. In the city, do we ever really experience total,
natural darkness. I have found that when I do go to places that are
brightly lit I get very nervous, whereas soft lights have a very calming
effect.
Exposure to bright light at night can disrupt the internal clocks that make
our various circadian cycles tick. Such cycles affect behavioral rhythms,
daily changes in blood and urine chemistry, and the production of
melatonin, a hormone involved in wake/sleep cycles and bodytemperature fluctuations that is produced at night by the pineal gland.
Connected by nerves to the eye, the pineal gland is very light-sensitive,
and sudden or continuous exposure to a bright light can suppress the
production of melatonin.
In the short term, the disruption of biological rhythms can produce
grogginess, depression, and impaired thinking.
Via The Dark Side of Light
Friday - October 21, 2005
GREENING PASADENA
Manti sunning on stevia herb
Yesterday evening we attended a Green Building Program "Open
House" sponsored by the City of Pasadena. There were a few vendors
who showcased Earth friendly products. One of the favorites was wall
insulation made from old jeans! City staff were on hand to explain
Pasadena's proposed Green Building program - detailing rules,
programs, rebates and tree-protection efforts that promote
environmental stewardship.
There wasn't any new rebates that we hadn't know about for residents;
free shade trees, rebates on Energy Star appliances, water rebates on
low water washers, dual flush and low flush toilet rebates and many
more ( PWP Rebates). Still no rain water harvesting or grey water
products or rebates offered. We mentioned to one of the officials that we
hope the city will look into such water conservation programs.
The city handed out its Environmental Charter filled with details on
Pasadena's green programs and sustainability efforts. It was also filled
with hard hitting factoids on how much resources we are using up and
how little resources we have left to even use.
I'd like to share some of the factoids.
Nearly 97% of the world's water is salty and undrinkable. Another 2% is
locked up in ice caps and glaciers. That leaves only 1% for our needs.
Typically, at least 50% of the water that is consumed by households is
used for outdoor irrigation.
In one year an acre of trees absorbs the amount of carbon dioxide you
produce when you drive your car 26,000 miles.
One acre of healthy trees produces enough oxygen for 18 people per
day.
If American households recycled just one out of ten plastic milk jugs they
used, landfills would save 200 million pounds of space annually.
Average global temperature has increased by almost 1° F over the past
century: scientist expect it to increase an additional 2-6°F over the next
few years.
PEAK OIL
We received the colorful and authoritative OIL POSTER in the mail the
other day which we had requested at the Sierra Summit conference we
attended back in September. This poster traces the history of the Oil
Age from its beginnings in the hills of western Pennsylvania in 1859 to its
rise as the engine of global industrial economies.
"If a picture is worth one thousand words, then The Oil Age Poster is
worth one million words because people can not only see the oil
production Hubbert's peaks in many countries and regions, but also read
the facts proving that global peak oil is both inevitable and quite probably
imminent." - U.S. Congressman Roscoe Bartlett
Thursday - October 20, 2005
RAIN CATCHMENT
Screwing on the leaves
Using scraps of metal from where he works, Ray assembled the "taro
leaf" cover for the cob oven. The copper leaves will eventually weather
into a nice patina - changing from shiny copper penny to a more natural
greenish hue. Yesterday, Ray dropped off the pieces for this unique
cover and the guys helped put them together. Ray needs to make
another leaf and stem and plans are to finish erecting the leaves
sometime next week.
The leaves will be water catchments ( like they are in nature ). It should
be quite a piece (reminds me of a rain chain for capturing rainwater) http://pathtofreedom.com/journal/ (25 of 31) [5/11/2005 9:47:36 PM]
practical and artistic.
A load of pine tree trimmings were delivered yesterday which we
immediately put into the garden paths. The whole yard smells like a
forest - love that fresh pine smell.
The sun finally came out yesterday, after three days of rain. Quite
unexpected for this time of year; however, it was the same time last year
that a similar freak storm blew in and dumped lots of rain and hail.
Seems like the weather patterns have certainly changed in the short time
we've lived in SoCal. The top five news stories recently had to do with
natural disasters: Katrina, earthquake in Pakistan/India, flooding in
Northeast and Bird flu. And now, the biggest storm ever recorded brews
in the Gulf. People continue to think there is no such thing as global
warming? There seem to be more and more of these horrible disasters
and it feels like earth is trying to tell us something is not right.
Something is definitely off kilter. We've screwed up the earth's natural
rhythms big time and we are going to pay for it with more of these terrible
natural disasters. What's scary is that pretty soon we'll be used to them
as we continue to be bombarded with image after image of suffering and
misery. As we look back in time so much has changed in our lifetimes,
The future doesn't look promising.
Something to think about
The only design project that’s really sustainable is the one you don’t do.
The idea that you can save the planet by consuming resources is
absurd. If you want to be really sustainable, buy an old house, fill it with
antiques and walk everywhere. { Via baloghblog }
Posted by Anais at 12:45 PM Comments (0)
About
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●
Path to Freedom is an urban
permaculture, homestead model
established 2001 located in Pasadena,
CA. Our objective to live as
harmoniously and sustainably as possible
in the midst of the city.
This family operated DIY project strives
to inspire individuals to “think globally,
act locally" by motivating them to live a
simpler and more fulfilling life.
Mission
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"To use our hands as weapons of mass
creation."
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~ Jules Dervaes ~
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Footprint
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PTF: 5.2 acres per person
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American: 25 acres per person
Paths
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The Path Project
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Photo Gallery
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Journal
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Calendar
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Resources & Links NEW
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Newsletter
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Message Board
Past Steps
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"A step backwards is progress."
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~ Jules Dervaes ~
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Making biodiesel
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Running car on biodiesel
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Growing a sizable % of food
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--6,000lbs on 1/10 acre!
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Food preservation/storage
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Soapmaking
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Buying bulk, organic, local
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Raising chickens, ducks,
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rabbits (not to eat!)
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Vermicomposting
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Composting
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Solar power / Green power
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Unschooling
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Reduce, reuse & recycle
●
Buying second hand clothes
●
Line drying clothes
●
Energy efficient appliances:
●
washer,refridge,water heater
●
Energy efficient gizmos:
●
computer, copier, TV
●
Energy efficient lighting:
●
bulbs, oil-lamps, candles
●
Non-electrical appliances -
●
hand powered
●
Non-toxic personal &
●
cleaning products
●
Carpool, walk, bike
●
Natural health practices
●
Reusing laundry water
●
Water conservation
●
Low flush toilets
●
Self-employed
●
Working at home
●
Crafts, skills
●
Vegetarian / Organic
●
Eating with the seasons
●
Cooking/baking from scratch
●
Living simply
●
Tithing
●
Making use or do without
●
Saving seeds
●
Bartering
●
Beekeeping
●
Monthly shopping
●
Limit toilet flushings
●
Outreach: helping others
●
along the path
●
Built a solar oven
●
Built a cob oven
●
Built a solar shower
●
Making/using EM Bokashi
●
Pedal power grinder
●
Using biodiesel car only 3
●
days a week
Current Trails
●
Removing concrete to
●
capture rainfall, install
●
permeable paving
●
Fall/winter plantings
●
Revamping website
●
Using the cob oven
●
Rain water harvesting
●
Using hand washer/wringer
●
Conserving
Future Steps
●
As time & funds permit
●
Composting toilet
●
Grey water reclamation
●
Rainwater harvest & cistern
●
Solar water heater
●
Form community
●
Wood stove
●
Green banking
●
HPV Bikecar/generator
Compost Pile
●
November 2005
●
October 2005
●
September 2005
●
August 2005
●
July 2005
●
June 2005
●
May 2005
●
April 2005
●
March 2005
●
2005
●
2004
●
2003
●
2002
●
2001
Fellow Travelers
●
A Simpler Way
●
A Year of Living Generously
●
Accidental Farmer
●
Accidental Smallholder
●
Backyard Homestead
●
Baloghblog
●
Beck Family Ramblings
●
Biodiesel Blog
●
Biodiesel Homebrew Diary
●
BioHabit
●
Bicycle Communting Now
●
Blog Pipe
●
Bob Waldrop's Garden
●
Bodanzarama
●
City Hippy
●
Deconsumption
●
Dirt Under My Nails
●
Earth Home Garden
●
Eating Peanuts
●
Easy Green
●
Enchanted Gypsy
●
Future Fairy Tales Farm
●
Garden Jinn
●
Green Being Farm
●
Green LA Girl
●
Green Thinkers
●
Green Trust
●
GirlMark's Biodiesel
●
Confidential
●
Gone to Croaton
●
Handy Home Projects
●
Idleworm
●
JBB's Musings
●
Labor & Inspiration
●
Landblog
●
Laughing Knees
●
Leaving the Grid
●
Mairi Musings
●
Mason Madcap
●
Miles from Babylon
●
Miz Untitled
●
Musings on the Farm
●
Our Garden Blog
●
Our Sustainable Shire
●
Over the Edge
●
Pioneer Melissa
●
Peaknik
●
Powering Down
●
Prairie Point
●
Pure Land Mountain
●
Rebecca's Pocket
●
Resource Insights
●
Rurality
●
Sarah's Homestead Blog
●
SaveGaia
●
SelfSufficientish
●
Simple Katie
●
Simple Living in a Complex
●
World
●
Simple Subjects
●
Slow Society
●
Step Gently
●
Suburban Farm
●
Sustainablog
●
Sustainable Journey
●
Sustainable Table
●
Sustainable Suburbia
●
Sustenance
●
The Greener Side
●
The Good Life
●
The Future is Green
●
The Spirit Trail
●
Thoreau's Journal
●
Tree Hugger
●
Tree Hugger Mum
●
Unplugged Living
●
Urban Badger
●
Veggie Way
●
Virtual Homesteading
●
What Would Ma Ingalls Do
●
Wholly Words
●
Wildside Musing
●
Will Brady Journal
●
World Changing
A Sustainable Living Resource Center :: PathtoFreedom.com ::
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OUTREACH PROGRAMS
Urban
Homesteading
Practical education for sustainable
living
Journal
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Event Calendar
Photo Gallery
The earth and the human community are bound in a single journey. ~ Thomas Berry ~
Fact & Stats
Mission
DIY Projects
PTF Living Resource Center
~ Sections ~
Newsletter
Personal Column
Contact
Our goal is to live ecologically sustainable lives, and to share the skills and ideas
behind that lifestyle with fellow travelers.
Please note: additional events will be added as soon as they are scheduled. For
more info, call us at: 626.795.8400
:: Recent Steps ::
Biodiesel
Solar Power
If you'd like to be notified of upcoming events, request to be added to our secure /
no spam mailing list.
Cob Oven
~ Reader Comments ~
Events & Workshops
2005 CALENDAR
Link Directory
growing) links by
category and online
here>>
Back to Basics
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click here>>
Home
About PTF
The Path Project
Journal
Mission
Photo Gallery
Newsletter
Personal Column
Contact Info
Discussion Forum
JANUARY
Sun 16 - Video Screening & Discussion -- Ecoparque
Special Guest: Michael Bedar ( film producer )
( 5 - 9 pm) $5 - $10 sliding scale donation
Tue 18 - Knit Together & Crochet Too!
( 6 - 9 pm) FREE
- Knitting Basics - Explore the rhythm of your soul
( 6 - 9 pm) $45 (includes yarn, needles and
pattern to complete a scarf)
Sun 23 - EM Workshop:
Saving the World with Microorganisms
Special Guest: Chip Fieberg
( 2 - 5 pm) $10 - $25 sliding scale donation
http://www.pathtofreedom.com/outreach/index.shtml (1 of 6) [5/11/2005 9:47:42 PM]
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detail. ~ Jan ~
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FEBRUARY
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Fri 4 - Jules Dervaes presents PTF slideshow @ Flor y Canto
'Permaculture Night' hosted by Northeast Neighbors
for Peace and Justice
Flor y Canto
( Begins at 8 pm ) POTLUCK
Tue 15 - Knit Together ( & crochet too!) (6pm - 9pm)
FREE
Thur 17 - PTF @ OPENHOUSE FOR EDUCATORS (pdf file)
Kidspace Pasadena
( 3 - 5:30 pm) FREE
MARCH
Sat 5 - Video Screening & Discussion -- Greening of Cuba
Special Guest: Rachel Bruhnke
( 6:30 - 9 pm) $5 - $10 sliding scale donation
Includes potluck
Tue 15 - Knit Together & YARN SWAP
(Bring unwanted yarn to swap with fellow crafters)
( 7 - 9 pm) FREE
Sat 26 - Sustainability - An Integral Approach
Special Guest: Tony Pereira
( 6:30 - 9 pm) $5 donation
Includes potluck & music
Sun 27 - 'Profiting From Your Garden'
Presented by: Jules Dervaes
@ PROYECTO JARDIN Community Garden
1718 Bridge Street in Boyle Heights
( 2 pm - 3 pm)
APRIL
Tues 12 - Knit Together
( 7 - 9 pm) FREE
Sat 16 - Earth Day LA
The Promenade, Santa Monica
( 10 am - 7 pm) FREE
Visit PTF Booth
Sun 17 - Earth Day Celebration
All Saints Episcopal Church, Pasadena
( 8 am - 12:45 pm) FREE
Visit PTF Booth
Sat 23 - Greening the Earth Day
Memorial Park, Pasadena
(11 am - 3 pm) FREE
Visit PTF Booth (biodiesel vehicle on display)
Sat 23 - Earth Day Comes Alive
Audubon Center, Highland Park
(9 am - 4 pm) FREE
Visit PTF Booth
MAY
Sun 1 - ROCK DUST- Remineralize the Earth
Special Guest: Andy Lopez 'The Invisible
Gardener'
( 3pm - 4pm) $5 - $10 sliding scale
Includes potluck
Tues 10 - Knit Together
( 7 - 9 pm) FREE
Fri 20 - Biodiesel Mixer
Special Guest: Maria Alovert
( 6:30pm - 9:30pm) $5 - $10 sliding scale
Includes potluck
Sun 22 - Homebrew Biodiesel Workshop
(10am - 2pm) $50 - $65 sliding scale
Advanced registration and payment is required
Sun 22 - Homebrew Biodiesel Workshop
(4pm - 8pm) $50 - $65 sliding scale
JUNE
Sun 5 - COB OVEN WORKSHOP
Instructor: Ray Cirino of Cobanation
( 10am - 6pm) $65 - $85 sliding scale
Sun 26 - BIKE SUMMER LA 2005
Arroyo Seco Eco Ride & Tour of Path to Freedom
( 9 am - 1 pm) $5-$10 for tour of PTF
Sun 26 - THE FUTURE OF FOOD
Special Guest: Deborah Koons Garcia ( film
producer )
Representative from Organic Consumers Association
( 4 pm - 9 pm) $15 donation
OCTOBER
Sun 9 - COB OVEN PIZZA PARTY
Special Guest: Ray Cirino of Cobanation
Special Guest: Alison Herson of American Flatbread
Pizza Company
( 5 pm - 9 pm) $5 suggested donation
Event Includes A Potluck!
**********************************************************
ADDITIONAL 2005 SEASON EVENTS WILL BE
POSTED AS SOON AS THEY ARE SCHEDULED
LOOK FOR THESE (and more!) UPCOMING EVENTS TO BE
SCHEDULED:
- PTF Five Year Anniversary Celebration
2004 CALENDAR
MARCH
Sun 14 - Seed Swap & Potluck (4pm - 7pm) FREE
Sun 23 - Biodiesel Mixin' Mixer (5pm - 9pm) $5
MAY
Sun 2 - Soapmaking 101 (2pm - 6pm) $25
Sun 9 - Video Screening & Discussion
The End of Suburbia (6pm) $2
Thur 13 - Knit / Crochet Out (6pm - 8pm) FREE
Sun 16 - Biodiesel Mixin' Mixer (5pm - 9pm) $5
Sun 23 - Homebrewed Biodiesel Workshop (2pm - 6pm) $50
JUNE
Sun 6 - PTF Open Homestead Tour $20
Thur 10 / Fri 11 - PTF @ Community Food Security Summit
Wed 16 - Knit / Crochet Out (6:30 pm - 8:30 pm) FREE
Wed 30 - Learn to Spin using Drop Spindle (7pm - 9pm) $28
JULY
Sun 4 - Interdependence Day (5pm - 9pm) FREE
Tues 13 - Knit / Crochet Out (6pm - 9pm) FREE
Sun 18 - Permaculture Credit Union Meeting
Meet Don Sarich CEO of PCU (6pm) FREE
AUGUST
Sun 8 - Biodiesel Mixer (5pm - 9pm) $5-$10
Tues 17 - Knit Together ( & crochet too!) (6pm - 9pm) FREE
Sat 21 / Sun 22 - PTF Exhibit @ Sol Fest
Sun 29 - Special Guest: Robina McCurdy
Design in Partnership with Nature Workshop (9am - 5pm)
Permaculture Gardens Slide Show (7pm)
SEPTEMBER
Sun 19 - Video Screening & Discussion The End of Suburbia
(6 pm) $5 - $10 donation
NOTE: This gathering is to be held at GardenLAb
OCTOBER
Thur 14 - Seed Swap & Potluck
(5 - 8 pm) FREE
Sat 9 - Screenings MERCHANTS OF COOL ( 5 pm) $5
ESCAPE FROM AFFLUENZA ( 7 pm) $5
NOVEMBER
Thur 11 - PTF @ ARMORY CENTER for the ARTS (6:30pm)
OUTSTANDING RECYCLER AWARDS CEREMONY
Presented by the City of Pasadena & Patagonia
Organic appetizers and refreshments will be provided.
DECEMBER
Winter break !
Pass it On...
Would you like to share your knowledge and skills with others? Or do you want to
have your event hosted at PTF's living resource center? We're looking for skilled
and knowledgeable persons to give workshops, classes or lectures on these
subjects:
Permaculture, sustainable, regenerative and holistic principles, integrated pest
management, natural gardening practices, candle making, papermaking, rug
braiding, weaving, spinning, plant dyes, recyclable arts and crafts, recycled
hardscape, natural home and beauty care products (lotions, essential oils, etc.)
and more!
Submit your proposal.
Support
We are not-for-profit and do not have any backing (private donations or grants), all
outreach programs and events are paid for by participant's donations at
workshops.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
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Index
Category
:
Animals
Category
:
Biodiesel
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[View]
Category : Cob
Oven
Category
:
Compost
&
Soil
Category
:
Crafts
Category
:
Events
[View]
[View]
[View]
[View]
http://pathtofreedom.com/photogallery/ [5/11/2005 9:47:54 PM]
Category
: Featured
Photographers
[View]
Category :
Florida
Homestead
[View]
Category
:
Flowers
Category
:
Harvests
Category
:
Homesteading
Category
:
Mushrooms
[View]
[View]
[View]
[View]
Category
: New
Zealand
Homestead
[View]
Category
:
Pedal
Power
[View]
Category
:
Recycle
Category
:
Solar
Category
:
Wildlife
[View]
[View]
[View]
Alb
upd
9/24/0
© 19
Jules
Category
Path to
:
All
Yard
Re
All ph
[View]
are c
Path t
and c
u
repr
printe
or
witho
acknow
and /
written
from
Fr
The Path Project - Facts & Stats :: PathtoFreedom.com ::
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FACTS & STATS
Data from the project
Journal
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If you want to be free, learn to live simply. Use what you have and be content where you are.
~ J. Heider ~
Fact & Stats
Mission
DIY Projects
The Path Project: Facts & Stats
2004
~ Sections ~
Newsletter
Personal Column
Contact
Resistance is fertile...
Last updated on: Monday February 28, 2005
Documentation of charts, diagrams and stats detailing our progress in our journey
towards becoming as self-sufficient here in the city.
:: Recent Steps ::
Biodiesel
Solar Power
Cob Oven
Listed below are facts and stats that document our success and failures in urban
gardening and self-sufficiency. We hope that by providing this information we can prove
that indeed, YOU can make a difference. No matter how small the change is that you
make, by realizing that you had to make a change is a giant step in the right direction.
The Path Project
Photo Gallery
Facts & Stats
Urban Diary
DIY Projects
Back to Basics
Link Directory
Event Calendar new
Who knows where the path will take you...
Facts & Diagrams
Link Directory
growing) links by
category and online
here>>
Back to Basics
your story or tips?
click here>>
Changing the way people think about growing food
URBAN HOMESTEAD
FACTS
LOCATION
Pasadena, California
PROPERTY SIZE
Lot: 66' x 132' = 8,712 sq.ft. (1/5 acre)
House: 1500 sq.ft
Garage/Driveway:1300 sq.ft
Gardening »
Vermicomposting
Seed Balls
Attracting Wildlife
Wildlife Habitat
Seed Saving
Urban Gardening
Trade List
Urban Permaculture
Off the Grid »
Solar Oven
Solar Food Dryer
Solar Power NEW
BioDiesel NEW
Simple Living »
Raising Chickens
Making A Living
Monthly Shopping
Caring for Rabbits
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Raising Ducks NEW
UNDER CULTIVATION
Backyard: ~ 1300 sq.ft
Front yard: ~ 1300 sq.ft
Containers: ~ 1300 sq.ft
CLIMATE
Average rainfall: 19 inches
National zone: 9-10
Sunset Western Garden Zone: 21
Average first frost: January
Average rainfall: 19 inches
Growing season: March thru November
Soil type and analysis: Sandy / 6.5 p
Last frost: Mid March
Elevation: 865 ft
National zone: 9
~ Urban Diary ~
Average temp: HIGH / LOW
WINTER
Jan · Feb · Mar
65°F / 40ºF
SPRING
Apr · May · Jun
75°F / 50°F
SUMMER
Jul · Aug · Sep
90°F / 60°F
FALL
Oct · Nov · Dec
80° F / 50°F
photos & weekly
ramblings.
click here »
DIAGRAMS
Property Comparison
Drawings of front / backyard
top
Urban Homestead Projects & Resources
Stats & Charts
______________SELECT CATEGORIES_____________
Garden Yields
Off the Grid
Simple Living
______________________________________________
STATS: 2004
2004 YIELDS: Recorded from January 1 to December 31
Jerusalem
Artichokes
82 lbs 11 oz
Broccoli
17 lbs 8 oz
Carrots
38 lbs 6 oz
Mixed Greens
1265 lbs 2 oz
Salad Mix
599 lbs 5 oz
Summer Squash
35 lbs 6 oz
Mixed Berries
108 lbs 9 oz
Winter Squash
19 lbs 7 oz
Onions
109 lbs 5 oz
Mushrooms
4 lbs 12 oz
Cucumbers
241 lbs 15 oz
Herbs
71 lbs 15 oz
Garlic
3 lbs 8 oz
Peaches
276 lbs 13 oz
Beans
149 lbs 10 oz
Lima Beans
38 lbs 6 oz
Figs
22 lbs 14 oz
Apples
60 lbs 4 oz
Yacon
24 lbs oz
Cabbage
path to freedom.
click here »
GARDEN YIELDS
Peas
115 lbs 4 oz
~ Roadmap ~
Corn
12 lbs 7 oz
Miscellaneous
14 lbs 3 oz
Sweet Potato
62 lbs 6 oz
Beets
Grapes
11 lbs 7 oz
Tomatoes
958 lbs 4 oz
Radishes
179 lbs 9 oz
Potatoes
11 lbs 13 oz
Eggplant
45 lbs 9 oz
Pumpkin
110 lbs 11 oz
Peppers
113 lbs 6 oz
Pepino Dulce
5 lbs oz
Oranges
154 lbs 5 oz
Trombocino Squash
536 lbs 4 oz
Lemons
3 lbs 8 oz
Turnips
8 lbs 12 oz
Artichoke
13 lbs oz
Leeks
129 lbs 14 oz
Passion Fruit
18 lbs 12 oz
6 lbs 8 oz
Guavas
48 lbs 9 oz
Grapefruit
5 lbs 8 oz
Avocado
3 lbs 4 oz
Garnish
Flowers/Herbs
265 lbs 6 oz
3 lbs 2 oz
Bananas
20 lbs 10 oz
Tree Tomatoes
39 lbs 10 oz
Apricots
7 lbs 8 oz
2004 YIELDS
January 1 to December 31
Vegetables - 5038 lbs 14 oz
Fruits & Berries - 770 lbs 15 oz
Edible Flowers & Herb Garnish - 265 lbs 6 oz
TOTAL: 6075 lbs 3 oz
PROGRESS CHARTS for 2003
Harvest Goal
Water Usage
Harvest Record Graph
Plant Listing Over 300 and counting...
Previous Year: STATS 2003»
top
OFF THE GRID
STATS: 2004
COOKING Average meals cooked or warmed in solar oven per week
WINTER
2 out of 14
SPRING
4 out of 14
SUMMER
7 out of 14
FALL
3 out of 14
Previous Year: STATS 2003»
top
SIMPLE LIVING
STATS: 2004
FOOD BILL Average groceries purchase per week* for family of five
WINTER
SPRING
SUMMER
FALL
$100 - $120
$90 - $100
$50 - $85
$60 - $85
*On a vegetarian diet. Shopping at a local health food store once every 6 weeks
FOOD % Grown: "Guesstimate" of our vegetarian diet*
WINTER
55%
SPRING
65%
SUMMER
FALL
80%
65%
* no red meat, fowl, pork or fish
RATING CHARTS
2002 Self Sufficiency
2003 Frugal 'One Month' Shopping List NEW!
Previous Year: STATS 2003 »
This site and our urban homestead is a work in progress.
Please check back often for updates. Thanks for stopping by!
Back to top
DIY Projects - Do It Yourself Resources :: PathtoFreedom.com ::
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DIY PROJECTS
Internet Links
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Providing pathways to a more sustainable lifestyle.
Fact & Stats
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DIY Projects
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DIY: Resource Directory
Newsletter
Personal Column
Contact
Here is a collection of various do-it-yourself or how-to articles that have caught our
attention while surfing the internet. We find that they are very useful and hope you will
also.
Updated Monday February 23, 2004
:: Recent Steps ::
Biodiesel
We're looking for do-ityourself/how-to articles or
tips.
If you would like to
share your projects or
experiences with our
readers, please go to our
submission form and we
will consider it for
publication.
Solar Power
Cob Oven
Link Directory
growing) links by
category and online
here>>
Back to Basics
your story or tips?
click here>>
· Pop Bottle Irrigation System
· Garden Pond for Under $4
· Scarecrow
· How to Make Compost
· No-till Permanent Bed Farming
· Build An Inexpensive Greenhouse
· Using Greywater In the Garden
· Make a Tire Planter
· Slow-Watering System
· Self-Watering Box
· Clothesline Trellis
· Cold Frame
· Build A Backyard Pond new
· Newspapers to Starter Pots new
· Grow Your Own Roof new
· Seed Starting Rack new
· Self-watering Container Garden new
~ Submit DIY Link ~
Know of a site that
you'd like to see listed?
Send us a email.
We'd like your help in
assembling this page.
Thank you!
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· Indoor Worm Composter
· White Wash
· Washing Clothes w/o Electricity
· Make Your Own Candles
· Building A Root Cellar
· Make Your Own Natural Paints
· Sew Your Own Shopping Tote
· Coppicing Willow for Basketry
· Rustic Laptop Table
· Make Your Own Ink
· Solar Fruit Dryer (pdf) new
· Cassette Fruit Dryer (pdf) new
· Free Building Plans A-Z new
· Reusable Produce Bag new
· Turn Calendars Into Envelopes new
· Sew Your Own Baby Diapers new
· Butter Making
· Making Cheese at Home
· How to Make Vinegar
· Making Sourdough
· Canning 101
· Yogurt Without A Cow
· Harvesting & Storing Herbs
· Making Sour Cream
· Drying Fruits & Vegetables
· Homemade Soy Milk
· Homebrews new
· Homemade Toiletries
· Making Soap
· Kitchen Beauty Products
· Reusable Pads
· Make Your Own Tire Sandals
· Sew Your Own Bra new
· Solar Heater
· Solar Dehydrator
· Solar Ovens
· Natural Air Conditioning
· Bicycle Rope Pump
· Drying Food With the Sun
· Wind Turbine
· Home-Built Windpower
· Outdoor Oven
· Oil Lamp
· Solar Panel
· Waste Oil Heater
· Haybox Cookery new
· Solar Water Heating Panel
new
· How to Construct A Reed Bed
· Build Your Own Sawdust Toilet
· Make & Use Sawdust Toilet
· Primitive Toilet
· Rain Barrel
· Bio-Fuels
· Bio Diesel
· Water Well
· Vermicomposting Toilet
· Construct a Rain Garden
· Natural Swimming Pool
· Water Wheel
· Rain Barrel HGTV new
For additional building projects visit Lowe's HOW-TO library
Back to top
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Homesteading
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THE PATH
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The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind,
but how to get old ones out. ~ Dee Hock ~.
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:: Recent Steps ::
The path to change the world begins right at your door....
Biodiesel
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More than to inform, we seek to educate and, thus,
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The future is now... the choice is ours!
Link Directory
growing) links by
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here>>
Read the CURRENT ISSUE now.
~ Readers Comment ~
I love your newsletter have been getting it now
for about 4 months and
have found no other like
it. It provides so much
information and so many
ideas for living life the
way I desire to. ~ Teri ~
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~ Previous Issues ~
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2004 »
We welcome emails and would be grateful for any feedback. We are glad that we can
provide you with this site to help assist you in your journey towards a simpler life, or at
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· January
· February-March
2003 »
· January
· February
· March - April
· May
· June
· July - August
· October - November
· December
2002 »
· January
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· March
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· May
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PERSONAL COLUMN
by Jules Dervaes
Journal
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You may not be able to change the world, but you can at
least change your footprints on this earth. ~ Jules Dervaes ~
Fact & Stats
Mission
DIY Projects
~ Sections ~
Personal Writings
Newsletter
Personal Column
Contact
:: Recent Steps ::
Throughout my adult life, I’ve always been conscious about the environment and what
we should do to reduce our impact on the earth.
One of my motivations was the belief that you may not be able to change the world, but
you can at least change your footprints on this earth.
~ Jules Dervaes, November 2004 ~
Biodiesel
Solar Power
Brief Bio
Cob Oven
Originally from Tampa, Florida, Jules
entered Loyola University on full
academic scholarship in New Orleans in
1965 where he became increasingly
disillusioned with the American way of
life. After graduating with a B.S. in Math
in 1969, he began a search for a more
meaningful and service-oriented lifestyle.
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His first step took him to the University of Oregon where he enrolled in graduate school
as part of his training as a VISTA volunteer. This avenue of service was abruptly
terminated when his local draft board refused to grant him a deferment during the
Vietnam War.
As a conscientious objector, he decided to serve others through teaching. Ultimately, this
career choice gave him keener insight into the futility of America's future and its inability
to nurture the human spirit. As a teacher, he saw first-hand the lack of character
development in his students who were to be our country's next generation of parents.
Convinced that there must be a better society and more humane way of life somewhere,
he traveled extensively through Europe as he considered the future course for his life. In
1973 he emigrated to New Zealand, believing that an isolated, egalitarian society could
assist him and his family in living a more integrated, meaningful life. In a “backwards”
region on the rural South Island of New Zealand, he began homesteading. He became a
beekeeper, grew his own food, kept chickens, ducks and goats, collected rain water for
his family’s water supply, lived without most modern conveniences and embarked on the
path towards self-sufficiency.
Through a series of events, Jules and his young family returned to Tampa in 1975 where
they lived on 10 acres in the country. There, once again, he started up his beekeeping
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business, gardening and teaching. In 1984 the family made a move to Pasadena,
California, where Jules could gain the training he needed to further assist his church.
While residing in Pasadena he continued gardening and beekeeping in varying degrees
over the years.
Y2K and the growing threat of GMO foods were the spark that propelled Jules to become
totally self-reliant where he presently lived. Not waiting for his dream of acreage, Jules’
goal was to incorporate sustainable skills and practices in an urban environment. Thus,
in 1999 the seeds of Path to Freedom, an urban homestead model, were sown.
Jules credits his father, the late Jules Dervaes Sr (and the many Dervaes' before him
who's history is rich in landscaping and horticulture), for instilling in him the love of
growing plants in his early years, and teaching him his unique growing techniques and
gardening methods.
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A Clean, Green Alternative Fuel
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Forget sky-high gas prices, dump the petroleum
addiction and switch to clean and renewable
biofuels.
Biodiesel is a viable, sustainable alternative to
petroleum that can be used to run any unmodified
diesel engine. Homemade biodiesel is made with
discarded
Biodiesel Mixin' Mixer at Path to Freedom
waste vegetable oil from food services that would have otherwise gone into landfills,
dumped illegally into storm drains or fed to livestock
Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel that can be used straight in the fuel tank of any vehicle
with an existing diesel engine. No engine conversion is needed!
Just about anyone can rig up a biodiesel fuel plant virtually anywhere, mostly using stuff
you can find lying around, including the basic raw material -- waste vegetable oil.
Here at Path to Freedom, we are running our diesel car on home-brewed biodiesel with
discarded vegetable oil collected from local restaurants in our area.
Our homemade biodiesel processor was made from a combination of recycled materials
and local hardware store goods. The same can be accomplished by anyone with a
concern for the environment and a vision for sustainability.
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Biodiesel is an alternative fuel that is relatively safe and easy to process when
conscientiously approached. Made from vegetable oil (or animal fat) that can be used in
any diesel engine without any modifications. Boasting an overall 90% reduction in toxic
emissions (compared to diesel), biodiesel is by far our best alternative fuel option at
present. Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel currently available that has an overall positive
life cycle energy balance (3.2:1, compared to a paltry .86:1 of diesel). It is renewable,
sustainable, & domestically produced,
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The only danger to the homemade biodiesel manufacturing process is the handling of the
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ingredients. Both lye and methanol are highly toxic. Lye will burn skin upon contact, and will
do severe damage upon ingestion and prolonged inhalation as well. Methanol can be
absorbed through the skin and cause nerve damage, and can also be fatal if ingested and
cause blindness when in contact with eyes.
The only by-product of this form of biodiesel is glycerin, which can be easily used to make
soap or other products.
Biodiesel can also be produced from other biologically derived oils such as soybean oil,
canola oil, sunflower oil, hemp oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, palm oil, corn oil, mustard oil,
flaxseed oil, waste cooking oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, beef tallow, pork lard, as well
as other types of animal fat.
Biodiesel is actually as old as the diesel engine itself. Rudolf Diesel, the 19th-century
originator of diesel technology, used refined peanut oil to run his invention. Diesel’s
workhorse engine took off, but the rise of cheap crude oil killed his vision of farmers
growing their own fuel.
Now, after a century burning fossil fuels, the diesel engine is finding its way back to its
agricultural roots costing less than 75 cents per gallon to produce.
●
●
●
●
●
Biodiesel fuel burns up to 75% cleaner than conventional diesel fuel made from fossil
fuels
Biodiesel substantially reduces unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and
particulate matter in exhaust fumes
Sulphur dioxide emissions are eliminated (biodiesel contains no sulphur)
Biodiesel is plant-based and adds no CO2 to the atmosphere
The ozone-forming potential of biodiesel emissions is nearly 50% less than
conventional diesel fuel
Biodiesel is available now to an average person — It’s in our power to make a difference!
Homebrew a clean alternative fuel in your backyard. Here's how....
(NOTE: If you are unable to brew your own, you can purchase
biodiesel at fueling stations near you or locate a co-op in your area).
~ Know the lingo: BIODIESEL FUEL GLOSSARY ~
HOMEMADE BIODIESEL
From fryer to fuel
What you will need:
Used or fresh vegetable oil (strained with a coffee filter or cloth)
*Red Devil Lye
*Methanol (dry gas methanol- found at automotive racing stores)
Isopropyl Alcohol (for tests-- use 99% IPA)
Eyedropper- or other type of 1 milliliter dropper
PH paper-- available at drug stores-- to test for acidity
Old blender to do test batches
Plastic or glass measuring cups or beakers, with metric measures & scale
Plastic, glass or stainless stirrers and spoons,
Plastic buckets to store glycerol, metal drums to store biodiesel
Rubber gloves, safety glasses, plastic apron
*WARNING: The chemicals involved in making Biodiesel can be extremely dangerous if not
handled properly. Use proper safety equipment such as goggles, glove and long sleeve
shirts.
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NEVER EVER USE ANY OF THE UTENSILS, POTS NOR BLENDER FOR LIQUID NOR
FOOD CONSUMPTION AGAIN!!!
Biodiesel is made by way of a simple chemical process known as trans-esterification. The
WVO oil and methanol mixture is set to sit and then the "magic" happens!
This is basically a brief outline on how to brew biodiesel.
Photo One: Maria Alovert (aka Girl Mark) $150
Fumeless Biodiesel Processor using "off the
shelf" parts from hardware stores.
Armed with Maria's sketch and her Homebrew
Guide Book we are ready to roll.
Note: Scroll down to see the space saving
modifications done by Jules...
Photo Two: Couple of the folks from So Cal
Biodiesel Group (Nicole Cousino, George and
Kalib) got together to make the Maria's water
heater processor - they started assembling and
found out that the processor need a permanent
home.
So, we "adopted" the water heater from Nicole
Cousino (of FAT OF THE LAND "fame").
Photo Three: Doing titration. This helps
determine the free fatty acid contained in the
waste vegetable oil. The FFA is formed from
heating the presence of water - i.e., fryer
conditions. If you use WVO, you should titrate
each batch to determine how much catalyst you
will need.
It’s best to titrate to eliminate the risk of having a
failed batch due to incomplete conversion. You
never know how badly used the oil will be when
you get it
from a restaurant waste oil bin.
Photo Four: Kalib determining the pH. During
the titration process you have to keep track of
how much lye/water it takes to neutralize (bring
pH to 8.5) the FFA in the oil sample. In our case
we use phenol red indicator to tell us when the
solution reaches about ph 8.5. We also use a
solvent - isopropyl alcohol to dissolve both the
FFA, the lye and the phenol red.
Photo Five: Before using the water heater
processor, we made a blender biodiesel "test
batch." It's vital to test the quality of waste
vegetable oil prior to making biodiesel. There are
a number of tests one can perform on the grease wash test, titration and ph test.
Many factors can affect used oil, including how
long it had been used in the fryer, what types of
foods were cooked in it (and whether they were
burned as a result of inattention or mistakes), the
frying temperature and many other variables.
Always mix a small batch first in an old blender to
test your ratios. If successful the amounts can be
multiplied directly
Photo Six: Sample of oils from different
restaurants that are undergoing a wash test for
emulsification. There are many unseen
contaminants in homebrewed biodiesel that are
water-soluble and a wash test is a good way to
make them visible. This test is a useful visual
comparison between different batches of fuel. It
indicates clarity of wash water, i.e., how much
soaps and catalyst a sample contains and it also
indicates mono-and di-glycerides, soaps and
anything else that could cause emulsification.
Photo Seven: Nikki and George measuring out
the filtered waste vegetable oil (local restaurant
owners are generally eager to part with) that will
be pumped into the water heater processor. It's
necessary to filter the WVO to get any food
particulates out. Biodiesel fuel is made by
chemically altering vegetable oil to its "methyl
ester" - a clean-burning, renewable diesel.
Photo Eight: George primes the pump for
pumping. The oil has been heated to 130 F,
while the oil was heating JC measured out the
methanol and lye mixture that will be added to the
heated oil. Once the methanol and lye mixture is
pumped into the processor, then agitated for 1-2
hours or more. Let the transesterification magic
begin! This mixture will settle, unheated to allow
the dark "by product" glycerol to separate.
Photo Nine: Here's a photo of the space saving
modifications Jules Dervaes (of Path to
Freedom) made to Girl Mark's original processor
in "photo one". The modifications made it able
for the components and pump to easily fit on a 2'
x 2' stand that has rollers attached. This allows
one to wheel the processor out from the garage
into the outdoors to safely brew biodiesel - not to
mention easy clean up!
Improvement that were made are:
Easy carboy feeding system
Compact placement of the pump on wheeled
stand
Placement of intake valves for space
Photo Ten: Biodiesel being pumped out of the
water heater. The glycerin by product can be
used "as is" as a cleaner and excellent degrease.
Just remember that you'll have to first "air out" the
methanol fumes. This needs to be done properly
and carefully in an outdoor space - as the
methanol can produce a poisonous gas.
Research this procedure thoroughly before doing
anything - the little waste glycerol we have is
being store in sealed 5 gal bucket.
Photo Eleven: The biodiesel after the first
bubblewash. The bubblewash is done using a 55
gallon drum and a aquatic pump and air stone.
The fuel will require a couple of washings till the
water is unclouded and measures the same pH
as the tap water The biodiesel itself should also
be clear - when finished - same clarity as pure
cooking oil.
Photo Twelve: Once the biodiesel is washed,
you'll have to settle/dry and evaporate and
residual water out of the fuel until it is completely
"clear" (see through). Once the biodiesel is dry,
there is one more step before you are able to fill
'er up! To remove and abrasive particulates, filter
to 5 microns using a common water filter.
NOTE: Combustible fuels should never be stored
or transported in glass containers, this fuel was
decanted into the container strictly for the purpose
of this photograph.
Photo Thirteen: Our 88' diesel Chevy Suburban
(aka Bio-Burban) runs on homebrewed biodiesel.
No modifications needed! Only thing needed was
to change the fuel filter several times after
running biodiesel as it is cleans out the
accumulated deposits in the fuel tank.
Fuel the revolution!
Download available...
INTRODUCTION TO BIODIESEL (pdf)
If you have found the "intro" info useful, you can
help support this site and its work.
Suggested Donation ($2)
via PayPal account
THANK YOU!
MORE PHOTOS OF BIODIESEL BREWING PROCESS
ONE MORE WARNING: In pre-1993 cars, using 100% Biodiesel for longer than 4
weeks straight will cause complications to any rubber components of the engine that
the fuel might come into contact with-fuel pump, hoses, o-rings, etc.
Before doing it yourself, one needs to do some extensive research or perhaps take a
workshop in your local area. There is a lot of excellent information on the internet that
is very helpful when starting your own backyard lab.
We hope that we have encouraged small-scale biodiesel production and an
alternative vision for sustainability. And remember that safety is always important!
Recommended References
Highly recommended sites:
· Local B 100 - Maria ('Mark') Alovert from Berkeley, California, is an activist
who teaches classes on making biodiesel and is the inventor of the fumeless
water heater processor.
· Biodiesel Online Tutorial - Mark Alovert's online homebrew tutorial. Our
goal is simple: Help you learn how to make biodiesel.
· Homebrew Guide Book - The 107-page Homebrew Guide contains
comprehensive how-to instructions for making, washing, and testing
homebrew biodiesel, and some plans for building biodiesel making
equipment. It does not contain information on straight vegetable oil
technology or methanol recovery.
· The Appleseed Biodiesel Reactor - Open-source' plans for biodiesel
homebrewing equipment, using off-the-shelf parts and a water heater:
Other resources
· Journey to Forever - Detailed information on how to make your own
biodiesel.
· Veggie Avenger - Berkley resident who drives a car and truck that runs on
biodiesel - a non-toxic, renewable and cleaner burning fuel made from
vegetable oil.
· Veggie Van - Everything you need to know about biodiesel, including FAQ
· Biodiesel Now - Forum and information regarding biodiesel.
· Boulder Biodiesel - Boulder biofuel cooperative.
· BioDiesel - Official site of the National Biodiesel Board.
· GreaseCar - Greasecar vegetable Fuel Systems allow any diesel vehicle to
run on straight, unprocessed vegetable oil.
· Greasel - Information source for running your diesel engine on free, waste
vegetable oil.
· Neoteric Biofuel - Pioneering technical specialists in the field of affordable
renewable oil (vegetable oil) fuel equipment for diesel engines.
· Grease Works! - An independent biodiesel cooperative based in Corvallis.
· Grassolean - Source for everything biodiesel.
· Veg Burner - Fuelling diesel engines with vegetable oil
· Greasy Gypsy - Have questions or share experience visit the gypsy forum.
· Greasy Guerrilla - Fighting to bring alternatives to petroleum fuel to the
people.
· Fatmobile - SVO systems and support.
· BE BioEnergy - Australian farmer promoting the use of biofuel.
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Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Switching to solar energy was a smart move and quite a learning experience for us this
year in our journey towards self-sufficiency. Over the Fall, we had a chance (thanks to
the PWP rebate program) to install photovoltaic solar panels on our garage roof that will
produce enough, if not all, of our household's energy needs.
:: Recent Steps ::
Biodiesel
Solar Power
Cob Oven
Our electricity bill has dropped considerably from previous years. In 2000 we were using
an average of 10.6 kilowatt hours per day and now we average 6.5 kilowatt hours.
Decreasing our electricity usage has been a high priority for us, over the past couple
years. We have replaced old appliances, computers, TV, etc., with new Energy Star
rated ones,
In the meantime, we intend to kill even more watts, by conserving more and using less.
Limiting our consumption is one more step toward reducing the strain on our limited
resources and follow the sun.
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AVERAGE HOME PASADENA
DERVAES HOUSEHOLD 2003
Daily
Monthly
Annual
Daily
Monthly
Annual
20 kwh
600 kwh
7200 kwh
6.5 kwh
195 kwh
2340 kwh
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HOW MUCH POWER DOES YOUR SYSTEM GENERATE?
12 x 165 W SHARP PV panels solar array system
Daily kwh supplied (conservative estimate)
Annual kwh supplied
1.98 kw
7.2 kwh
3600 kwh
(PWP estimates that a 2kw solar array produces about 3600 kwh annually)
Off the Grid »
Solar Oven
Solar Food Dryer
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BioDiesel NEW
Estimated surplus of 1260 kwh
Simple Living »
OFF GRID Vs. NET METERED?
Producing our power means having the potential to be more energy independent
while still being able to use the grid for backup. This allows us to "run the meter
backwards" during the summer, and then use that excess power we have
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accumulated for use in the evenings and at other times when the sun is not shining.
Over the course of a year, all our production and usages are averaged. We pay only
for the "net usage." With grid-tied net metering we have the best of both worlds. This
system is more efficient and less expensive than systems that use batteries for
backup power.
Raising Ducks NEW
However, remote property owners have found that it pays to be "off the grid"
because of the savings resulting from the cost of land away from the grid are
considerable.
HOW MUCH DID YOUR SYSTEM COST?
Roughly $11,500. PWP rebated us 2/3rds of the cost ( $5 per watt, which equals
$8,125). By doing it ourselves, we saved an estimated $4,000 on labor costs and the
system should pay for itself in about 4 years.
Have more questions? Please check out FAQ
DIY SOLAR POWER
~ Urban Diary ~
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Photo One: After the garage was re-roofed
Unistrut® racks were placed horizontal to the
rafters. This solved the problem of our uneven
rafters which would have made our solar panels
"wavy." Now the Unirac ® solar panel mounts
could be made level.
~ Roadmap ~
path to freedom.
Photo Two: The Unirac ® solar panel mounts
are attached to Unistruts® and are parallel to the
rafters. The Unirac ® will hold the solar panels.
Photo Three: Progress!
JD, JC and JM putting up the first pv panel on the
Unirac's ® after spending the morning leveling
them. Level Unirac ® are vital for the appearance
of the solar panels
Photo Four: Attaching the panel wires together.
The progress was slow at first, but after the first
three we all got the hang of the progress and it
was pretty easy after that.
click here »
Photo Five: Towards early evening, JM and JC
put up the last pv panel.
In a few days the electrical wires will be attached
to AC and DC disconnect outlets,
Photo Six: COMPLETED! 12 x 165 W SHARP
PV panels mounted on garage roof supplying our
energy needs.
Just need to flip the SMA 1800 Sunny Boy
Inverter switch. Thanks to Alan from Energy
Efficiency for coaching us and Robert for his help
in wiring.
Power to the people!
Recommended References
· California Solar Center - Grants and rebate listing.
· Home Power - Hands on journal for homemade power.
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Album was updated on 9/24/05 4:27 PM
© 1999-2004 Jules Dervaes / Path to Freedom. All Rights Reserved.
All photographs are courtesy of Path to Freedom and cannot be used, reproduced, printed, linked to or copied
without proper acknowledgement and / or express written permission from Path to Freedom.
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Cob Oven
Carbonaro and Primavera (The Atlantic) - With gasoline prices in Cuba going up and up,
it is once again an excellent time to have—and to be—an ox.
Cuba After Castro (AlterNet) - Is it possible that Cuba after Castro's death will find itself
saddled with a government that mouths the rhetoric of the revolution, but destroys the
institutions that make Cuba so remarkable.
Link Directory
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Ending of an Era (Wash Post) - Icons of revolution become museums for tourism, the new
moneymaker.
Saving Havana (MSNBC) - Restoring the old Cuban capital is good for tourism. But what
about the fabulous modern buildings? As this alluring city faces the future, its fans
wonder how to keep it unspoiled.
Branding Cuba" La Vida Nike (AlterNet) - Being shunned by the global capitalist powers
for a generation, however, really didn't hurt Cuba. Instead the embargo allowed it to
develop into something unique.
~ Resources ~
Cuba Daily
photo album
Scenes of Cuba
The Goofy Estrangement (Guardian) - The Bush administration's rhetorical assaults on
Cuba are being met with growing US scepticism.
Carter in Cuba (PBS News Hour) - President Jimmy Carter this week become the first
American president to visit Cuba since Fidel Castro came to power in 1959.
Cuba, where time has stopped (MSNBC) - Waking up in Havana feels wondrous, even
surreal. Time seems to have stopped.
Cuba Gallery
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Cuba
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Tourism apartheid in Cuba (Salon) - Many of the island nation's most beautiful areas are
off limits to its citizens.
The tale of five Cuban spies (World Press Review) - Not since the demonstrations it
organized on behalf of young shipwreck survivor Elián González has the Cuban
government embarked on such a highly choreographed, energetic public opinion
campaign.
Residents offer views of Cuban base (Gainesville Sun) - The attention also has helped in
one aspect. Jim explained that when he'd tell people he lived at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba,
the reaction used to be "What? Where's that?"
Cuba welcomes its half invited guest (MSNBC) - “Of all the places in the world, why is the
U.S. bringing them here? We’re the enemy and even on their terrorist list.”
View from Loring Park - Reveling in my memories of Havana, I can’t help but panic at the
thought of tourists and developers invading from the north. Havana is still Havana
because of the Cuban revolution.
Snapshots from Cuba - One of the things that surely must impress most visitors to
Havana during their first few days here is the staggering number of old, still-operating
cars.
Cuba and the United States - PBS Online Business Hour Special Report
Archived Articles: 2001»
· Cuba's Green Revolution - Sowing a Green Revolution
· Elian Gonzalez - History of a Father's Fight
· Cuban Culture - A New Way to Discover Cuba
· Cuba Mania - The best website of Cuba
· Cuba Solidarity Links - Great link directory
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· Experience Cuba - An in-depth tour
· Cuba in a Nutshell - A quick look at Cuba
· Cuba & the USA - A Chronological History
· Comparative Stats - Statistics of Cuba & the USA
· US-Cuba Migration - Polices & background information
· The Cuban Advocate - Year 43 of the revolution
· Timetable history of Cuba - A linear journey through Cuban history
· DOS: The US & Cuba - The office of Cuban affairs
· US-Cuba Policy - A look at US foreign policy in the Americas
· Cuba Amigo - A website about Cuba life today
· Seeing Red - A fight for a better world
· Cuba Links - Links to websites about Cuba
· Cuban Government in Miami - The real problem
· I Love Cuba! - Cuba links
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Archived: 2001
· The Burden of a Violent History
· The US, Cuba, and this thing called Democracy
:: Recent Steps ::
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· What Cubans know and Americans can't explain
· Popes, Prostitutes, and Prisoners
· You say you want an evolution
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· "Survivor": Cuban Style
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· Yale Forum Discusses Cuba & The Embargo
· A Startling Tale of U.S. Complicity
· Washington's Cold War Against Cuba
· How Cuba Has Survived
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· How Cuba Has Combated Its Economic Crisis
Scenes of Cuba
· Dear John
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· Socialism Is Key to Cuba's Survival
Cuba
· Dotcommies Take Over Cuba
related sites
· Frustration Island
· The Old Man & The CIA
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:: Recent Steps ::
The story was well known: small boy cast adrift on an inner tube when a migrant-smuggling
boat capsized. Mother drowned. Boy rescued by fisherman, brought ashore in Miami, put in
the custody of relatives who, backed by anti-Communist exiles, refuse to return him to his
father in Fidel Castro's Cuba.
Path to Freedom.com was created in December 1999, defending Elian's father's, Juan
Miguel Gonzalez, attempts to have his son return to him. What followed then was a 6-monthlong rhetorical battle ranging from Washington D.C., to Havana to the streets of Miami.
Biodiesel
Solar Power
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From online petitions, action alerts, providing information and up to minute news, to the
mailing of action packets, Path to Freedom.com spearheaded the movement to return Elian
home to his father in Cuba.
Elián
Gonzalez
~ Resources ~
For more information of Path to Freedom's role and how this revolutionary online movement
influenced the outcome of the Elian case, read: Archived Articles »
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Elian: A Brief History
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Elian: Madness in
Miami
The Elian Web Rage
previous actions
An International
Petition
Over 20,000
signatures.
Proactive Boycott
Print Up Petition,
Posters, & Flyers
Previous Activities
legal notebook
Gonzalez vs. Reno
April 19, 2000 Ruling
Gonzalez vs. Reno
May 5, 2000 Ruling
Mrs. Ryan's Testimony
INS Elian Documents
Rep. Jackson Lee
Amicus Brief
Denial Appeal 11th
Court
Gov't Statements
letters from Juan
To Supporters
To Felipe Roque 2/15
To Reno & INS 2/3
To Reno & INS 2/16
Text of remarks on Mr.
Gonzalez arrival in the
United States
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the death between the future and the past. ~ Fidel Castro ~
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Content
Cuba History Ι News Sites Ι Solidarity & Groups Ι Photos Ι Fidel Castro Ι Forums
:: Recent Steps ::
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Cuba History
· Timetable history of Cuba
Cob Oven
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~ Resources ~
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· Yahoo! News Search
Cuba Amigo
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top
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Cuba Discussion Forums
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top
· Cuba's Green Revolution - Sowing a Green Revolution
· Elian Gonzalez - History of a Father's Fight
· Cuban Culture - A New Way to Discover Cuba
· Cuba Mania - The best website of Cuba
· Cuba Solidarity Links - Great link directory
· The Cuba Files - All about Cuba
· Experience Cuba - An in-depth tour
· Cuba in a Nutshell - A quick look at Cuba
· Cuba & the USA - A Chronological History
· Comparative Stats - Statistics of Cuba & the USA
· US-Cuba Migration - Polices & background information
· The Cuban Advocate - Year 43 of the revolution
· Timetable history of Cuba - A linear journey through Cuban history
· DOS: The US & Cuba - The office of Cuban affairs
· US-Cuba Policy - A look at US foreign policy in the Americas
· Cuba Amigo - A website about Cuba life today
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Sat, 5 Nov 2005
Breaking News
The Independent
Bush faces Latin fury as
popularity sinks at home
President George Bush, his
presidency foundering and his
popularity at record lows at
home, ran into new protests
abroad yesterday at a Western
hemisphere summit in Argentina
- a gathering that is the... (photo:
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5 Kuwaitis Return Home From
Guantanamo
Reuters | KUWAIT, 5
November 2005 — Five
Kuwaitis held at Guantanamo
Bay returned home yesterday
after more than three years’
captivity and will face a local
court, an Interior Ministry
officia... (photo: Getty Images)
Cuba Defence Guantanamo Photos US
Reuters
Anti-Bush protests grow in Argentina
By Mary Milliken and Kevin Gray | MAR DEL PLATA,
Argentina (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of marchers
protested on Friday against U.S. President George W. Bush
and his free-trade push, as leaders from ... (photo: White
House/Eric Draper)
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PM thanks China for quake relief
| By Our Reporter | ISLAMABAD, Nov 3: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz
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Bush flies into lion's den
WHEN George W. Bush came to Washington five years ago - before
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Washington won't send storm team to Cuba
WASHINGTON -- The United States yesterday effectively withdrew an
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WASHINGTON - The US will not allow UN human rights investigators
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Cuba: photos and commentary
Cuba 1995
Click here for photos from my second trip to Cuba in 2001. See the section Cuban Photo Gallery at the
bottom of this page for links to photos from Cuba. See the section Other Cuba Resources for further
information about Cuba. Please support this website by purchasing cool t-shirts and other merchandise
from our sponsor eMerchandise.com. See links at right.
In some ways, Americans know more about Cuba than they do about other Latin American countries.
Everyone knows who Fidel Castro is (do you know the name of the leader of any other Latin American
country?) Most of us have heard of Che Guevara, know about the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missle
Crisis, or even know about Teddy Roosevelt and the charge of the Rough Riders up San Juan Hill.
I went to Cuba in December 1995 with the La Peña Community Chorus. The purpose of the trip was to attend
a music festival in Santiago de Cuba. I had long been curious about Cuba, and had many questions; however,
after 10 days there, I had even more questions and very few answers.
There is one thing, however, I am sure of. We must...
End the Embargo of Cuba
Here is my opinion about the embargo, along with email responses from both sides of
the issue.
Travel to Cuba
US law makes it difficult for US citizens to travel to Cuba, except under special circumstances. If you are
interested in going to Cuba (and I highly recommend it), contact Global Exchange, 2017 Mission Street #303,
San Francisco, CA 94110, phone 415/255-7296, fax 415/255-7498, email [email protected], or visit their
web site. They conduct trips to Cuba that are legal.
http://www.leler.com/cuba/ (1 of 9) [5/11/2005 9:50:10 PM]
We flew to Cuba from Cancun, Mexico, in an
old Russian turbo-prop. Here is a picture of
the inside of the cockpit, taken with a
21mm wide-angle lens.
In fact, lots of things are old in Cuba. Because
of the US trade embargo, and because they
have lost their aid from the former Soviet
Union, almost everything is in short supply.
Cuba has an excellent medical system, but
they lack medicines, even bandages. Basic
toiletries, like soap, are almost nonexistant, as
are school and office supplies, such as pens
and paper.
Gasoline is especially a problem. There are few busses
anymore. Instead, horse-drawn carts and flat-bed trucks provide
transportation. Cubans are masters at keeping old automobiles
running, and you see many classics on the streets. Here are
photos of two other old cars.
Because the government needs hard currency, they are
embracing tourism. Trying to attract upscale tourists, while
keeping a socialist economy, leads to many contradictions.
Despite the lack of gasoline, it is not difficult for a tourist to get
a taxi, as long as you stick to the normal tourist areas. Perhaps
worst are the tourist hotels, beaches, and clubs that are simply
off-limits to Cubans -- sort of a bizarre tourist apartheid.
Prostitution is flourishing in tourist areas, and with typical
socialist efficiency. At our hotel there were three women on
staff whose main job seemed to be getting friendly with the
guests. Tourism has also led to begging.
When the Russians pulled out,
they were in the middle of
building a freeway system. Now,
of course, there are hardly any
cars on the roads.
This stream is used as a car wash.
The Cubans tend to be a fairly
neat and tidy people. Besides, if
you keep something clean it will
usually last longer.
We stayed in a hotel
called the Villa San Juan.
It is right on the famous
San Juan hill, so the
chorus couldn't resist
making its own charge
up the hill.
Ok, I've now covered all the normal tourist stuff (how to get there, how to get around, where to stay). Oh yeah,
the weather. Even though it was December, it was hot and humid. A little rain. The forecast calls for brief
power outages over most of the city.
Why We Went
La Peña is a community center in
Berkeley, California. They have had a
chorus for over 20 years. I have sung
with them in the past, but for this trip I
was strictly along for the ride (and to
take photographs).
The chorus was going for the
International Choral Festival, which
featured choirs from all over the world.
We were the first chorus from the US to
attend, and because of this, we were
treated like celebrities.
Things often became emotional. Early
in the trip we met with the National
Chorus of Cuba. They are professionals
(and sing like angels), and we are some
goofball amateurs from a community
center in Berzerkeley, but when we got
together in friendship everyone started
to cry. I know it sounds stupid; maybe you had to be there. (Alison talks about this in her essay.)
We gave several
performances
during the week.
The rest of the time,
we were meeting
other choirs and
groups, and
listening to music.
We even squeezed
in two trips to the
beach.
But we mainly went
to meet people. A
few people in the
chorus had been to
Cuba before. For
most of us, it was
our first time. I do
quite a bit of
traveling, but I have to say that this is one of the most intense trips I have ever been on.
I had been told before I went that Cubans
are very friendly. Here is a group from
another chorus that we invited over to our
hotel. We stayed up most of the night,
singing and talking.
If you were walking down the street,
people would normally start to talk to
you. Despite their concern that it was
dangerous to say bad things about the
government to tourists, most people
seemed willing to tell you what they
thought about their country, their
government, the US, or anything else.
People would invite you into their homes. One day when I was
walking down the street by myself, I heard music coming from
an open door. I stuck my head in (as in most Latin countries,
the front door is right on the sidewalk), and was promptly
invited in. There was a group of four musicians: a singer
(pictured at right), a guitarist, another guitarist playing a "tres"
guitar, and a percussionist. We sang "Besame Mucho", and
"Son de la Loma" (one of the more popular songs in Cuba).
The friendliness of the Cuban people was one of the things
that confused me. Often, it was difficult to distinguish between
people who were genuinely friendly, and people who were
being friendly because they wanted something from you. Even
beggars were very friendly. They would talk to you, ask you
curious questions, and then gradually tell you how rough
things were (which they are, indeed) and ask you for some
money. It was difficult to resist. After all, one dollar is three
day's average salary.
After a while, so much friendliness became
overwhelming. I remember going snorkling
on the last day of the trip, and swimming way
out away from everyone, and just drifting
along with the fish, thinking how wonderful it
was to be alone.
Most of the time, however, being treated like
celebrities was charming. We visited a school,
and were welcomed with a parade.
Another group of students from the medical
school invited us to a dance performance,
featuring Cuban, African, and Creole
(Haitian) dances. It was one of the most
incredible and erotic dance performances I
have ever seen. Here
are six photographs of the dancing.
Cuban
Music
Music is Cuba's
treasure. We heard
music everywhere: on
the street, in the hotels,
any time more than a
few people got together.
The picture on the right
is a group in the "Casa
de Trova" (house of
troubadors). Here is a
good closeup of
the singer. There are
more photographs of Cuban music on this page of Cuban
People.
And almost anywhere that there was music, there was also dancing. Below is a picture of the chorus, getting
into the spirit of things at the Casa de Trova.
The woman at the far left (in
the white shirt and pants) is
Teresita, our interpreter,
guide, and honorary mother.
Because she was acting like
a jewish mother, we started
to teach her Yiddish. By the
end of the week she would
get us to go by yelling
"vamanos mashuganos".
Cuban Photo Gallery
The people of Cuba are beautiful. Here
is a page of
photographs of Cuban people and music.
Here is a page of photographs of street scenes
in Santiago de Cuba.
Here is a page of photographs of the
countryside of Cuba. Includes photos of dinosaurs!
Here is a page of photographs of dancing.
Here are two photographs of old cars.
The child in the picture to the right is playing with a
balloon made from an inflated condom.
Other Cuba Resources
Here's an essay about our trip to Cuba, by another member of the chorus.
Here are excerpts from a Christmas letter from two other members of the chorus, describing the highlights of
our trip.
Global Exchange. Information about Cuba, and travel to Cuba. Highly recommended.
Institute for Global Communication (IGC). Information about Cuba; they are also the web host for Global
Exchange.
The Washington Post web page on Cuba.
Canadian Online Explorer, a Canadian news organization web page on Cuba.
Lonely Planet's wonderful (as usual) guide to Cuba.
Cuba Travel Pictures by David Stanley, the original author of Lonely Planet Cuba.
A Cuban who offers tours of Cuba, including to US citizens.
Go to Wm Leler's Home Page. Contains travel photos and music.
Go to Wm's return trip to Cuba in 2001. Contains tons of photos from all over Cuba.
http://www.danheller.com/cuba.html
Click Here for Cuba Photos
When I decided to go to Cuba, everyone asked me "Why?" Most warned me, "Be Careful! It's a
dangerous place!" Others were simply perplexed that I'd go to a country they thought was povertystricken, riddled with corrupt communists, and probably no food to eat. Few of these people actually
knew anything about Cuba, but it was clear their impressions had already been established. Upon arrival,
I wasn't surprised to find that everything I was warned about was entirely wrong; the people were
extremely friendly, there is a rich and vibrant culture, the country's main industry is tourism (so it was
very comfortable for tourists), and not once did I ever feel anything less than perfectly safe and secure. In
fact, more so than anywhere else I'd ever been in the world. Yes, even with my camera equipment.
That was my impressions as a tourist. Once I got under the veneer of Havana, it was the truth that
surprised me about Cuba: it's a country of paradoxes and ironies with conflicting political and economic
policies; its people are resilient, warm, open and genuine, despite the clear and obvious struggles they
have in daily life; and their culture is homogeneous, despite its multiracial ethnicity. One can't help but
think philosophically about life in our world.
http://www.danheller.com/cuba.html (1 of 2) [5/11/2005 9:50:15 PM]
http://www.danheller.com/cuba.html
Included in this presentation are 470 images in 31 Categories. Many images have accompanying
descriptions about the story behind them. While it's clear that opinions and emotions often flare over
issues revolving Cuba, one thing remains undisputed among everyone: Cuba is an amazing and unique
place in the world. I'm so glad I went.
http://www.danheller.com/cuba.html (2 of 2) [5/11/2005 9:50:15 PM]
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http://www.cubamigo.com/
Welcome to
"Cubamigo"!
A website about life in Cuba today
By Julián Gutiérrez & Cindy O'Hara
¡Bienvenidos a
"Cubamigo"!
Un sitio web sobre la vida actual
en Cuba
Por Julián Gutiérrez y Cindy O'Hara
IN ENGLISH:
Cost of living:
Julian's essay about life in Cuba - housing,
food, education, recreation, & more
Julian mail: Letters from Cuba
Latin American School of Medical Sciences: Free
medical school in Havana for students from Latin American,
the Caribbean, and now, the U.S.
John Lennon Park in Havana: Dedication speech of
Ricardo Alarcon and photos of the statue
Cuba, the Beatles & Me: Barbara Dane and her son,
Pablo Menendez, reflect on US/Cuba relations on the musical
front
How do you make a Cuban cigar?
Agricultural production & sales in Cuba
The Fundamental Question: The the problem of
income in the Cuban economy
Julián in Canada
Guantánamo Position of Cuba & maps
Conclusions & Contact Info
http://www.cubamigo.com/ (1 of 3) [5/11/2005 9:50:49 PM]
foto AIN
(c) 2004
May 14, 2004: Gigantic march in Havana
14 mayo 2004: Marcha gigante en la
Habana
Read Fidel's speech at the march (English)
Lea el discurso de Fidel en la marcha
(Espanol)
What's new?
Que hay de nuevo?
CUBAN 5
Why are these 5 men in
prison for fighting
terrorism?
98.97% Say "Yes" to Socialism
98.97% Dicen "Si" al Socialismo
Questions? Visit our message board!
EN ESPAÑOL
El costo de la vida:
Todo lo que quisiera saber sobre la
vida economica en Cuba -- vivienda, comida, educación,
recreación y más
Parque John Lennon en La Habana: Discurso de
Ricardo Alarcon y fotos de la estatua
Cuba, los Beatles y Yo -- Comentario de Barbara Dane
¿Como se hace un tabaco cubano?
La producción agropecuaria en Cuba
El tema de los temas: Sobre la economia cubana y el
problema de los ingresos
Julián en Canada
Notas de sus anfitriones
Guantánamo Declaración de Cuba y mapas
Conclusiones y contacto
Preguntas? Visiten nuestro foro de mensajes!
Visitantes
Since Nov. 7, 2000
Desde 7 nov. 2000
- 48518 -
Text & Fotos (c) 2000 - 2004
J. Gutierrez, C. O'Hara
Canadians Taste Urban Agriculture in Havana
Published by City Farmer, Canada's Office of Urban Agriculture
A Taste of Urban
Agriculture in Havana
Tara McGee and Jen Pukonen are two young Canadian women working on urban
agriculture projects in Cuba. They share some of their experiences with us here.
February, 2002
E-mail:
Jen [email protected]
Tara [email protected]
Web site: Lifecycles
Also see Spring's A City Farmer Visits Cuba
Tara McGee's "Progress of the Garden" Update April, 2002
Poco a Poco
Learning by growing in Havana, Cuba
By: Tara McGee
Building
So much has grown since my last report - it is incredible! The soil did finally arrive, but, as
most things go here, much later than the agreed upon date. This, however, did not stop the
"Jefe de la Mierda", as he so eloquently titled himself on our first meeting, from seeking
out a reward of rum from this extranjera. He was sorely disappointed when I refused
http://www.cityfarmer.org/TaraJenHavana.html (1 of 17) [5/11/2005 9:51:01 PM]
(seeing as he was five days late and had already been properly paid!) He left saying that
his true pleasure was not to be found in a bottle of rum but rather, in serving his customers.
During the time that we were waiting for the soil to arrive Alberto and I began to build the
garden. We started by building seven circles - six surrounding one in the center that will be
a fountain - and four corner beds to complete a square. Needless to say, this required
intense measurements and my rusty math skills. Once all the measuring and hemming and
hawing were finished, Alberto began to pick axe the circles. With the help of two of my
traveling Canadian buddies, we dug the infertile soil and rocks out of the beds and started
to install rocks along the sides of the circles. It was incredibly exciting to see my design
take shape - for me, as well as everyone else on the farm who came to check on the
progress regularly. It was a very long process but finally the canteros were ready for the
soil. This involved long wheelbarrow journeys as the "Jefe de la Mierda" had deposited a
huge pile of "mierda" (which actually was finished compost) at the other end of the farm
(much to my discontent and adding somewhat to my refusal to sweeten the deal with some
rum!).
The Canadian muchachas and I spent countless days wheel barrowing back and forth with
rocks and soil to complete the beds while Alberto pick axed the soil. When we three
women started wheeling these heavy materials through the farm we got many offers from
the machista men to do it for us. We sometimes obliged, however, the majority of time
these men had other things to do and from whatever vantage point they held they would
gawk at us as we wheeled the materials back and forth. It was almost as though we were
performing miracles - they just could not believe (and neither could the women) that
women could or would deign to do such heavy work. Unfortunately, these two strong
women left before we started planting so they could not witness the life that we planted in
the beds.
Planting and the Seed Hunt
The next step was planting. I was very worried we would have nothing to plant. We had
previously planted a few seeds in these huge Styrofoam seedling trays which were placed
in a shallow pond of water. However, many of the seeds did not sprout. This method is
employed in many organoponicos and indeed at our farm (though sometimes the trays are
placed in the shade) usually with great success. They are then moved into greenhouses
where they are grown big enough to plant. Seeing as our seeds did not work out, I
wondered where we could find posturas or seedlings to plant in our waiting beds.
The president of the organization had assured me that he would find us seedlings (that was
in December and here we were at the beginning of February and still nada). I deduced after
waiting for a month that although he had great intentions, he was a very busy man who
was living according to Cuba time and I did not believe that finding me plants was
something he would get around to in the near future. We did not have any money to
purchase these plants, and buying them is difficult even if you do have money. It is hard to
find places that sell what you are looking for and it takes a lot of running around the city,
talking to people, and trying not to be had (especially if you are a white girl with funny
shoes and clothes and a bad Spanish accent - then you are sure to be had or at least forced
to pay in dollars instead of pesos). So with almost no resources I felt worried that all we
would be growing in our garden was weeds.
I needn't have worried. Alberto, who I have determined is some type of wizard, was
undaunted and he produced oregano (which is a type that has enormous succulent leaves),
basil, celery, chives, red onions, chrysanthemums, spinach (the bulbs of which he had
hidden in typical Alberto style under leaves in an obscure place where no one would ever
have found them), cilantro, parsley, sunflowers, and cordoban. I produced ca-na santa, a
spinach-like vine, rosemary and eggplant from my travels to other farms. We were off!!
Watering
The problem of finding seeds and plants was not the only problem that confronted us. We
were also stumped as to creating an irrigation system. In the rest of the farm they have very
fancy pumps that attach to a variety of different types of irrigation systems including drip
irrigation, micro-irrigation and sprinkler systems for the larger fields. I wanted to
demonstrate an irrigation system that could easily be employed at home or in smaller
gardens. I wanted it to be free, to minimize effort, to reuse garbage and to be applicable in
peoples' homes.
I remembered a method I had seen at the permaculture course I had attended at the
Compost Education Centre in Victoria, B.C. We had visited a garden where the gardener
had submerged plastic plant pots in the soil close to the plants he wanted to water. He then
poured the water into these containers and the water would seep out as needed by the soil
going directly to the roots. I checked up a bit with some permaculture friends I have in
Canada and was informed that using plastic pop bottles cut in half, nozzle stuck into the
dirt, was a viable option. Luckily, the family I lived with loved to party and drink water
and pop, so I had a virtual gold mine in my own garbage bin. I started rescuing tons of
used pop bottles from the garbage and set about creating the irrigation system.
Mosquitoes
The only problem with my fabulous idea was mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are no laughing
matter here in Havana. In fact, there are armies - with uniforms to boot - of people
employed to rid Cuba of the dreaded Dengue Fever. These people patrol the streets with
huge machines that look a lot like leaf blowers. They knock on every door in the
neighbourhood until they are let in. The inhabitants are thus required to drop everything
they are doing and to vacate the premises. The warriors will then enter the house and spray
every inch with a terrible white chemical that smells horrible and that no one can identify not even the fumigation warriors who brave the terrible white fumes without even a gas
mask. Everyone hangs out on the street for an hour or so and then returns to their homes
opening up windows and breathing in the unidentifiable fumes (some people have
postulated DDT, others say it is a chemical very specific to the mosquito, but the reality is
that no one knows). When I would return to my house after this process I become lightheaded and dizzy and often get a headache - can't be good.
Now this "guerra contra las mosquitos" is not restricted to fumigating houses. There is also
a plane that regularly flies over the city spraying for mosquitoes with yet another
unidentifiable chemical (including all of the "organic" farms). There are also inspectors
who inspect every inch of the city for standing water that can be found in such offending
objects as open bottles, egg shells, plastic bags, poles without lids, old car engines,
anything that can hold water. All of these items are viewed as evil Dengue repository's
which can result in stiff fines for the perpetrators of such nasty deeds. Therefore, my little
watering system had to be altered. I could not let the water slowly drain out of the small
mouth at the top of the bottle. No, I had to add extra holes. The result being that the water I
poured in to the bottles quickly dissipated, compacting the soil beneath - not good.
Luckily, one day an irrigation system specialist happened to walk by our garden. We got to
talking and she told me she uses glass or plastic bottles in their entirety, fills them up with
water, flips them over and shoves the mouth of the bottle into the dirt. She said it works
well and solves the problem of standing water and mosquitos. Glass bottles are even easier
to come by, so now our plants are happily sucking back what looks like a fiesta in the
garden; rum, pop and beer bottles feed our plants and I figure, as they are Cuban plants,
that they probably appreciate the libations. Also I am not being part of the Dengue
problem, which, although I know I just joked about their fanaticism regarding mosquitos,
really is a big problem - there is a type of Dengue that kills here and I do want to do my
part to protect the people who live here as well as myself.
No-Dig Gardening
Once the circular beds were complete, Alberto and I went to work on building the more
traditional canteros. These are straight, rectangular, raised beds that are used in most
organoponicos. I did not want to have to go through the whole rigmarole of digging out the
bad soil and deepening the beds as this had taken days with the round beds. I thought it
would be quicker and would require less energy to create no-dig beds. I found some Cuban
permaculture literature that described how to create these beds and I set about collecting
whatever we had on the farm to do so. I explained my ideas to Alberto, who, being a
traditionalist and quite set in his ways, looked at me as if I had pigs flying out of my ears. I
was sure that he thought it was a cockamamie idea but I decided to forge ahead regardless
of the fact that I was not granted his support.
One day I showed up at the farm early in the morning in a dollar taxi with three bike boxes
in tow, ready to build a no-dig garden. I set about collecting dried leaves for the base, and
then I cut the boxes to size, laid them down and watered them. I covered them with manure
and then the closest thing I could find to dried straw. The final touch was 15 cm of soil and
organic material topped with leaves. Tada! Alberto was not impressed. Some of the leaves
blew off and it looked like a compost/garbage pile to his eyes. To mine it looked grand. It
was the only cantero whose soil reached the top of the sides we had installed. It was the
only cantero that looked somewhat natural. After a few days, Alberto seemed to be more
used to the idea, especially after I showed him how moist the soil was despite the heat and
how no weeds had come up. Because we were running out of soil, we decided to do
another bed the same way - this time we did it together.
All this peace and harmony was dandy until we finally planted one of the beds with tomato
seedlings. We nestled the little plants into the soil and tucked them in amongst the leaves.
The next day we returned to find that the dreaded "grillo" or cricket had come out of hiding
at night and chopped down two of our beautiful plants. (This was Alberto's interpretation
of what had happened. I now wonder if it may have been slugs. If anyone has any ideas, I
would be interested to hear about them). Seems like the little devils, whatever they were,
had been hiding under my precious leaves along with all the glorious moisture and weedfree soil, just waiting to pounce. Alberto later told me with a great deal of respect, that we
would have to remove the offending leaves. He did not even have a hint of I-told-you-so in
his voice. I was very grateful for that so I removed the leaves without complaint, thinking
it was better to let the tomatoes live than my nuevo technique.
Old Car Tires Can be Useful
One day I arrived at the farm greeted by a great plume of black smoke. "What the heck is
that?" I asked myself. Turns out it was a tire on fire. La guerra contra las mosquitos strikes
again! Seems old car tires are a great place for water to hide and mosquitoes to breed. Well
I was irate because the thick, horrible smoke was being blown directly into my huerto
where I was working with Alberto and my regular helpers from the nearby psychiatric
hospital. They were there for their daily horticultural therapy session which is meant to be
a soothing time to socialize outside the hospital, commune with nature and participate in
some physical exercise. The smoke was not helping any!
I calmly suggested to the fire starter that the next time he's got a tire to kill that he roll it on
up my way. Thus began the small parking lot that lines my garden filled with flowers, aloe
and anise. The mental patients were all too happy to provide me with two tires, I found one
in the street surely bound for cremation, and someone gifted me another. Every time an old
tire shows up Alberto and I look at each other and giggle recalling the day I donned my
extra tank top over my nose and mouth and ranted and raved in broken Spanish about the
destruction of the ozone layer, respiratory illness, cancer and the like. It has become a bit
of a joke and I think those old boys will keep rolling in. At least no one burns tires
anymore and to me the scent of flowers and dirt is much nicer than the scent of burning
rubber.
The Problem with Vegetables
The plants have grown a lot and it has been really fun watching the little radishes and
carrots come up. It has also been nice knowing exactly the progress of every bed and
rushing in every morning to check in on our healthy plants. I have loved watching a virtual
garbage dump be turned into a beautiful garden. As the garden has grown and my Spanish
has improved, people have started migrating to the huerto to hang out before and after
lunch. We all sit around discussing fishing, the garden's progress, the difference between
Cuba and Canada, American pop music and other random topics.
One day I was sitting around with two of the men (I am the only woman who works in the
field) and they were complaining that at lunch there would be no vegetables. Now this is a
very strange comment for a Cuban to make. Cuban food consists mainly of rice and beans,
pork, chicken or fish, white bread and a root vegetable such as malanga or yuca. Many of
the Cubans I met did not consider vegetables or fruit an important part of their diet. The
vegetables that are most often consumed consist of tomatoes, cucumber, cabbage and
lettuce. These vegetables are generally eaten separately with a bit of salt and vinegar.
There is not a culture of eating fruits and vegetables and furthermore, these foods are
expensive and are considered secondary to real eating for many Cubans.
This is ironic because of the extent of urban agriculture that exists in the city. These farms
generally do not have a huge diversity of vegetables and fruits and generally produce the
produce I have mentioned as well as onions, garlic, papaya, and green peppers and an
assortment of herbs that are used medicinally or as condiments. There is a need to educate
about the different varieties of vegetables that are available and to grow them. There is also
a need to educate about preparing vegetarian or just vegetable dishes. Many people do not
even know how to prepare vegetables and are intimidated to do so. There is one incredible
project in Havana that is producing videos, doing workshops, going on TV, and publishing
books about using, cooking and preserving a wide variety of vegetables and fruit. I
attended one workshop where one of these videos was shown. The workshop was aimed at
school cooks who want to learn to prepare vegetables for the children they serve. The
entire workshop was essentially an introduction to vegetables (i.e. "This is parsley, you can
eat it. This is bok choy, it is also a vegetable that you can eat" etc.) I thought that the
facilitator was being condescending but then I looked around the room and people were
taking notes! People are interested but just do not have either the money, the education or
the variety of vegetables available to them.
All this being said, when I heard my fellow companero complaining that there were no
vegetables for lunch I wordlessly rushed off to my garden to pluck some yummy spinach
from the plants that were growing really well - after all that is one of the purposes of my
garden - to be used at lunchtime. I returned and passed around the spinach to all willing
participants. Everyone looked at the spinach with disdain and asked what the heck it was.
When I told them it was spinach they all asked, "Like Popeye?" Some people declined
with a look of disgust on their faces even if they claimed to have never tried it before and
some hearty souls took the plunge. We were all sitting around the table and after telling
them all it was okay to eat it as is, some of them dug in. Everyone was uncharacteristically
quiet processing this new food. Suddenly, the man sitting next to me took a piece of the
spinach between in his fingers, brought it up to his mouth and before chomping away he
let out a loud, "Naaaaayy" like a horse. Everyone erupted in laughter, as this was what
everyone had been thinking, and the spinach silence was broken. When Alberto found out
that I had picked and shared some spinach before he deemed it time, he was irate. He told
me now people would come begging for spinach. He was right but I didn't care because I
thought that it was a major breakthrough to introduce so many people to a new food.
Indeed, we even started having problems with stealing after Alberto cracked down and said
we would not hand out spinach until it was fully grown. I suggested that maybe it was
those pesky grillos again - he looked at me sideways and said, "Yes, if that grillos name is
Felipe!"
Survival and the Environment
As I conclude my project down here I have been reflecting on all that I have experienced.
It is the struggle for everyday survival and the Cubans' ability to do this and remain
positive and fun that has struck me the hardest. The urban organic farms that exist in
Havana are here not for purposes of idealism but for the purpose of survival. Urban
agriculture commenced in Havana in the early 90s when it became apparent after the fall
of the Soviet Union that it would be hard to survive without it. When the Soviet Union
collapsed Cuba lost its main source of foreign currency, its primary trading partner, and
gas. This time was called the "Special Period in Peacetime" and it was a time of many
shortages. Transportation of food from rural to urban areas became a problem with the
shortage and inconsistencies in fuel supplies. Chemicals previously used in agriculture
became unavailable because Cuba no longer had the currency to buy them. With the
shortage of food that resulted from these other shortages people had to improvise. One
such improvisation was the application of urban organic agriculture and urban gardening
projects. Cuba applied chemicals to their crops prior to the "Special Period". Learning to
farm organically and applying these practices is a relatively new practice. It is not a
practice born of idealism and the desire for clean foods. Instead, it is a practice born of
necessity - the desire to survive. The government has done a really good job of promoting
organic agriculture through social propaganda. The result has been that farmers who
always farmed with chemicals have told me how much better organic farming is for health
and the environment. People are now proud to farm organically. The necessity to create
food without a huge international trading partners' support has led to many urban farms,
permaculture sites, NGO's dedicated to the environment and education, extensive research
into biological controls and many other positive initiatives focused on improving organic
agricultural techniques. Many Third World countries are blamed by First World countries
for not caring about their environment and instead focusing mainly on survival at the cost
of the environment. Although Havana is very polluted in terms of exhaust fumes,
fumigation and garbage, it seems ironic that a big part of Cuba's survival is dependent on
conserving soils, preventing erosion, conserving water, using high intensity organic
agriculture practices and researching organic techniques and all of this happens in the city.
On the highways billboards are not dedicated to advertising goods but to advertising better
management of soils and waterways. Survival, in Cuba, is equated, in part, to improving
the environment by farming organically.
I often wonder what would happen if chemicals were available. Would people revert back?
I think that certainly some would. I know of an "organic" farmer who uses chemicals to rid
his garden of crickets and slugs. He applies the chemicals locally and only a small amount,
but there is nothing organic about that. However, the creation of food is primary and if a
garden pest is eating this food and the only way that a farmer knows to rid the garden of
this pest is to use chemicals, they will. In Canada, we have the luxury of insisting that our
organic food pass many tests to insure it is clean. In Cuba, having food is all that is needed
to pass the test. If our organic food crops die out in Canada, no one will be short on food.
We would not have clean, non-genetically modified foods, but we would be able to survive
until the next season. I have taken for granted the fact that currently international trade
feeds us in Canada. Without the security of having the rest of the world in our
supermarkets we would certainly suffer. In Canada we eat off the labour, land, and often
the oppression of other people in far off countries. Imagine if this system collapsed. We
would not know what to do because we have lost our ability to be self-sufficient in terms
of foods and goods. I wonder, then, with rising gas prices, unhappy international relations
leading to wars, people rising up in other countries and demanding their land back, if what
has happened in Cuba could ever happen in Canada. I wonder if Canada were in the same
position Cubans found themselves in seven years ago if we would be able to survive as
heartily as they have. I am concerned that we have lost the knowledge to do so, that our
survival is based on other peoples' suffering, and I am increasingly concerned that we are
losing the seeds to large multinationals like Monsanto who are homogenizing, patenting
and hoarding them. I feel that international trade is a perilous safety net to cling to for
Canadians as well as for the people we are marginalizing in other countries. It is for these
reasons that I am sufficiently inspired to keep building gardens, to keep learning how to
grow, to learn to save seeds, to maintain some measure of self or community sufficiency in
my life. I will do these things in an attempt to minimize international oppressions and to
have the knowledge of how to begin to feed my community in the event of an emergency
such as that which struck Cuba.
Reflections of a Nine Year Old Farmer
One of my last days in my garden I was hanging out with three of my most devoted
volunteers all ranging in age from seven to ten, and of course Alberto. Early that morning a
cow had been born. Chica Loca, her sister Edith and their cousin Pinche were all talking
about this phenomenon (in Spanish of course).
"Well, what are we going to call the new cow?" I asked.
"We're going to call her Tara," Chica Loca informed me. I laughed and asked, "Why
Tara?"
"So that we can remember you," replied Chica Loca.
"Yeah, and because Tara and the cow kind of look the same," Edith piped up.
"No they don't!" Chica Loca came to my defense.
"Yes they do, they both have blue eyes," Edith defended her position, "The only difference
between Tara and the cow, really, is that the cow can't speak English."
Alberto and I started killing ourselves laughing and Edith looked at us earnestly wondering
what it was we were laughing at. It struck me then that I would miss my little crew of
helpers, Alberto and all the characters on the farm as well as my garden. All of these lives
have taught me more than I could ever describe about the world, people, and survival.
Most of all they have watered me with their laughter and fertilized me with their
generosity. All of this giving has helped me to grow. And it strikes me now that growing
requires both giving and receiving. My plants give life to all those who eat them. But we
give them life by caring for them. It is this giving with the knowledge that you cannot give
without receiving that I will pack home with me.
Tara McGee's First Report From Cuba
Where do I begin? Every day is a story, another adventure, another lesson learned. One
day could fill a novel, how do I explain? In my life here I climb a steep learning curve,
which is both inspiring and exhausting the Cuban coffee helps with the latter part. That is
where I will start. My first cup of coffee. In Canada, I never drink coffee. In Havana,
Cuba, I cannot get enough. I roll out of bed in the morning after my counterpart Jen, the
other LifeCycles intern who has accompanied me here. She brews us up a pot of coffee
Cuban style strong and sugary and we share our morning boost. When I am dressed and
packed up I leave my house to face the frightening traffic, potholes, diesel clouds and loud
car horns. Every morning I feel like I am setting out down a ferocious concrete river on my
bike. I need to be very aware of the flow of the cars and the possible potholes that are
sometimes large enough to be called manholes. There are differing classes on this concrete
river, some rapids easily crossed while others require much more skill. I need that morning
coffee to be alert.
After an hour of thick heat and dodging obstacles I arrive at my work an oasis in this heavy
city. I pass through the gates and everyone waves with a smile, "Hola! Como tu andas?"
Kisses all around greetings Cuban style. I store my bike in a small office, chit chat, find
my wide brimmed hat and gloves, take hold of my water bottle and march out into the field
to start my day.
I am here on an internship called "Building Bridges". The organization that I work for in
Victoria, B.C. is called "LifeCycles". This organization has many different projects that
focus on building community in urban areas through organic food production and
education on growing food organically. This international project's aim is to create a
healthy and sustainable world through direct links with other countries, primarily in Latin
America.
Here in Cuba I work for ACTAF (Associación Cubano de Técnicos Agrãcolas y
Forestales) in Havana. ACTAF is a non-governmental organization deeply committed to
ecological principles and this current runs as a foundation of their agricultural and forest
management and training programs in Cuba. They are a national organization of 10,447
members, in 14 regions. I am currently working with them in Arroyo Naranjo, a
municipality of Havana, at their central office, which is also a burgeoning organiponico
and demonstration site. My role here is to create a garden which is approximately 20
meters by 10 meters, that will grow medicinal plants as well as plants that can be made
into condiments and used by the cooks at the farm. It is very difficult to find herbs and
spices here and many organiponicos have decided to start making their own to make them
more accessible to the population.
Before starting this "huerto" or garden, I was first oriented to ACTAFâs various projects
and farms in Havana. These included huge organiponicos, small patio gardens where an
astounding variety of fruits and vegetables were grown intensively, and many more
inventive and inspiring urban agriculture creations. I also spent many hot days working on
the farm in the greenhouse, or casa de cultiva, pruning tomatoes, and in the field working
with the other campesinos planting lettuce or yucca. When the orientation was over I was
eager to get my hands into some warm Cuban soil. So, I proposed to create a small
container garden for the cooks where I would grow condiments. I am not sure if they
misunderstood my proposal or just think in larger terms than me, but eventually I ended up
with a huge area behind the kitchen that was filled with garbage and logs. They presented
me with this area, which appeared very shabby, and told me that it would heretofore be
known as "Huerto Tara"! I do not have a lot of experience creating gardens but I am great
at dreaming and am very determined. Therefore, I set about hauling out the garbage and
creating a design. Once the garbage was taken out and the design created I hit a blank wall.
Now what? I did not know where to get soil, seeds, water and I have very little knowledge
of tropical gardening.
While presenting this problem to my supervisors a man who works in the field swaggered
by. He was tall and thin and though he was wearing old polyester checked pants sewn
together where they were torn, a mesh tank top, high top running shoes missing the big toe,
and a wide brimmed hat for working in the field, his movements and his chops made me
think that he would fit in well in the movie, "Saturday Night Fever" a white suit, open in
the front with some gold chains that would suit him. My supervisors called this pseudodisco man into the office and said to him, "Alberto, this is Tara. You two will be working
together from now on, she will be your jefa (boss)." "No, no, no," I interjected, "He will be
mine." I said this because I knew instinctively that he has many more years of farming
experience than I have life experience indeed I found out later that he has been working in
agriculture for 40 years. So we looked at each other and he said, " You will be my jefa..."
and I finished his sentence for him, " and you will be my jefe." And that is how it is.
We started by clearing the area of grass and weeds and all of the garbage that lay beneath.
We used hoes or "watakas" to clear the land and found beneath the weeds and garbage
deficient soil. We decided we would have to bring soil and organic material in to start this
garden. It took us almost two weeks of toiling in the hot sun to clear this area (I wish we
had chickens). We then laid out the "canteros" or beds with rope and are currently awaiting
soil. As all things in Cuba, we will probably have to wait a while, and even if they say they
will bring it on Monday, it most certainly will not arrive until Thursday.
Of course hoeing the grass was not all that we did during the days. Alberto is really into
relaxing (rightly so!) so after a good bout of work he would look at me and tells me it was
time to relax. We would put down our hoes and sit down I sucking on my conspicuously
non-Cuban-definitely-North-American water bottle, and he on his cigarette. At these times
we would talk about such things that were on our minds, love, what we will do with our
lives, stress, health, the pros and cons of burning garbage at the farm and in the garbage
dump etc. He is fond of telling me that everything resolves itself and everything passes.
And when we talk about the practicalities of bringing this garden alive he, like so many
Cubans, comes up with ingenious ideas. For instance, I suggested one day when we were
sitting on the ground on our fancy pieces of cardboard that we needed hammocks. I was
picturing going to the market in Havana Vieja and buying us two. He immediately agreed
that we needed hammocks and started to concoct ways of creating them, a bit of rope that
we used to mark the canteros, some old rice bags, his sewing machine, I am stuck in the
consumer quick fix mind frame and he is showing me another way.
At noon all of us field workers put down our hoes, shovels or wheelbarrows and head to
the kitchen armed with spoons and forks. We are greeted by the cooks with beans and rice,
some unidentifiable meat (that one time had hair on it!), lettuce and tomatoes. All of this is
made over a wood fire - they hope to soon build a bio-gas stove to supplement the wood.
Alberto and I eat with all of the other workers, pouring salt and home made vinegar over
our salad and beans to add flavour. When lunch ends we are all required, yes required, to
relax until 2:00 pm. (Once I tried to start work after I had just finished a meal and I got an
earful from the cooks who insisted that I had to rest after eating, fine with me!). Some
people sleep on the ground on makeshift beds of cardboard and still others go home. I
often go looking for the cookie man who pushes around a pushcart filled with goodies.
However, lately I have also been finding myself exhausted after lunch and welcome a good
cardboard nap.
However, this nap is often interrupted by the neighbourhood kids, who love to hang around
and help us out. I always put them to work because I don't like them to feel useless of left
out. They have incredible strength and knowledge of farming because they have spent so
much time exploring the farm on their own, with their friends and with other workers. It
was the kids who oriented me to this place originally, showing me where different plants
were grown, bringing me on adventures to the nearby railroad tracks, showing me where to
get the tools, and the best places to catch frogs. Not only have these kids been exposed to
the farm on their own free time, but they also come with their school to work sort of like
gym class. The result being that these kids know the names of all the plants, some of their
medicinal properties, and how to grow them. This, in my mind, is one of the most
important things to know, how to feed yourself. This is a skill I do not yet possess myself.
It is an incredible skill to pass on to the next generation here, especially if more
difficulties, like the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 90s and the resultant scarcity of
food in Cuba, should befall Cuba, the younger generation will have the knowledge to
survive, brilliant!
I have to admit to having a favourite little friend. She is ten. I call her "chica loca" because
she is so brave. She leads the bulls around by their noses, sometimes she sits on them (with
of course the help of the man who takes care of the animals) she swings from tree
branches, she advises me on how best to design the garden, she suggest plants to grow, and
she accompanies me when I am giving tours, pointing out different plants, their names and
functions and how to prepare them. She also hoes with me sometimes, helps me to get rid
of garbage, all the while educating me about the perils of rats, scorpions, and spiders. She
plays practical jokes on me and is often laughing. She wants to be a veterinarian. When I
am around her I recognize that being wise has nothing to do with age.
At the end of the day I mount my bike wishing I could stay longer and do more. But I have
to beat the sun since the potholes and dead dogs on the road are even more perilous in the
dark. I ride home tired and satisfied and filled with the sense of being an oddity who is
nevertheless accepted by all of the characters who people the farm. I ride past the Plaza de
la Revolución where Jose Marti sits in front of a tall monument pondering revolution and
the sun sets behind him and the palm trees that are scattered around the city. I arrive home
and am often greeted by Jen and the family that I live with here. Jen and I talk feverishly
about our adventures and all that we have learned in that day. We then grab our vegetables
that we bought at the market down the street, or from the man down the street who cuts us
basil, parsley and spinach fresh from his small field, and we march down to the kitchen to
see if there is enough gas to cook our dinner.
Being here helps me to see how much I take for granted in Canada. A huge diversity of
foods always at my fingertips, regular electricity, clean water, toilet paper, cars and trucks
that usually work, we have so much. Here I am learning the value of patience, ingenuity,
working with less. I am even more grateful for my food now because I know how much
work goes into growing it, and then for me to find it here and process it into a meal. Here it
is hard to find certain foods especially regularly, and especially if you are looking to buy it
in pesos. So much of the food I love in Canada and eat regularly is sold in American
dollars and is therefore inaccessible to many Cubans and hard to find for people who do
have dollars. Cheese is gold, eggs are diamonds, buns and rice are my sustenance, rum is
blood. I realize now in a deeper sense that food does not exist without the people or
animals that grow it or gather it, or process it. The food grown at the ACTAF farm, and all
of the other farms in the world, is a part of the characters who work there and all of their
sweat and politics, jokes, songs, sometimes boredom, days and time. All of my food has a
story behind it and I feel lucky to be becoming a part of that story.
Jen Pukonen's Update from Cuba
Hmm....where to even begin??? Well, we are usually awakened around 4 am by our
neighbourhood rooster, closely followed by what sounds like a territorial dispute between
every cat and dog on the street. Luckily the warm breeze off the Malecon seawall soothes
us back to sleep for a few hours until we lure ourselves out of bed with a tasty Cuban
coffee and whatever fresh fruits the market had to offer. I climb on to my rickety old bike
and dodge potholes, large trucks with loud horns instead of brakes and "psssting" men all
the way to the Foundation in Miramar, about a half an hour from our house in Vedado. The
"Foundation" is short for the Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation of Nature and Humanity
(Antonio Núñez Jiménez Fundación de la Naturaleza y El Hombre). The Foundation is a
non-government, non-profit organization that works on a wide range of projects, many that
involve international collaborations with grass-roots organizations, such as LifeCycles in
Victoria. The Foundation's goal is to work towards a "culture of nature", with the
objectives of harmonizing the relationship between society and environment through:
1. The dissemination of the environmental works of their founder, a famous Cuban
explorer and geographer, Antonio Núñez Jiménez.
2. Collaboration of research in the areas of geographical history, the environment, culture
and society.
3. The maintenance and recuperation of the environment and a dignified quality of life.
4. Training on environmental issues.
The Foundation would like to work towards nurturing in the population an environmental
consciousness that recognizes nature as an integral part of Cuba's national identity. I am
currently working on LifeCycles' International Internship Program "Building Bridges",
which is supported by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
LifeCycles is a non-profit, non-governmental organization which is "dedicated to
cultivating awareness of and initiating action around food, health and urban sustainability
in the Greater Victoria community".
My internship involves working with LifeCycles' partner the Foundation, to produce a
digital map of Havana that will display 330 (the most current figure) organic agriculture
sites within the city. These sites are all either owned or maintained by people who have
taken Permaculture courses through the Foundation. They would also like to create links
between the map and an agricultural database (which was created by Sol Kinnis, a
previous LifeCycles intern), with the hopes of being able to strengthen the network of
agriculturists in the city. Ideally it will provide a means to find out who is growing what,
where and the different techniques and methodologies they are using. However, easier said
than done!
Working with computers in Cuba is a unique and challenging experience! Some days they
work and others they don't, not to mention all the other unusual situations that arise. For
example, in one of the weeks which I had designated as "computer time", the office was
fumigated for mosquitoes one of the days, the power shut down five or six times the other,
the computer was disconnected so that the office could be rearranged the next, and well
Friday there was an important party that everyone needed to attend...so as they say "poco a
poco".
This week I am helping with the Foundation's demonstration garden. We are replacing all
of the ornamental plants with plants that are either edible, medicinal or have other
important properties such as deterring unwanted pests. Wilfredo, a farmer from a nearby
Organoponico (a high production urban farm) has been helping me by sharing his immense
knowledge of urban agriculture. His Organoponico supports a great program in which
children from nearby schools come to help work on his farm. In return for their help, they
receive fresh vegetables and herbs for their school lunches. Their teacher told me the
program has been a great success as it provides the children with a chance to learn valuable
hands on practical skills, as well as to expend their energy outside-which makes the rest of
the day easier for everyone! The kids I spoke with were thrilled to tell me how many of
them had since started small gardens in their own homes. They said it was much more
exciting to eat vegetables that they had grown themselves. This is only one of the many
examples in which creative urban agriculture is being incorporated at the community level
in Havana.
Last week I was lucky to be able to spend the day with Manuel (known by all his friends as
Conejo, because he loves his veggies) at the Geriatric unit of the Salvador Allende
Hospital in Cerro, Havana. Conejo along with his two friends Renee and Alberto started a
garden at the hospital in November 1997. It was created with the idea that working with
plants and creating a green space would be therapeutic for the patients, many of whom
were suffering from depression. The garden is one of a kind in Cuba as they are the only
hospital that grows ornamental, edible and medicinal plants all for the patient's use.
Green medicine is now widely available throughout Cuba at both pharmacies and local
farms. Much of the traditional Afro-Caribbean knowledge regarding medicinal plants has
been recovered and is now in use. Using locally grown medicines decreases the need for
imports, which are often expensive and unreliable due to trade barriers.
Large bushes bearing vibrant fuschia flowers now brighten the entrance to the Geriatric
ward. These flowers, Farolito Chino, commonly know as Pacifloras can be used for their
sedative properties. Conejo told me he makes a tea with five or so flowers an hour before
bed each night to help him sleep. It was incredible to see the amount of energy the three
have put into their garden, especially considering their ages range between 60 and 86
years. They all firmly agree that they receive invaluable benefits from the time and energy
they expend in the garden. They described how talking and singing to the plants helps
relieve stress. Not only does it allow them to get things off their chest but also they can
watch their thoughts and energy go back into the cycle of life.
It was interesting how many times the cycle of life came into our discussions during the
day. Conejo mentioned that it had been really important for them to be able to watch the
life cycles that took place within the garden and to remember that there is a time and place
for everything, that death is needed to create life, and that death too is beautiful. This was
exemplified to them every time they put dead plants into the compost, which would later
be used as a rich soil in which to plant new seeds. We discussed how the topic of death
becomes somewhat of a touchy subject, which is often tiptoed around in a geriatric ward.
Ironically, Conejo said he now feels much more comfortable with the idea of death, as the
topic arose frequently in the garden, providing them with the opportunity to discuss their
feelings and fears. After the day with my new friends I left with a renewed inspiration!
That night I returned home through the bustling streets of Havana and before doing
anything else, I climbed the stairs and went straight to the little patio garden that Tara (the
other LifeCycles' intern, and my partner in crime) and I have been creating. While
watering our plants I felt the stresses of the street float away as I directed my energy into
the herbs and vegetables we hope to turn into tasty concoctions in the weeks to come.
Funnily enough, what originally seemed like an insignificant little "patio garden" has
turned out to be a huge learning experience for us. It was easy enough to talk about urban
agriculture everyday, but to do it was an entirely different world. For one, it takes time and
energy, which well, in all honesty after biking all over the city, there were times when we
simply felt we had none.
However, little by little we found balance and learned to manage our time here. Also
gardening in the tropics is a little different than at home. Each new stage was followed by a
new problem. Nonetheless, each of our difficulties have been somewhat of a hidden gem
as they led us on interesting paths to ask the advice of people in the market, at the farms
and at our work. Sure enough, they knew, we found our answers, and one by one we
slowly learned the tricks to resolve our problems.
It was also incredible to see the responses we got when we told people we are trying to
grow a garden and wanted their advice. Of anything to share ideas on food is one of the
easiest. Everyone needs it and therefore everyone can relate to it. Talking about the garden
with people here gives us the chance to knock down some of the walls that seem to build
when you are being constantly perceived as extranjeras (foreigners). In the end we are all
"the same same, but different!" More than anything I have been learning the need to live
the things I am talking about.
When I find that the chaos of Havana is getting to me, my thoughts often drift to the lush
green forests of Vancouver Island to "escape". This only confirms to me the importance of
creating urban green spaces, so that people can make this "escape" a reality within the city.
It feels great to be working with people who are passionate about trying to fulfill that
element of nature that is so often missing in urban lifestyles. Having said all that, I feel the
need to mention that the "Habaneros" (those living in Havana) have definitely found ways
to vent the stresses of the city. Never in my life have I seen people that dance with the
freedom and passion that they do here. I have yet to figure it out, maybe it is the hot
climate that breeds such sexy dancers? However, ask a Cuban why they don't like spicy
food, and they will always respond "I don't need to eat spice, it's in my blood, we are
picante!!!" Need I say more?
I don't think my words can do this experience justice, as I generally see more in images
than I do in words, and so I will try to leave you with exactly that. From my apartment
nested amongst mango and avocado trees I gaze down at the street below....children
screaming and racing around the neighbourhood in excitement, dogs barking, birds
chirping, music blaring from every open window, dominoes slamming on rickety old wood
tables, laughter, everyone yelling something to someone somewhere...glimpses of dancing
on the street, on the rooftops, through the stain glass windows, old car engines chugging
along, women sorting the rice for rocks, bicycle bells, the song of the guy who sells
peanuts, shadows from the laundry that floats in the breeze dance on the crumbling walls,
golden sunbeams bathe the city and make me squint to see what else? Hasta Luego, ciao.
Discussion Forum
City Farmer's Urban Agriculture Discussion Forum
Search Our Site
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Revised April 16, 2002
Published by City Farmer
Canada's Office of Urban Agriculture
[email protected]
Photos of Cuban Urban Agriculture
Published by City Farmer, Canada's Office of Urban Agriculture
A City Farmer Visits Cuba
By Spring Gillard
City Farmer Staff, Vancouver BC
January, 2002
Also see Tara and Jen's A Taste of Urban Agriculture in Havana
We had three groups of Cubans visit our tiny compost demonstration garden in Vancouver
last year, and they all invited us to visit them. I decided to take them up on it this past
Christmas. What follows are some of the highlights of the urban farms we visited. I have
not gone into the history of urban agriculture here as that is adequately covered by other
articles on our site. But what I will tell you is that every place we visited needed
information on gardening: magazines, books, brochures, anything, even in English. Access
to the Internet is very limited, so this is not usually a resource for them. They also need
computers, although getting them to the right people could be a problem. And, like all of
us, they need funding to keep their urban agriculture projects going. I have put direct
contact information below each farm if you can help. And if you're travelling to Cuba,
bring some jars!
http://www.cityfarmer.org/CubaSpringPhotos.html (1 of 9) [5/11/2005 9:51:08 PM]
Produce was scarce in touristy Varadero, but we did find a couple of backyard
gardens.
A farmer's market in Havana. Once farmers have sold their quota to the state, they
may sell their excess fruit and vegetables here.
Tara's Garden: ACTAF (Asociacion Cubano de Tecnicos
Agricolas y Forestales)
Garden administrator, Egidio Eugenio Paez Medina with Tara McGee (right) and
Spring Gillard.
ACTAF (Asociacion Cubana Technicos Agricolas Forestales) is the first urban farm
(organiponico) we visited in Havana. We'll call it "Tara's Garden" for short. Tara McGee
works for Lifecycles, a Victoria (Canada)-based environmental group and she was in Cuba
working on a project. We'd first met her when she accompanied one of the Cuban groups
to our garden.
This two-year-old, 631-hectare farm had row upon row of raised beds planted with:
cucumbers, lettuce, beets, radishes, peppers, cabbage, onions, celery and traditional starchy
root crops (viandas) like yucca and boniato. Tomatoes are grown in greenhouses wired
with modern irrigation and staking systems. Mangoes, bananas and guavas skirt the edges
of the farm.
Tara's project was to design and create a herbal and medicinal garden. So far, she had only
managed to clear the land of rocks, glass and other debris.
Although soil deficiency was a problem at ACTAF, they are not currently making enough
of their own compost to amend the soil properly. Green manuring isn't feasible either as
their crops are on a 30 day rotation, geared for year round production in order to feed
market sales. They are however, experimenting with compost tea, a by-product of their
worm composting system.
The farm is not yet running at full capacity. Some land is used as pasture for goats and
cows, but some lies fallow as they have neither the staff nor the machinery to cultivate it.
They have eight workers currently and need fifteen. Water contamination and shortages
are also problematic and they have plans to expand an existing pond and fill it with ducks,
fish and aquatic plants to keep the water fresh.
Like most organiponicos, ACTAF teaches organic principles to gardeners in an on-site
classroom. Training and on-going technical support are also provided by the Ministry of
Agriculture, horticulture clubs and other urban sustainability groups such as the Antonio
Nunez Jimenez Foundation (see below).
Contact: Ruth Whyte
International Partnership Program
Lifecycles
527 Michigan Street
Victoria, BC V8V 1S1
Ph 250 383 5800
Fx 250 386 3449
www.lifecyclesproject.ca
email: [email protected]
Norma's Garden (UBPC Organoponico Vivero Alamar)
Miguel Salcines Lopez, garden administrator, Norma Romero Castillo, horticulturist,
Spring Gillard and translator.
We visited "Norma's Garden" (UBPC Organoponico Vivero Alamar) on one of our last
days in Havana. This highly intensive garden is five years old. Norma is one of nine staff
horticulturists; most other urban farms have one or two. The difference was palpable; the
beds were immaculately groomed and there wasn't a pest to be found in the rich, red soil.
Even though they had been hit severely by the recent hurricane, production was back to
normal.
They sell out of produce daily at their street side produce stand where they serve a
population of about 100,000. Their biggest sellers are lettuce and tomatoes, but
ornamentals seem to be a real moneymaker for them. In fact, this farm is so successful that
they are able to buy additional items like rice and beans to sell at their market and still
make a profit.
We were surprised to learn that Norma's farm was a co-operative started by five people. In
1993 when the government began to break up the state farms, they introduced Resolution
357, allowing the formation of these relatively autonomous cooperatives. They still farm
government land but they own the harvest. However, they must sell their quota to the state
and adhere to state rules, like selling at 20% below the farmers' markets.
In addition to a salary, the 43 workers on Norma's farm receive 40 pesos worth of produce
a month. As the average monthly wage is about 217 pesos (roughly US $10), the
supplemental food is welcomed. They also breed goats, sheep and chickens for the
workers.
They also have a large selection of herbs which they sell fresh and dried. Spices are almost
impossible to get outside of the organiponicos. (Oh and Cubans hate pepper - they don't
even have a pepper shaker on the table usually.) Medicinal herbs, known as green
medicine, are also grown here. The use of alternative medicine is widespread as the
nation's health system is also besieged.
They also teach organic gardening courses on-site and are hoping to incorporate canning
and preserving into the curriculum. Oh, and there was one other problem, jars (for
preserving) are very hard to come by in Cuba.
Norma Romero Castillo/Miguel A. Salcines Lopez
UBPC. Organoponico Vivero Alamar
Ave. 160 Esq. Parque Hanoi
Zona 6, Alamar. H. del Este
Ciudad Habana. Cuba
Telef: 65 37 97
Antonio Nunez Jimenez Foundation
The Antonio Nunez Jimenez Foundation is a non-profit, dedicated to promoting
sustainable environmental practises. The group is housed in a beautiful, well-maintained
museum, a tribute to its founder, a prolific writer, scientist, explorer, and obsessive
collector. Here they offer permaculture courses; publish and distribute brochures and
newsletters; and maintain a small demonstration garden. Course graduates then go out and
start urban gardens on roof tops, boulevards and in community spaces.
Staffers Maria Caridad Cruz (right) and Roberto Sanchez Medina (left) had just
published a book which favorably evaluates the effects of urban agriculture on the
economy over the last ten years in Havana (Agricultura Y Ciudad: Una clave para la
sustentabilidad). ), Spring Gillard with her partner Barry Luger (center). Back row:
(from left) Jen Pukonen, Lifecycles; Monica, our Canadian translator and another
staffer.
Roberto Sanchez Medina/Maria Caridad Cruz
Fundacion Antonio Nunez Jimenez de la Naturaleza y el Hombre
Calle 5ta B No. 6611 entre 66 y 70
Municipio Playa,
Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba
Telef: (537)2092885
Fx: (537)2040438
Seed Houses
Around the corner from A. Nunez was one of the government run, seed houses (Casa de
Semillas). These "gardening stores" sell a variety of seeds, seedlings, biological pest
controls, organic fertilizers and tools; supplies that are hard to come by since the collapse
of the Soviet Bloc.
None of the farmers we talked to saved their own seeds because the seeds were so readily
available from the government, and storage was a problem in the tropical environment.
However, they did complain about the lack of variety. For example, we saw only one
variety of lettuce being grown on the farms.
Discussion Forum
City Farmer's Urban Agriculture Discussion Forum
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Revised Wednesday, February 14, 2002
Published by City Farmer
Canada's Office of Urban Agriculture
[email protected]
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Links to Websites About Cuba
¡Cuba!
AfroCuba Web -- AfroCuban Cultural Showcase
Cuba-Pictures.com -- photo gallery by David Stanley, original author of Lonely Planet Cuba
Steelina Productions -- Travel to Cuba to study Cuban music and dance with renowned percussionist Carol
Steele
Descarga Latin Music
Bata Drums
www.orichas.com
AfroCuba.org
Babalawo Yoruba Cubano
Cuban Percussionist Miguel Anga Diaz
Percussionist Beverly Botsford -- from Durham, North Carolina
Percussionist Nydia "Liberty" Mata -- from New York City
Cuba Trip Report
Cuba Education Tours
Cuba - Una identita en movimento
Liceo Cubano -- A Virtual Cuban Community
Cuba Linda -- Inter-active Travel
Official Daniel de los Reyes Site -- DrumJungle, a multi-cultural music event
Recuerdos de Cuba
Vida Cubana
CubaMania.com
Havana Rentals -- private accomadations for rent in Havana
Casa Particular
Conexión Cubana
Cubatrip
La Tin Banda -- a latin-jazz quintet from Montevideo
Photos of Cuban Nature -- in the Zapata Swamp in Matanzas by Rafael Sanchez
Amigos del Che
Art & Music in the Carribbean
Unsung Cuban muisc...
Fotocuba
1Click2Cuba
CubaLatin
SalsaTap -- about Cuban Dance
Viva Cuba -- about Cuban Tourism
Travel to Cuba
Cigar Spirit
ArtCubana
CubaNow.org
Art Latin.com
Nova Scotia-Cuba Association
Bembe Records
http://www.ibiblio.org/mao/cuba/links.html (1 of 2) [5/11/2005 9:51:21 PM]
Cuban Music -- Cuba es Musica
Havana Home -- for private accomodation in Havana, Cuba
Los Golosos de La Salsa -- Islas Canarias - España
Interact & Learn -- introducing students to rhythms and percussion instruments around the world
New Yor-Uba -- Michele Rosewoman's Afro-Cuban ensemble integrates jazz with religious Afro-Cuban
folkloric music/dance
Cuban Bed & Breakfasts
Cuban Souvenirs
Carlos Ramirez -- Guitarist
yo soy hechicero (I am a Sorcerer)
Cuba Solidarity Web Site
CDI's Cuba Issue Area
Movimiento Humanista Evolucionario Cuban Cuban Evolutionary Humanist Movement
OrishaNet - Welcome to the World of La Regla Lucumí (Santeriá)
The Cuba Poster Project (CPP)
Cuba -- University of Texas - Latin American Studies WWW Virtual Library
CubaWeb -- The National Web Site for the Republic of Cuba
BYU's Pagina Cubano
Edinburgh Latin/Hispanic Music and Dance Service
ibiblio
¡Cuba!
Modified: March 01, 2005
http://www.ibiblio.org/mao/cuba/links.html (2 of 2) [5/11/2005 9:51:21 PM]
Mary's Page
Email Mary
Cuba text
........................................
Cuba
Last updated: 03/26/03
ALSO
AVAILABLE
PEOPLE AND POLICIES
Fidel Castro:
President of Cuba.
Raul Castro:
Fidel’s brother, Cuba's vice-president, defense minister and designated successor.
Che Guevara:
Late guerrilla fighter during the revolution of 1949. Present-day Cuban cult hero representing the
country's socialist vision.
Helms-Burton Act:
Also known as the "Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act" and the "Libertad." The U.S. Act,
signed into law in March of 1996, outlines plans to strengthen international sanctions against the Castro
government, assist Cubans after Castro is deposed and to protect property rights of US citizens in Cuba.
CANF (Cuban American National Foundation):
Influential Cuban-American lobbying organization. Greatly responsible for the current economic
embargo against Cuba.
IN A NUTSHELL
Cuba and the United States have suffered from bad relations since Fidel Castro became President in
1959. Relations especially deteriorated when Cuba and Russia became allies in the 1950s at the height
of the Cold War. The Soviets supported Cuba financially in return for a military presence in the
country, which lay only 90 miles from U.S. borders. When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, so did
the financial support Cuba had enjoyed for almost four decades.
Cuba’s present economic trials have been aggravated by the enduring economic embargo that the
United States has maintained since 1962. Under the Helms-Burton Act enacted in 1996, the United
States is obliged to continue exerting economic pressure on Cuba until Castro is replaced as leader of
the country and democratic elections are held. In the meantime, Americans are prohibited from
contributing to Cuba’s economy either through trade, tourism or commerce of any kind.
LATEST NEWS
For information about Elian Gonzalez and "outdated" updates please click here.
http://www.nutshellnotes.com/cuba_text.htm (1 of 5) [5/11/2005 9:51:27 PM]
Afghanistan in a
nutshell
Pakistan in a nutshell
Cuba in a nutshell
Yugoslavia in a nutshell
Cuba text
BACKGROUND
Before 1958 Cuba, teeming with casinos, fancy hotels and flashy shows, was a playground for wealthy
foreigners. The Cuban government under the leadership of Fulgencio Batista was a corrupt puppet
institution of the American Mafia, which owned and ran most of the lucrative casinos. Yet while
American movie stars, politicians and criminals were dancing in Havana (Cuba’s capital), the rest of
the population was struggling.
Meanwhile, a band of revolutionaries under the leadership of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and Raul
Castro, were preparing in the mountains of eastern Cuba to take over Batista’s government.
After successfully capturing Havana with the support of Cuban peasants, the revolutionaries set up a
government based on socialist tenets: nationalization of private businesses (including many foreign
ventures), redistribution of land, universal education, complete employment and free health care.
The United States, bitter over losses due to nationalization and uneasy about Cuba’s ideological
direction, stopped importing Cuban sugar – and consequently deprived Cuba of its biggest source of
income. Relations deteriorated further in 1961 after US President Eisenhower broke diplomatic
relations with the island. The coup de grace came a few months later when Cuban exiles supported by
President John F Kennedy attempted unsuccessfully to stage a Cuban revolt against Fidel at the Bay of
Pigs. The act was followed by espionage and assassination plots by the CIA.
Castro, declaring himself a Marxist-Leninist after the incident, turned to the Soviet Union for support.
The Russians, under Khrushchev began importing Cuban sugar at inflated prices and selling Russian
oil and other products for below-market costs. In return, the Soviets used Cuba as a military outpost 90
miles from United States borders. The Soviets began setting up medium-range missiles on the island in
October 1962 bringing the United States and the USSR dangerously close to nuclear war (the Cuban
Missile Crisis). The missiles were dismantled only after the United States promised not to intervene
politically or militarily in Cuban affairs.
However, the United States did meddle in Cuba’s financial affairs by convincing Latin American
countries (organized into the OAS and fearful of the spread of revolution to their own nations) to
participate in an economic embargo against Cuba. The embargo was ineffective as long as the Soviet
Union continued to trade with Cuba.
When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991 so did Russian subsidies leaving Cuba to fend for itself as
one of the only remaining socialist countries in the world.
PRESENT ECONOMY
For the past eight years, Cuba has had to adjust to hardships caused by the loss of its biggest trading
partner, Russia and the four decade-long U.S.-sponsored economic embargo. Castro’s current objective
is to improve Cuba’s economy by increasing the influx of foreign currency while preserving the
country’s socialist infrastructure. Consequently, international tourism has become one of Cuba’s
biggest sources of income, despite U.S. laws forbidding Americans from spending money on the island.
To promote tourism to the island, the government has been allocating funds toward construction of
hotels, hard-currency shops and road construction. The government has also amended laws to allow
Cuban nationals to engage in regulated tourist-geared private businesses. Cubans, who were not
allowed to handle foreign currency just a few years ago, are now allowed to use their homes as hotels
and restaurants and their automobiles as private taxis - as long as the entrepreneurial ventures are
registered with the government and taxes are paid. The rest of the population works in government-run
businesses receives state salaries between $6 and $30 a month (A member of Castro's security elite who
defected in June 1999 reported a salary in Cuba of $17 a month). To make ends meet, many barter
goods or engage in alternative businesses such as prostitution, black market trading or other illegal
operations.
Cuba text
UNITED STATES ECONOMIC EMBARGO
The economic embargo that was enacted soon after Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, was the result
of the United State's bitterness over the new Cuban government’s confiscation of American-owned
property during the drive towards nationalization. United States lawmakers currently hope that
enduring economic pressure will compel Cubans to rebel against Castro’s leadership and consequently
open the way for democracy. The Libertad or Helms-Burton Law enacted in 1996 after Cuba was
accused of shooting down two civilian planes, reinforced the embargo. The Act condemns companies
that do business with Cuban interests that involve seized U.S. property.
ISSUES
●
Boat-people – escaping repression or motivated by economic incentives?
a. Escaping repression -In 1980 over 120,000 Cubans illegally journeyed to the United States – an event dubbed the Mariel boatlift.
Since then, thousands of refugees have landed on U.S. soil. American politicians and the Cuban-American
community claim that this continuing exodus is due to political repression in Cuba.
b. Other motives -Castro claims that Cubans are free to leave the island but are refused legal entry into the United States unless
they are considered political refugees. Further, he claims that these emigrants are drawn to America because of
the economic opportunities.
c. Facts –
The United States grants residence visas to 20,000 Cubans a year and has returned almost 2,000 illegal
migrants to the island since immigration accords in May, 1995. According to the accords, Cuban's who reach
American soil will have entry guaranteed. Those caught at sea are sent back to their homeland. Cuba has
promised not to punish those who return but has been unwilling to reintegrate Cubans who left in 1980 from
the port of Mariel. It has been theorized that Cuba orchestrated the exodus in response to America’s insistence
that Castro had been keeping his subjects prisoners in the Latin American country. To prove that Cuban
emigration policies were liberal, Castro allowed thousands of Cubans, including criminals, invalids and
"undesirable members of society" to travel by sea to Florida.
●
Should the embargo be maintained?
a. Yes –
The architects of the law and most members of the Cuban-American community believe that
only by maintaining economic pressure on the island will Cuban nationals be persuaded to
depose Castro’s "repressive, violent" regime. Not only does the Cuban government threaten
international peace by engaging in acts of armed subversion, terrorism and illegal international
narcotics trade, it is argued, but it deprives its population of any "peaceful means to improve
their condition." The embargo, therefore, helps America fulfill its "moral obligation to promote
and protect human right and fundamental freedoms" while protecting the international
community by weakening the totalitarian regime. The directors of the Washington office of the
CANF compared potential success of the U.S. Cuban embargo to the pressure former president
Ronald Reagan had put on the U.S.S.R during the Cold War which accelerated the collapse of
the Soviet bloc.
Aid to the Cuban people after Castro’s demise, proponents argue, will make up for damages
caused during the blockade.
Cuba text
b. No –
Critics claim that the embargo only strengthens Castro’s regime politically by
illustrating his claims that America is incapable of recognizing governments that it
cannot manipulate. America is painted as a bully exerting its influence by punishing
the poor and weak. Moreover, critics argue, since the Cold War is over and the
Pentagon has proven that Cuba does not pose any negligible military threat without
subsidies and support from the Soviet Union, the embargo is obsolete. Even
considering the current objective to rid the country of its dictator by stirring up local
anti-Castro sentiment has proven ineffective since the great majority of Castro’s vocal
enemies arouse indignation from Miami rather than Havana.
Economically, American companies are champing at the bit to open shop on the
potentially lucrative island. While Canadian and European countries are building
markets in the Latin American country, US industries are anxiously waiting for the
embargo to be lifted. "In trying to isolate Cuba," said members of the Americas
division of Human Rights Watch, "the United States is itself isolated in the
international ccommunity." to work, it must be part of a concerted international effort
to pressure Castro.
Cuban cigar smokers, Jack Nicholson, Jimmy Carter and the Pope are among those
who believe the embargo has passed its prime. Even more significantly, members of
the United Nations voted 157-2 last year to condemn the embargo.
●
Does the CANF play too great a role in United States policy-making?
a. There has been speculation that Mas Canosa, the late leader of the Cuban American National Foundation
dictated America’s Cuban policy until his death in November, 1997. Clinton has been accused of bowing to
Cuban-American desires to remove Fidel Castro by implementing first the Torricelli bill in 1994 and then the
Helms-Burton act in 1996 in order to secure votes in the 3rd largest electorate in the United States, Florida.
There is also suspicion that wealthy Cuban-American lobbyists influenced U.S. lawmakers through large
political contributions. Castro continues to call the CANF a "mafia" organization, others call it a dictatorship as
ruthless as the one in Cuba, though ideologically opposed.
b. There is also evidence that the CANF procures funds from the United States government to operate radio and
television programs (Radio and TV Marti) broadcast in Cuba. The CANF and the US authors of the HelmsBurton Act claim that the stations are "effective vehicles for providing the people of Cuba with news and
information and help to bolster the morale of the people of Cuba living under tyranny." In reality, there is
overwhelming evidence that no one in Cuba actually receives the programs because they are jammed by the
Cuban government.
FUTURE
Fidel Castro (70) has prepared for his demise by designating his brother Raul (68) as successor. He
predicts that little will change after his departure. The United States, in the meantime, has been
preparing to assist Cuba during its "inevitable" transition to a democratic government. Because of the
inflexible wording of the Helms-Burton law, the White House is prohibited from relaxing virtually any
aspect of the economic embargo against Cuba until a transition government is in place that includes
neither Fidel nor his brother Raul Castro.
SEE ALSO AFGHANISTAN , YUGOSLAVIA or PAKISTAN (under
construction) IN A NUTSHELL.
Comments, Questions or Advertising -http://www.nutshellnotes.com/cuba_text.htm (4 of 5) [5/11/2005 9:51:27 PM]
Cuba text
please contact A. Roraback.
Graphics courtesy of Chris Herlong
For a more in-depth treatment of Cuban topics visit http://www.grin.net/~sierra/cuba.htm
h
The GULLY | CUBA Files | News and Opinion
11-05-2005
Special Report
CUBA FILES
AMERICAS
AIDS and Human Rights in Cuba: A Personal Memoir
Attending an AIDS conference in Havana as 70 Cuban
dissidents are tried and three men executed. (5-2-03)
Cuba Fights AIDS Its Own Way
Official AIDS policy versus routine practices. (5-1-03)
Cuba: Last Gasp?
Or same old song and dance? (4-18-03)
Black Farmers, Cuba Food Deal
The NAACP reached an agreement with Cuba to give
preference to African-American farmers in future food
purchases. (11-23-02)
EDITORS' WEB PICKS
U.N.: Cuban Dissidents Held in
'Alarming' Conditions
New York Times (registr. req'd)
Roots revival: Punto guajiro
makes a comeback
Miami Herald (US)
Who Speaks for Liberty in Cuba?
Village Voice (US)
BREAKING NEWS
Please reload this page to view the
headlines
NEWS SOURCES
CubaNet (Eng., Sp., Fr.)
Yahoo!: Cuba
Washington Post: Cuba
Settling Old Scores With Cuba
Cuba Wires
A few days before Jimmy Carter is due in Cuba, the U.S.
Miami Herald: Cuba
accuses Cuba of developing biological weapons. Why now? (5- Sun-Sentinel: Cuba
9-02)
Observer: Cuba After Castro
Bush's Latin America Czar Rides High
Otto Reich's appointment has been warily received in Latin
America, where the Cuban-American's advocacy of a
"hemispheric security mechanism" stirs unpleasant
interventionist memories. (1-24-02)
Castro Sees Red (White and Blue)
A usually vociferous critic of U.S. international policy, Fidel
Castro has met the housing of Taliban and al-Qaeda prisoners
at the U.S. naval station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with
thundering silence. (1-15-02)
Havana is Waiting
A review of the autobiographical play by Eduardo Machado, a
gay Cuban-American writer and Pedro Pan emigrant. (11-9-01)
Gays Wed in Cuba: The Second Revolution
The first gay wedding in Cuba may be a sign that the cat and
mouse game between queers and Cuban authorities for control
http://www.thegully.com/essays/cuba/completecuba.html (1 of 3) [5/11/2005 9:51:35 PM]
RESOURCES
World Factbook: Cuba
Human Rights Watch: Cuba
Cuba: Amnesty International 91page report on 2003 crackdown
Timetable History of Cuba
AfroCubaWeb
US: Nat'l Bipartisan Commission
On Cuba
U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic
Council
Cuba Policy Foundation
Cuban American Nat'l
Foundation
CNN Profile: Fidel Castro
U.S. State Dept.: Travel & More
Text of Helms-Burton Act
The Internet and State Control
of public space is entering a new phase. (6-21-01)
The Transportable Cuban City
Joining in the cultural reconquista of America with the Buena
Vista Social Club, and the ubiquitous rum and mint mojito, is
the up-and-coming collaborative Cuban art group Los
Carpinteros. A review. (5-30-01)
Venezuela and the Oil Crisis: The Colonial Script
Will election year Washington cast Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's
independent-minded President, as oil crisis villain? A peek at
Iran, Cuba disasters gives us a preview of the consequences.
(9-13-00)
Life After Elian
After seven months of twilight-zone captivity in the United
States, Elian Gonzalez has finally returned to his homeland.
Cuba-U.S. relations will never be the same again. (6-29-00)
Keeping Company with the Devils
Gay Dogs, Cuban Vice, Sharks, and Lawyers for Elian's
Miami relatives. Chuck 45 considers their headlining
convergence. (6-23-00)
The Cuba Gospel According to Chuck
Whose responsibility is U.S. foreign policy towards Cuba?
Chuck 45 tells you why it's his. (5-1-00)
Five months of agony end in three minutes
It speaks volumes about Cuban-Americans, and the U.S., that
federal agents finally had to step in early Saturday morning,
April 22, to remove Elian Gonzalez from the house of the
Miami relatives who had refused to return the boy to his
father. (4-22-00)
One Hundred Years of Failure:
U.S.-Cuba Policy Back at Square One
The case of Elian Gonzalez is the crowning jewel of one
hundred years of U.S. failure. From the moment we "liberated"
the island from Spain in 1898, our policies towards Cuba have
been idiotically jingoistic at best, and brutally vindictive at
worst. (4-18-00)
What Castro Found: The Cuba of 1959
There was not just one Cuba, but two, perhaps even three
Cubas, as far apart one from the other as the Havana of allwhite country clubs and glittering casinos was from the city's
slums, and these, in turn, from the often desperate countryside.
(3-5-00)
The Sugar Roulette
Cuba's economy before Castro was like a roulette game in
Mob boss Meyer Lansky's Havana casino, with the U.S. as
wily croupier. (3-5-00)
Cuba Now: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Castro's Cuba is a maddeningly complex knot. The opposition
is oppressed but not shot, the citizens live long healthy lives,
the queens have returned, and the bumbling economy is
getting a boost from Europe. (3-5-00)
Al Gore Eats Elian Gonzalez
The delicious taste of U.S. policy when the Cuban-American
vote is at stake in Florida. (2-29-00)
The Political Closet: What Cubans Really Think About
Elian
The best kept secret in America is that hardline anti-Castro
Cuban-Americans don't speak for anyone but themselves, not
for those still in Cuba, nor for most Cuban-Americans, or even
for most Cuban dissidents. Who's saying what? (2-6-00)
The Complete Elian
After the 6-year old boy, Elian Gonzalez, was found floating
on an inner tube off the Florida coast, he was placed with his
Miami relatives who have refused to return him to his father,
and primary caretaker in Cuba. Since then, the story has
ballooned into the usual soap opera of U.S. Cuba relations.
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Cuba Solidarity: WEB LINKS
Cuba Solidarity Web Links
(The following may take a moment to load .......)
Featured New Sites:
Cuba On Line
A New Site from Cuba!
Cubamigo - a Cuban and American website, from
Julián Gutiérrez and Cindy O'Hara, provides a unique
(and bilingual!) perspective on life in Cuba
Cuba Organic Support Group - UK organization in
support of Cuban organic farming
Let Cuba Live a Cuba Solidarity group in Maine, USA
http://www.cubasolidarity.net/cubalink.html (1 of 12) [5/11/2005 9:51:55 PM]
Disarm Education Fund Cuban Medical Project
US-Cuba Reconciliation Initiative
AfroCuba Web
One of the Best Sources of Photos of Real Life In
Cuba Available! Web site created by a member of the
Canadian delegation to the recent 14th World Youth
and Student Festival in Havana.
You really want to check out this site!
Cuba Support Group-Ireland site not available, 12/00
Center for Cuban Studies
IFCO/Pastors For Peace Web Site
U.S. Veterans' Delegations to Cuba
Gay Cuba
Gay Cuba. A web site of the University of Texas
The Che Guevara Web Page
Cuba Conversations
A series of interviews conducted in Cuba from Pacifica
Radio's "Democracy Now" program
The Cuban American Alliance
The Nova Scotia Cuba Association, formerly
publishers of Patria
Global Links
(The following may take a moment to load .......)
Cuban InfoMed Web Site
The National Web Site of the Republic of Cuba
How To Reach Organizations And People Involved In The Cuba
Solidarity Efforts
Cuba Solidarity -USA-Cuba-InfoMed/ Home Page
Radio Havana Cuba's Web Site
A Cuban Web Site called "Our People and Their Life" -- Lots of
photos.
30º Aniversario de la Muerte del Che Homenaje en el ciberespacio
AMISTUR, S.A.: A specialized tour operator, gives you the
opportunity to get to know Cuba's achievements and reality!
The Havana Cup Sailing Tournament Web Site
CUSLAR
The Committee on US/ Latin American Relations (CUSLAR)
promotes awareness of the culture and politics of Latin American
nations and their relationships with the United States.
Send a Piana To Havana Now with their own web address - please
update your bookmarks!
AIDS Treatment Access-Cuba
Alamar Associates' Second US-Cuba Business Summit
HR1951
PPCC
An On Line Petition in Support of the Cuban Humanitarian Relief Act
(HR 1951)
Pittsburg Peace with Cuba Coalition
Cubana Aviacion / Cubana Airlines
University of Houston's Cuba Friendship Committee in its sistercampus relationship with the Universidad de la Habana
Actualidad link not working 12.00
Coordinadora Estatal de Solidaridad con Cuba (Madrid) link not
working 12.00
TriContinental La voz impresa del Tercer Mundo link not working
12.00
Cuadernos África, América Latina link not working 12.00
La Brigade Québec-Cuba
The Lonely Planet Guide to Cuba. Brand Spanking New, and it's
Great!! This book is the best resource available if you're thinking
about traveling to Cuba!
Global Exchange's Web Site
Cuba Working Group at Cornell University.
This page announces of academic conferences and publications on
topics of relevance to Cuba and Cubans, and notices about Cuban
academics planning visits to North American universities and who
may wish to visit additional campuses.
Site of Cuba Solidarity Organizations in Berlin and Brandenburg
The main purpose of this site is to present local Cuba-groups and their
projects. It also offers a collection of links to various sources of
information about Cuba and Cuba solidarity.
CUBAmistad -- a Bloomington, Indiana based group working on
establishing a sister city relationship with Santa Clara, Cuba
Movimiento Cubano Por La Paz Y Soberania De Los Pueblos
http://www.cubaweb.cu/paz/cupaz.html
"Solidaritat Amb Cuba" A Cuba solidarity movement web site from
Valencia, Spain.
Luchando! -- A Web Page publicizing the film, "Luchando! Cuba's
Struggle to Survive" (Part of the Documentary Educational Resources
web site).
"Cuba Va!" La Asociación de Amistad Sueco-Cubana / Association
of Swedish/Cuban Friendship.
British Cuba Solidarity Campaign Site
Oxford England Branch of the British Cuba Solidarity Campaign (not
live 12/2000)
Brigata Internazionale di lavoro volontario per Cuba 'Ernesto Che
Guevara' --A Site From Bologna, Italy
Prensa Latina/Latin American News Agency
News Direct from Havana, Cuba
SPAN / Shoestrings & Grace Web Site Based in Upstate New York
FCPJ
The Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice
The Nova Scotia - Cuba Association HomePage
"In solidarity with the people of Cuba, subjects of an immoral and
illegal blockade by the United States of America, NSCUBA works to
open closer ties between Canada and Cuba, assist our Cuban brothers
and sisters..."
The Progressive Directory / Institute for Global Comunications (IGC)
The Cuba Poster Project (CPP) is dedicated to documenting and
disseminating the poster art of post-revolutionary Cuba.
Workers World Cuba Site
Articles & photos from the 1/31/96 Pastors for Peace/InfoMed Border
Crossing. (Includes some graphic depictions of U.S. Customs Service
violence against aid volunteers). From Cuba's National Web Site
Fidel for President in 96 Home Page "The Ultimate Washington
Outsider"
Granma International On Line Edition
Web site for the Resource Center of The Americas (RCTA)
Speech made to the United Nations General Assembly on March 6,
1996 by Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina.
The La Peña Chorus Goes To CubaAn excellent Cuba Solidarityrelated site! Lots of photos.
reg.cuba
"reg.cuba"-- A Cuba Solidarity - focused newsgroup/conference
Worker to Worker / Canada-Cuba Labour Solidarity
La Revolución Cubana A sizable collection of writings by Cuban
revolutionaries and extensive directory of Cuba solidarity groups
Peter Klee's Cuba Internet Directory Site based in Germany
http://ix.urz.uni-heidelberg.de/~pklee/Cuba/ may work better (12/00)
Cuban Revolution Defense Committee/Brasil Home Page (In
Portuguese)
Cuba! One of the best sources of photos of Cuba available! See for
yourself!
July 26
July 26th Coalition of Boston(LACASA) on the World Wide Web
Cuban News from Havana/ Cuban Interests Section
Jul 17 1997, No. 74
ESPECIAL EDITION
CUBA ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
The number of web sites offering accurate information about Cuba is growing. If you have an Internet
account, we recommend you to visit the following web sites.
●
●
●
●
www.cubaweb.cu ---- CUBAWEB: The Web Site of the Republic of Cuba (English & Spanish)
www3.cuba.cu ---- CENIAInternet (Spanish)
www.cubasolidarity.net ---- USA-Cuba Project Infomed Cuba Solidarity Web Site (English)
www.cubatoday.org/main.html ------- (English & Spanish)
The four sites listed above are web pages with many links where you can find information about Cuba in
several matters such as economy, tourism, business opportunities and trade, conventions and events, art
and culture, politics, science and medicine, weather conditions and so on.
If you want direct access to online Cuban newspapers and magazines, the following news sources are
available:
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
www.radiohc.org ---- Radio Habana Cuba (Daily) (English & Spanish)
www.granma.cu ---- Granma International (Weekly) (English & Spanish)
www.jrebelde.cubaweb.cu --- Juventud Rebelde (Weekly) (Spanish)
www.trabajadores.cubaweb.cu----- Periodico Trabajadores (Weekly) (Spanish)
www.cubavision.cubaweb.cu ---- Noticiero de CUBAVISION Internacional (Daily) (Spanish)
www3.cuba.cu/noticias/reloj ------ Radio Reloj (Daily) (Spanish)
www3.cuba.cu/noticias/rebelde ---- Radio Rebelde (Daily) (Spanish)
www.tips.cu ---- Business Tips on Cuba (English & Spanish)
www.prensa-latina.org ---- Prensa Latina News Agency (Daily) (English & Spanish)
www.cubaweb.cu/tropicana ---- La Revista Cubana de Musica (English & Spanish) (not online
12/00)
these links work as of December 2000. If you find an unflagged dead one, please let me know
Cuba Solidarity Homepage
USA-Cuba InfoMed Project
index
Welcome to the Center for Cuban Studies! We'll give you
on this site up-to-date information on trips to Cuba that
we sponsor (Travel) • our activities (Events) and Cubarelated activities of other organizations (Calendar) •
items for sale, including videos, t-shirts, notecards and
postcards, CDs . . . (Gifts) • our online edition of CUBA
Update (CU online) • and more. We're here to help you
learn more about Cuba, so let us hear from you with
your questions. We'll do our best to respond as quickly
as possible.
By clicking on the Gallery button, you'll reach a page
that will offer you a link to our Cuban Art Space website.
The Art Space site has pages for art exhibits on show
and for rent, as well as graphics from our permanent
collection and art for sale. The URL is
www.cubanartspace.net. Come visit!
The Center for Cuban Studies, which opened its doors to
http://www.cubaupdate.org/ (1 of 2) [5/11/2005 9:52:16 PM]
index
the public in 1972, is a non-profit, tax-exempt
educational institution located in New York City with a
national membership base. It is dedicated to providing
information and activities relating to contemporary Cuba
and contributing to a normalization of relations between
Cuba and the U.S.
Sandra Levinson, Executive Director
[email protected]
Telephone: 212-242-0559 • Fax: 212-242-1937
Postal address: Center for Cuban Studies, 124 West 23rd Street, New York, NY
10011
e-mail: [email protected]
http://www.cubaupdate.org/ (2 of 2) [5/11/2005 9:52:16 PM]
Why the US Trade Embargo Ain't All Bad
Farming with Fidel
by Alison Auld
Organic farming has taken root in
Cuba because of a shortage in
chemical pesticides and
herbicides. Maybe the U.S. trade
embargo isn't all bad.
Havana, Cuba, can leave you with the impression that time has stood
still. A 1950s Chevy will cruise by, it's rusted hulk kept on the road by
ingenious Cubans who can somehow turn a junked piece of metal into
a gasket or cylinder. Architectural gems are literally crumbling into
dust, and bicycles negotiate through pot-holed Havana nights made
darker without electricity.
In Cuba, shortages are a way of life.
Beginning in 1962, Cubans have had to cope without many basic
necessities. Soap, toothpaste, clothing, and even food became hidden
treasures when the United States imposed its trade embargo and
effectively severed the island's lifeline. The thinking was, cut off their
ties and the upstart revolutionaries will be forced to come crawling
back. But instead of bringing Cubans back into the fold, the sanctions
inspired a unique blend of Cuban resourcefulness.
http://www.sustainabletimes.ca/articles/cubanfarms.htm (1 of 10) [5/11/2005 9:52:44 PM]
Because of the U.S. embargo, Cubans have learned to make do with
what they have. Ask how they get by and people say "inventamos" we invent.
The struggle has spawned some far-reaching innovations. Cuba may be
in something of a time warp, but its isolation has spawned solutions
that could help the country in the future. A stroll through Havana
reveals one such initiative: sharing the grey streets are pools of lush,
leafy greenery.
A new form of farming has taken root in Cuba.
"This is a far more holistic approach to agriculture," says Dr. Fernando
Funes-Aguilar of the Havanna-based Grupa de Agricultura Organica.
"Is this good for Cuba? Sure and it's getting better. We have had many
advances in the last few years." The energetic farmer is part of a
growing movement that has transformed the island from one of the
most lagging agricultural producers to a leader in alternative farming
approaches.
In just a decade, cities and towns throughout Cuba have filled vacant
lots, old baseball fields, rooftops, and any scrawny spaces with gardens
- many of them free of pesticides and herbicides.
Urban and organic farms, Funes says, are growing because of basic
needs, hardly surprising in a country where necessity is indeed the
mother of invention. "In Cuba, a lot of the farming is organic by
default," says Ralph Martin, a professor at the Nova Scotia College of
Agriculture in Truro who has done extensive research in the Caribbean
nation. "They haven't had the money for herbicides and pesticides, so
they've had to come up with ways to farm without them."
The transformation began in 1989 when the Soviet Union, barely
coping with its own economic depression, staunched the financial aid
that had poured into Cuba for more than 30 years. In a matter of
months the island was pitched into its darkest economic crisis, no
longer able to rely on highly subsidized imports from Russia, or on the
inflated revenues it received from sugar sales to the Soviets. The
impact was intensified by the Helms-Burton act, U.S. legislation that
put the squeeze on businesses trying to set up in Cuba, and punished
those companies already operating on Cuban land that Washington
believes was illegally expropriated from Americans.
Cuban President Fidel Castro responded by introducing severe
restraints and cutbacks in 1989, euphemistically known as the "Special
Period." Electricity, fuel, clothing, medicine, and food would be in
much smaller supply. Between 1989 and 1993, Cuba's total imports
shrank by as much as 70 per cent.
Agriculture was one of the industries hit hardest by the Soviet
withdrawal. Pesticides and fertilizers needed to grow food for domestic
use and for export were gone. Petrol for trucks delivering produce to
large markets became scarce. The flow of heavy farming machinery
imported from Russia suddenly stopped. Broken down tractors sat idle
in fields because farmers had no other suppliers to replace parts. Cuban
farming had become so reliant on Soviet-supplied chemicals and
machinery that without them it ground to a halt. Statistics can only hint
at the human costs: the decline in food production led to an estimated
30 per cent drop in caloric intake in the early 90s. The average daily
per capita protein consumption dropped 27 per cent.
Cubans were growing hungry.
Havana, a city of about 2.5 million people, was hit the hardest. Located
on the island's north coast and relatively isolated from farming belts,
the capital found itself in the midst of a major food shortage. Fuel
needed to transport and refrigerate food from rural farmlands was in
short supply, and state rations meant to provide for a month only lasted
a week.
Frustrated by the deepening shortages, many Cubans took matters into
their own hands. Literally. They started growing their own food, even
in urban Havana.
Martin Bourque, head of Food First's Cuban Organic Farming
Exchange Program, based in Oakland, California, says people headed
to their backyards, rooftops, and neighbourhood lots to sow seeds. At
first, the initiative involved only a few plots and contained a handful of
root vegetables. But it quickly grew popular as residents realized they
could supplement their meagre government rations.
"It's been a real evolution. Originally it started when people took over
land and found something to grow on it," says Bourque, whose group
shares information and expertise with Cuban farmers. "Now you drive
down streets and see a house, a building, and then a garden. Every time
I go I'm amazed at how successful it is and how big it is."
The most prolific gardens are the self-provision plots that have sprung
up in Cuban cities across the island. These are small parcels of land
maintained by individuals and only modestly regulated by the central
government. Many of the estimated 30,000 private gardens - huertos
populares - in Havana's 15 municipalities are small tracts that produce
traditional crops like yucca, taro, cilantro and onions, and can provide
30 per cent of people's food. Businesses, schools, and hospitals have
also carved out gardens to supply their kitchens and cafeterias.
In one small plot minutes away from the Plaza of the Revolution in
central Havana, Jorge Antunis plucks grubby roots from the soil.
"Years ago," he said in an interview with the development magazine
New Internationalist, "there was nothing planted here." The garden,
about a thousand square metres, now provides Antunis and the six
other families that live next to it with bananas, tomatoes, sugar cane,
yucca, plantain, and beans. "The land was rocky and worn out at first.
One of the first things we had to do was rebuild the soil with new
organic soil and manure."
Cubans have filled parking lots, baseball fields, front lawns, and
rooftops with urban gardens.
The Cuban government, long known for its discomfort with personal
gain, uncharacteristically got behind the movement. The Ministry of
Agriculture quickly saw the potential: individuals and groups working
small farms could cheaply produce enough food to alleviate hunger. In
1991, the ministry took steps to officially recognize the farms, and
introduced a program called 'Linking People to the Land' that made
workers directly responsible for land on state farms and the produce
they yielded.
Perhaps to show its lack of immunity from the shortages, the ministry
converted its own lawn in front of its 20-storey glass and concrete
office into a garden to provide staff members with yucca, bananas, and
beans. "For everyone who walks in and out of that building, it has a
huge impact. It says, 'We're not just saying it, we're doing it,'" says
Bourque.
The ministry also set up hundreds of resource centres where residents
can buy supplies and get advice on what to plant and how - without the
use of pesticides - to prevent pests from destroying crops. Every
neighbourhood in Havana has a staff member who oversees the
gardens and helps them obtain land, form community clubs, and
answer technical questions about gardening. "People had lost their
agricultural history and didn't know much about where to go, what to
grow or how to plant seeds," says Bourque, who spends at least a
month in Cuba every year. But instead of returning to the old methods
that relied on noxious chemicals and gas-fuelled machinery, scarcity is
forcing farmers to use environmentally friendly approaches. Because
pesticides are rare and even illegal in some cases, farmers are
producing almost entirely organic crops. Agronomists have also
developed an impressive array of biological weapons to deal with
pests. Oxen are also being bred to replace Soviet-era tractors that rely
on expensive and scarce fuel.
The south coast province of Cienfuegos is one of the best models of
these new farming approaches. There are more than 50,800 large and
small private gardens in the province and more than 120 gardens in the
city of Cienfuegos. The town took up the call in earnest, driven by the
need to feed its 156,000 residents and develop alternative ways of
farming. "In Cuba this is a popular movement that has been supported
by the government as the only way to face the food crisis due to the
collapse of the socialist block and the U.S. embargo," notes Alejandro
Socorro, a professor of agro-ecology at the University of Cienfuegos.
"They are in underused urban spaces like ex-parking areas, empty
lands inside the city. The problem now is to find new growing areas,
so for that reason the potential is going to the suburbs, to the borders of
the cities."
In a former baseball field just outside Havana, workers at an
organipónico, a state-run organic farm, have devised a completely
natural way to tend their crops. Plants are sown in raised cement beds
and fertilized with decaying coconut leaves from nearby trees. Manure
is collected from canvas bags that are attached to horses plowing a
neighbouring field. A natural pesticide has been developed from the
crushed leaves of the Neem tree, which is indigenous to India. And
compost is taken from a vat full of worms that break down waste into
rich soil.
"They're very sophisticated," says Martin, adding that the country is
already being looked at as a model for other nations. Bourque says
Cuba is way ahead of other nations in its development of biological
pest controls, which have already been imported to other Central
American countries and could be used in many poorer regions of the
world. Or richer regions of the world.
Necessity is forging alternatives in other sectors as well. Cubans are
experimenting with solar energy because of electricity shortages. And
the world of medicine is also undergoing its own revolution, as doctors
look for other ways to treat people without scarce medicines. When the
Soviets pulled out, they took with them a steady supply of modern
antibiotics. That caused Cuba to invest in alternative treatments - like
homeopathic remedies, acupuncture, and natural tincture - and to
encourage urban gardeners to grow their own medicinal herbs.
The shortages are also causing a philosophical change on the island.
"The special period has been a great teacher for Cuba," says Marta
Perez, director of natural and traditional medicine for the Ministry of
Public Health in Havana. "Because in the midst of this difficult
situation, we had to find a way to fight back."
If invention is the daughter of necessity, Cuba is proving itself to be a
model child.
Bourque agrees that Cubans are starting to view the embargo and the
deprivation in a different light as they see how agriculture and
medicine, nearly thwarted by the shortages, have changed course and
are blossoming into healthier, stronger industries. "People refer to it as
the silver lining of the hardship."
The eating habits of Cubans have improved, and many are returning to
a more traditional diet lost when imported, canned foods elbowed out
conventional and healthier food in the 1980s. Cubans are eating more
vegetables now than they did 15 years ago, and they like the fact that
they can buy produce in newly privatized markets.
Cubans can also make money
from the Unidades Basicas de
Produccion Co-operativa, the
remnants of lethargic state farms
that were dissolved by the
government in 1993. Workers
inherited farm equipment,
machinery, and the right to sell
surplus produce at a profit. It's
an enticing carrot for most
Cubans who make about US$15
a month and can earn about $40
from a farmers' salary. The
appeal has been so great that the
new agriculture has created a
minor backlash and 'brain drain.' As professionals see farmers bringing
in extra money, some are fleeing engineering and medical careers to
head back to the land with the newly coined "campesino millionaires."
"It's become a point of contention because many farmers on state land
are doing quite well and some people think, 'That's our land and they're
making good money at it,'" explains Bourque.
The urban farms and the larger state farms haven't been without
problems, however. "There is a very long list of challenges for urban
agriculture in Cuba," says Professor Socorro. "The main problems are
the availability of water, land and seeds, and the soil quality." Water is
in short supply, since Havana sometimes has water service for only
two hours every other day. Urban farmers have had trouble improving
soil that has been contaminated after years of exposure to harsh diesel
fumes and litter. But as is the custom in Cuba, people find ways
around the obstacles, building raised beds in areas with poor soil, or
trucking in organic fertilizers to restore it.
Paradoxically, the very factors that helped create the gardens might be
what leads to their demise. Some fear that the inevitable end of the
embargo might encourage people to return to more conventional
methods of farming. Chemical fertilizers, tractors, and food will
undoubtedly become available again when the Americans move in.
Like the Victory Gardens that flourished in the U.S. during World War
Two and then disappeared when it ended, observers wonder if Cuba
will maintain its commitment to this new agriculture, borne out of
necessity.
"Clearly, the driving force was to produce enough food, not to produce
organic food," says Ralph Martin. "Some people are waiting for the
shortages to end so they can go back to the way things were." But,
fortunately, many are not. "I think these farms are pointing the way
ahead."
Cuba is now far ahead of other nations in organic farming techniques.
"We may be going to them someday and asking advice."
Alison Auld is a Halifax-based journalist.
Originally written in Fall, 1999; Updated February 2001
The Lonely Planet website is a good source of info on travelling in
Cuba.
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Permaculture in Havana - The City can Save the World
Permaculture in Havana
The City can Save the World *
by Sarah Wright and Toni Phillips **
* -- The Charter of Calcutta implores "We must cease seeing the city as a problem. We must see it as a
solution"
** - Sarah and Toni have just returned to Australia after working for a year on the ACF Food Gardener
Education Project in Cuba (See http://peg.apc.org/~adamt/cuba/aboutpr.htm).
Walk along any street in Havana and you will see greenery; grape vines hang from walls, yuca (cassava)
and boniato (sweet potato) are grown on verges and small gardens are popping up everywhere. Urban
gardening started as a response to economic hardships after the collapse of the soviet bloc. Cubans were
looking for new ways to feed themselves. Now Havana's network of urban gardens is drawing the eyes of
the world. Urban food gardens represent a city taking steps to make itself self-sufficient and sustainable
As the twentieth century draws to a close the world is facing more and more environmental challenges.
One important element that provides a common thread for all these issues is the city. Cities suck into
themselves food, energy, water and materials often form the other side of the planet, they produce very
little of their baisc needs for themselves. Our cities are resource sinks. Solving consumption problems of
the city would make a major contribution to solving major environmental and social problems.
Havana has 20,000 small gardens with over 70 extension workers that offer advice and some material
assistance to the gardeners. There are also eight seed houses that distribute the necessary seed. The
government has made parcels of land available to people who request it for gardening. Food is grown
near to where it is consumed cutting down on transportation and fuel consumption, refrigeration, storage
and packaging, and the associated pollution. The fact that it is diversive garden and people entred means
that problems of pesticide use or chemical fertilisers are reduced.
Lilia Díaz Machado, or "Tata", a 70 year old gardener from Cerro who has been gardening for 30 years
not only feeds her extended family from her plot of land that lies at the back of the house but also
manages to produce surplus for childcare centres. She grows a wide range of crops like corn, cassava,
paw paw, calabazas (pumpkin and squash), medicinal plants (oregano, parsley, Guava, coco, mint,
cilantro, verbena), sweet potato, taro, and ají (capsicum) in rotation to help maintain soil fertility. Tata
comes from a campesino (peasant) family and says "I am really happy with my life. I am old and the only
thing I wish is that I could live for another 30 years to keep on gardening".
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~cohousing/cuba/hab9606/hab9605.htm (1 of 3) [5/11/2005 9:52:46 PM]
One of the key factors of the program is the network of clubs that exist throughout the city. The clubs
provide a way to distribute information and goods to the gardeners. Ricardo Sierra started gardening to
help with food production in the special period and is now part of the 'Plaza' horticultural club with 30
other gardeners. With the tower of the Plaza of the Revolution in background Sierra, with the help of 6
co-workers, has built up a productive space on an old building and dump site. Their first task was to
remove the stones and rubble and build up the soil. The garden now produces avocado, cabbage, sweet
potato, cassava, pawpaw, guanabana, grapes, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, pumpkin, capsicums, peanuts,
onions, banana, rabbits, pigs, chickens and ducks. His design for his garden won a recent Permaculture
design competition.
The bottom line is that the greening of Havana, albeit taken in a situation of urgency, is a model for the
rest of the world. Nowhere else are people working in such a way to improve their living standards and in
doing so, improving the sustainability of the whole city. This is permaculture in practice.
Havana is a model for food security for city people of the world. it does this within a culture of low
consumption.
Gardening on the Roofs of Centro Havana (photo) [not included yet]
Francisco Amable Santana Peña's garden lies metres off the ground in built-up Centro Havana. With a
little help from his wife and his grandson, Santana has transformed his 200m.sq. roof top into a paradise
of lush vines and vegetables. His garden mostly consists of used car tyres, in which he grows a wide
range of crops like capsicum, potato, garlic, onion, beans, lettuce, peanut and medicinal plants. The crops
are often interplanted to help protect against pests and make better use of the soil. Santana fills the tyres
with a mix of soil and compost. He gets the soil from wherever he can, even from scraping it off the
tubers for sale at the local market. Building the garden has been a slow process but a rewarding one. "I
was born in the countryside", says Santana, "and now I have finally been born again in the city. When
my plants suffer so do I but when they are healthy then so are we."
(An edited version of the above article appeared in ACF Habitat magazine in June 1996, with photos, and
can be found on the Web at http://www.peg.apc.org/~adamt/cuba/hab9606/hab9606.htm )
City people will be the majority by 2000
It is estimated that just before the year 2000 humanity will become a predominantly urban
population. Over 50 percent of the population worldwide will be living in cities and towns.
Charter of Calcutta
We are at a turning point in history. Our planetary environment is severely damaged.
Desertification is spreading, the globe is warming. Entire ecosystems are under threat. And the city is at
the centre of the storm of destruction.
But that is the key!
We must cease seeing the city as a problem. We must see it as a solution.
For the city is our home.
It is what we make it to be.
It is where we live.
If we fail to seize the future,
we will be consumed by the past.
The future begins NOW!
Let the Charter of Calcutta be simple and clear
To be heard by all.
(The above articles were also published in Spanish in the May 96 issue of Se Puede magazine)
Filename: ACF_LO5.DOC Date Printed: 18 April, 1996
Return to Permaculture in Cuba Home Page
Revolutionary Food, Permaculture in Cuba: ACF Habitat magazine, June 1996
Australian Conservation Foundation
Habitat Australia, Volume 24, No. 3 June 1996 pp 28-31: Revolutionary Food
John McKenzie, Sarah Wright and Toni Phillips of the ACF Urban Permaculture Project in Havana,
Cuba
Revolutionary Food
by John McKenzie with Sarah Wright and Toni Phillips
Based on an article by Sarah and Toni, "Permaculture in Havana -The City can Save the World".
Cutting the cost of supplying cities with their needs would be a
major step towards solving many environmental and social
problems.
According to John McKenzie, Cuba is leading the way...
Walk along any street in Havana and you see greenery: grape vines hang from walls, and cassava and
sweet potato grow on verges. More than 20,000 small food gardens have popped up across Havana in
front yards, back yards, on nature strips and in car parks. Any vacant land is liable to be turned into the
gardens which now supply about 5 per cent of the food needs of the city's 2.5 million people and could
supply 20 per cent in coming years.
The food imperative for change
Since the food shortage caused by the collapse of the socialist trade bloc, Cubans have been looking for
new ways to feed themselves.
In the late 1980s sugar and tobacco exports representing about 85 per cent of its trade income. The
income was used to import oil and to finance Cuba's literacy, higher education, health care and housing
programs, but it was also used to import food as a food shortages worsened.
Cubans still receive food rations of rice and other simple food. The rations and distribution system
provide an equitable means of sharing what is available to prevent people from starving. Household
incomes have little purchasing power for additional food. The new food markets are operating on supply
and demand, with prices forced up due to supply shortages. The situation is now better than a couple of
years ago, but the food crisis continues. More food is needed, more vacant land needs to be cultivated
and the food gardeners need enhanced gardening skills.
These skills were disappearing in Havana's urban culture; getting dirty in the garden was not appealing to
many urbanites. Cuba had never had the strong connection to kitchen gardens as the French or Italian
traditions.
With the collapse of Soviet
trade, Cuba sought another
pathway for urban development
which included the importation
of one million bikes from
China, to reduce the
dependence on oil imports, and
the establishment of the urban
gardens program. This
development process is more
closely identified with
ecologically sustainable
development than any other
nation in the world.
The Cuban government
supports the urban gardens with
a promotional campaign that
provides seventy Ministry of
Agriculture advisers for urban
areas and eight `seed houses' for A backyard garden in Havana - photo by Luis Sanchez
the distribution of seed. Land is
provided for people who request
it, and Fidel Castro is even
promoting a vegetarian diet.
A garden-led recovery
Lilia Díaz Machado, or `Tata', a 70-year-old gardener from Cerro, has been gardening for 30 years and
feeds her extended family from a plot of land that lies at the back of the house and also produces a
surplus for childcare centres. She grows a wide range of crops: corn, cassava, paw paw, pumpkin and
squash, medicinal plants (oregano, parsley, Guava, coco, mint, cilantro, verbena), sweet potato, taro, and
capsicum in rotation to help maintain soil fertility.
Tata comes from a campesino (peasant) family and says `I am really happy with my life. I am old and the
only thing I wish is that I could live for another 30 years to keep on gardening'.
Garden clubs exist
throughout the city
and provide
information, seeds
and other goods for
the gardeners. The
Plaza horticultural
club has 30
gardeners. Six of
the co-workers
built a productive
space on an old
building and dump
site and now keep
rabbits, pigs,
chickens and ducks
as well as a wide
range of fruits and
vegetables:
avocado, cabbage,
guanabana
(soursop), grapes,
cucumbers, carrots,
lettuce, pumpkin,
peanuts, onions,
banana. Their
garden design won
a recent
competition.
Food gardens are
even appearing in
the high density
urban areas.
Francisco Amable
Santana Peñas has
a garden on his
roof in built-up
Centro Havana.
With help from his
wife and grandson,
Santana has
transformed his
200-square-metre
rooftop into a
paradise of lush
vines and
vegetables. The
grapevine grows up
the outside of his
apartment and
covers much of his
and the roofs of
two neighbours.
Last year they
harvested one
tonne of grapes and
produced 400 litres
of wine.
Santana's vegetable
garden consists of
old car tyres filled
with soil and
compost. He gets
the soil wherever
he can, even from
the scrapings off
the tubers sold at
the local market.
Building the garden
has been a slow
process but a
rewarding one.
`When my plants
suffer so do I but
A dwarf-variety banana tree in a food garden in Havana - very suitable for
small plots of land backyard garden in Havana. Pumpkin on the ground.
- photo by Wayne Wadsworth
Click here for more photos of permaculture in Havana
when they are
healthy then so are
we', says Santana.
`I was born in the
countryside and
now I have finally
been born again in
the city.'
Medicinal plants,
or `green medicine',
are also planted in
the food gardens
and empower
people to take
control of their
health by growing
their own medicine.
The Cuban lesson
Urban food gardens are a powerful idea for cities, particularly those in poorer countries. Cities produce
very little of their basic needs. They are resource sinks, sucking in food, energy, water and other material
goods. The costs of this are high and include transport, roads and construction, fuel, refrigeration,
storage, packaging, and the associated pollution. There are also costs in agricultural communities where
food crops have been replaced by cash crops. Such communities often lose their community culture and
their more sustainable land use practises.
But cities do not have to be represented by poverty and class division, the sprawl of shanty towns,
unemployment, crime, drugs, sex tourism, garbage and traffic. Havana is now producing its own food
and distributing it through local food markets, while retaining a lively culture with high standards of
health, housing, and education but with low levels of consumption. Third world cities could see strategies
for their own future by taking a closer look at Havana's food gardens. *
* - The Charter of Calcutta implores: "We must cease seeing the city as a problem. We must see it as a
solution."
The Cuban Permaculture Project
ACF is working
with Australia's
permaculture
movement on the
Cuban
Permaculture
Project, an
overseas aid
project that
focuses on
community
education,
produces a
quarterly
magazine for
gardeners and
provides training
courses in food
gardening, seed
saving and
permaculture. It
is being
undertaken with
the Cuban
environment
group, Fundación
de la Naturaleza
y el Hombre, and
the Federation of
Cuban Women
and the Cuban
Ministry of
Agriculture.
The project
evolved with the
help of the many
Australian
travellers who
A permaculture course in Havana in 1995 - Mulching a new garden.
had returned
- photo
from Cuba
by Sarah Wright.
wanting to
support Cuba's Refer to articles on permaculture courses in Havana for more information.
radical
development
strategy. Further
impetus came
when an officer
in a Cuban
government
department
phoned the
Permaculture
office in Lismore
seeking help with
the teaching of
gardening skills.
Members of the
permaculture
movement
responded and
have played an
effective role in
Havana's garden
education
program.
The project is jointly funded by the Australian government's Agency for International Development
(AusAID) and by public donations. Donations to the 'ACF Cuba Appeal' are tax deductible and are
matched one-for-one by AusAID. The project needs $A25,000 a year for the next two years.
Australian project workers during 1995 and 1996 were supported on the project by the Overseas Service
Bureau (OSB) and more than a dozen other Australians and other nationals have participated in Havana
so far. OSB has an extensive program in the Central American region. It places project workers with a
wide range of organisations covering many fields, including environment issues. OSB welcomes
enquiries from people wishing to participate.
About the authors:
●
John McKenzie is a founder of the Permaculture Global Assistance Network.
●
Sarah Wright and Toni Phillips worked for one year as permaculture project officers in Havana
on the ACF Urban Food Gardener Project.
For further information, view the Web page of the ACF Urban Permaculture Project in Cuba at
http://www.peg.apc.org/~adamt/cuba, or contact:
· Adam Tiller, Cuba Project Manager, ACF, Melbourne,
tel: +61 3 9926 6725, fax: +61 3 9416 0767, email: <[email protected]>
· John McKenzie, a founder of Permaculture Global Assistance Network (PGAN),
tel/fax: +61 3 9853 6828, email: <[email protected]>
· Sarah Wright, Cuba Green Team and PGAN representative in Sydney,
email: [email protected] or [email protected]
· Toni Phillips, Permaculture Community Worker at Collingwood Children's Farm, Melbourne, tel/fax:
(03) 9417 5806
Web design thanks to Rodney Brown and Adam Tiller. 10 April 1997.
Location of this web page: http://www.peg.apc.org/~adamt/cuba/hab9606/hab9606.htm,
Permaculture in Cuba, ACF, Cuba Green Team, PGAN, PP-FNH
Permaculture in Cuba
CONTENTS of this web site
Film Fundraiser: Men with Guns
Film in Spanish
by John Sayles, 18 Feb - 21 Feb 1999, Melbourne
Como Cinema, Sydney Verona Cinema
About the ACF Food Gardener Education Project in
Urban Havana, Cuba
ACF Habitat Article: Revolutionary Food:
Permaculture in Havana - Cities can save the World
With Pictures!
The Charter of Calcutta (11 lines) implores: "We must
cease seeing the city as a problem. We must see it as a
solution."
Cubans working on a large compost heap in Havana.
Job Advertisement: Permaculture Project Officer,
Havana, Cuba
Photos from permaculture courses in Havana.
Reports on the women's permaculture course with the FMC in Havana and the first permaculture design certificate course in
Cuba. Not loaded yet
Photos of permaculture courses in Havana in 1995 and 1996. (Good photos)
Some photos of permaculture in Havana.
Some very good photos of Havana - not specifically permaculture.
About the Fundacion de la Naturaleza y el Hombre , our partner organisation in Cuba.
Text of a brochure on Urban Agriculture in Santa Fe by Luis Sanchez. Santa Fe is an outer suburn of Havana City.
Publications from the project on Urban Permaculture in Spanish and English
Final Report Outline, Havana Project, 1995 (two pages), Financial Report, 1995 (one pages),
ANCP Project, Havana 1995, Final Report from the Field, Part One
ANCP Project, Havana 1995, Final Report from the Field, Part Two)
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~cohousing/cuba/ (1 of 4) [5/11/2005 9:52:51 PM]
NGOEI Food Gardener Education Project, Havana 1997-98, Final Report and Financial Acquittal
ANCP Project, Permaculture Training in Inner-Havana 1998, Final Report and Financial Acquittal
Orientation Notes for Project Workers on the ACF Cuba Permaculture Program
Media Release: 26 July Fiesta and Rally for Cuba in Melbourne. (Project fund raiser)
Video on Organic Agriculture in Cuba by Food First. (other links below)
ACF Permaculture, Environment and Development Officer - Position Description
In Spanish:
Información sobre la dirección del proyecto en Cuba: el Green Team.
Información sobre el grupo en Cuba.
Links to other sites:
Pointers to other information on Cuba can be found at the Latin American Information Centre (LAIC), Melbourne.
Web: http://www.peg.apc.org/~laic
Links to other web pages on Urban Agriculture / Permaculture in Cuba
Article: Havana's Popular Gardens: Sustainable Urban Agriculture from WSAA Newsletter. (Residing on City Farmer site,
Canada)
The Greening of Cuba
An abstract from the book by Peter Rosset and Medea Benjamin.
A reference to The Greening of Cuba video on the Green Means web site, and on the BBC World Service.
About the original 1996 version of the video. The Order Form for an updated version of the video from Food
First.
The Permaculture in Cuba Program is run by the
Permaculture Project
of the
Foundation for Nature and Humanity
___
Proyecto de Permacultura
de la
Fundacion de la Naturaleza y el Hombre
Otherwise know as The Green Team.
Previously known as El Grupo de la Orientacion de la Familia sobre Permacultura
(GOFP).
in partnership with the:
Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF)
340 Gore St, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Melbourne, Australia
URL: http://www.peg.apc.org/~acfenv
The ACF Cuba Project Manager is:
Adam Tiller
Tel: +61 3 9926 6725 bh
Tel: +61 3 9416 8812 ah
Fax: +61 3 9416 0767 bh
URL: http://www.peg.apc.org/~adamt
The project advisory committee for the Cuba Green Team meets regularly in Melbourne.
Specialised advice, support and training for the project is provided by the
Permaculture Global Assistance Network (PGAN)
operating from the
Permaculture and Overseas Development Desk
URL: http://www.peg.apc.org/~pgan
This page was done by Adam Tiller, email: [email protected]
The Big Green Experiment: Cuba's Organic Revolution
Lisa Van Cleef
The world's greatest organic farming experiment is going on right now
and everyone who eats food should know about it. Cuba, our island
neighbor to the south, has been undergoing a radical agricultural and
economic revolution as it seeks to dramatically increase its food
production using organic methods.
Cuban agriculture was Latin America's star performer, relying on the
latest chemical pesticides, fertilizers and farm equipment from the
Soviet bloc. It was farming Central California style with huge
monocrops nourished by agrochemicals.
This highly industrialized, capital-intensive farming practice came to a
screeching halt in 1989 when the Soviet Union collapsed. Cuba lost 85
percent of its foreign trade, including food, agricultural imports and
petroleum. Already crippled by the U.S. embargo, the country was
financially devastated with its food supply hit hardest.
The Cuban response was to go organic, a much cheaper alternative to
conventional chemical farming that doesn't rely on imports. The state's
priorities shifted to food production, the scientific community began
focusing on organic practices and city dwellers were mobilized as
urban farming became a vital source of food.
Amanda Rieux, instructor for the San Francisco League of Urban
Gardeners' Gardening and Composting Educator Training Program,
has just returned from a trip to Cuba with a Food First Sustainable
Agriculture delegation. For Rieux, this was an opportunity to see
organic practices in use on a nationwide scale and a chance to assess
the implications for all of us.
"In America, the work I do is on the fringe, says Rieux. "Organic
farming is still perceived as unusual and far from the norm. It was
exciting to be in a place where the efforts of the entire government are
behind sustainable agriculture. (Sustainable agriculture refers to an
integrated system whereby the gardener works within natural
biological cycles and uses only naturally occurring resources.) The idea
of the small urban farm being highly productive, sustainable and the
source of a nice income was heartening to see. Cuba proves it's feasible,
it's happening.
http://yeoldeconsciousnessshoppe.com/art9.html (1 of 5) [5/11/2005 9:52:53 PM]
With limited gasoline to transport, refrigerate and store food from the
countryside, food production was brought to the cities. Cuba now has
one of the most successful urban agriculture programs in the world.
The State is making unused land available to fledgling urban farmers
and thousands of empty lots have been turned into organic oases.
In Havana alone there are 8,000 organic gardens producing a million
tons of food annually. The gardens range in size from a few meters to
several hectares. The urban farmers primarily grow lettuce, bok choy,
onions, chard, radishes, tomato, cabbage and broccoli. Gardens can
employ anywhere from one to 70 people depending on the size of the
garden. And people from all walks of life are participating.
Rieux says, "At one garden I visited, there was a construction worker,
a mechanic, an engineer and a mathematician: all these people are
working in the urban garden. You can make more money as an organic
farmer than you can as an electrical engineer right now."
The state is supporting the new urban gardeners through extensive
university research into sustainable organic practices, including soil
health and fertility.
Cuba's scientific community is also developing breakthrough biological
fertilizers and pesticides using naturally occurring organisms and
insects.
According to Food First executive director Peter Rosset, there are
more than 200 biotech centers in Cuba producing and distributing
cutting-edge, non-toxic biofertilizers and pesticides based on local
microorganisms. Biological controls, such as Bt, a common organic
pesticide, are available in the U.S., but Rosset says by focusing so much
of its research resources in this arena, Cuba is way ahead of the rest of
the world.
In Havana, the Urban Agriculture Department was formed to educate
and assist the neophyte city gardeners in implementing these new
techniques. Small state run stores were established to sell seeds, hand
tools, pots and some biological controls and serve as educational sites,
offering workshops and advising the urban farmers and gardeners.
"Cuba is not a commercial society. You can't think, 'Gosh, I'd like to
grow something. Let me go to the hardware store and buy seeds and
get myself some compost.' There were no stores. The State had to
provide shops with inexpensive goods to promote urban agriculture,"
Rieux said.
The Cuban gardeners incorporate some traditional organic practices,
such as the use of worm compost-castings (worm poo) from redworms
fed a diet of kitchen scraps. Worm compost is generated quickly and is
higher in nitrogen that is more quickly accessible by crops than regular
compost.
They also rely heavily on interplanting--where diverse crops are
planted together--which discourages the pests that accompany
monocrop farming. This is a major shift from contemporary
industrialized farming, with its acres of corn that provide a veritable
buffet for bugs, as well as monocropping's inherent dependency on
pesticides.
The gardeners are also experimenting with their soil by leaving their
crop residue (the stalks, vines, and anything else left after the harvest)
on the field instead of clearing it off. A layer of worm compost is added
on top to create rich soil another old-fashioned organic idea.
Riew says the Cuban farmers are now very articulate about healthy
ecosystems. "When they find a problem in their garden, they'll watch
closely, noticing if there is a check in their system that might pull the
problem back. For instance, if they're having aphids, they might wash
their plants off and watch for a day or two to see what happens. Does a
parasitic wasp come for the aphids? Will a lady beetle show up? Will
something come and work within the system and deal with the aphids?
Working within a whole ecosystem is a given. That was something that
the conventional agricultural methods had completely obliterated."
The city farmers are also tackling the lack of medicine in Cuba. A
casualty of the trade embargo, Cuba can import neither medicine nor
the ingredients to make it. Even aspirin is a rarity in Cuba. Rieux says
she saw a lot of people growing green medicine in their urban gardens.
"I saw a beautiful green medicine garden grown by one man," she
says. He's growing oregano, marjoram, lemon grass, sage, tila (a kind
of sedative), chamomile, calendula, aloe. The herbs are processed as
teas and tinctures. In half an hour he had eight or nine customers, a
steady flow of business."
The state needed a dramatic incentive to stimulate interest in urban
food production. And money is just as stimulating to Cubans as it is to
us. So major economic changes were instituted to support the organic
transition in the cities.
Prices were deregulated and the state created farmers markets, which
legalized direct sales from farmers to consumers.
Farmers markets popped up all around the city on the garden sites.
Some of the urban gardens, called organiponicos, were established as
employee-owner cooperatives with the members sharing in all the
profits made.
Today, farmers can make three times more than professionals by
selling their produce direct to consumers. Reason enough for engineers
to abandon their calculators for hoes.
Cuba's advanced organic farming techniques have led to major
cultural shifts as many city-dwellers have become farmers. But what
happens when the Cuban economy shifts and the embargo is lifted?
Now that they are such capable organic growers, will they revert to
chemical farming? Rieux says no.
"Yes, there are people who believe some of the gardeners will revert to
the old practices, but many people will still farm organically. Even
when the embargo lifts, the small farmer will make more money
organically because he spends so little. He's not going to start buying
chemicals. He won't have to. He has the knowledge now.
For the rest of the food-eating world, the Cuban agricultural greening
shows that when a government decides to, it can put its strength behind
sustainable, profitable, non-toxic agriculture. "The shift towards
sustainable agriculture has been very successful in Cuba, people are
eating better there now than they did five years ago," says Rieux.
"And, there is an understanding that these methods have social and
environmental values, as well as economic. It has been an empowering
movement for the Cuban people.
Granted, Cuba was in a tough, hungry place that made willingness to
experiment essential. But at a time when we are dumping everhttp://yeoldeconsciousnessshoppe.com/art9.html (4 of 5) [5/11/2005 9:52:53 PM]
increasing amounts of chemical pesticides on our crops, poisoning our
aquifers and sterilizing our soil, this large-scale experiment should be
watched by all.
© Reprinted from the San Francisco Chronicle, Wednesday, March 15,
2000; published in The Trowel, #11, spring-summer 2000, by San
Francisco League of Urban Gardeners.
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Development Report No.14: Cuba's New
Agricultural Revolution: The Transformation of
Food Crop Production in Contemporary Cuba
May 2000
Development Report No. 14
Celebrates
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Related Topics
Cuba's New Agricultural Revolution
The Transformation of Food Crop Production in Contemporary
Cuba
●
●
Laura J. Enríquez
Department of Sociology
University of California
Berkeley, California
May 2000
●
●
●
Introduction
The Birth of "Autoconsumo" Production
●
Basic Units of Cooperative Production
●
"Vinculando el hombre con el area."
●
The "Tiro Directo"
●
The Opening Up of Agricultural Markets
http://www.foodfirst.org/pubs/devreps/dr14.html (1 of 43) [5/11/2005 9:53:00 PM]
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Farming
Publications on Sustainable
Agriculture
Publications on Urban
Agriculture
Agroecology
●
Cuban Agriculture
●
Food First Development Reports
●
●
Publications on Food
Sovereignty
●
The Classical Model of Development
The Transformation of Cuba's Agricultural Production
Publications on Alternative
Models
●
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Agriculture
The Americas
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Cuba's Agricultural Transformation in Comparative
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Conclusion
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Bibliography
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INTRODUCTION
For a limited time, donate $100 or more
and receive a Food First book!
The first half of the 1990s witnessed the initiation of a major
transformation of Cuban agriculture. From an emphasis on state farms, as
the politically and technologically appropriate strategy of agricultural
development, to the adoption of a new approach highlighting the
advantages of tying producers to small areas; from an export-oriented
production emphasis to the promotion of food crop production; and from
a reliance on high technology to one on alternative technologies, this
transformation is touching on a number of the central aspects of
agricultural production and development. Together these changes have
become the core of the Cuban government's overall effort to resolve the
dramatic crisis that had come to characterize the country's agricultural
sector and food security in the early 1990s. Their success or failure will
be integrally related to the future course of Cuban socialism.
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The most immediate stimulus for these changes was the desperate
situation Cuba found itself in following the disintegration of the
international division of labor, of which it had formed a part. With the
societal transformations that occurred in Eastern Europe and the former
Soviet Union in 1989 and 1990, and the resulting dissolution of the
Council of Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) that they had
been the centerpiece of, Cuba was suddenly faced with a drastic shortfall
of imports of all kinds and the disappearance of preferential markets for
its own principal exports.
The problems that Cuba experienced as a result of the COMECON's
disappearance pointed to a underlying tension, which also played a
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Topic Guide
●
Alternative Models
●
Cuban Agriculture
●
Development
●
Economic and Social Human
Rights
●
Environment
●
Farm Labor
●
Food Aid
●
Food Sovereignty
●
Genetically Engineered Food
●
Globalization
●
Green Revolution
significant role in creating the need for the modifications currently
underway in Cuban agriculture. That tension stemmed from the
limitations inherent in the model of agricultural development that was
adopted by Cuba's socialist government in the early 1960s. Referred to by
some (Pérez Marín and Muñoz Baños 1992; Rosset et al. 1993) as the
"classical model" of agricultural development, it was characterized by its
emphasis on agroexport production, its heavy reliance on mechanization
of production processes, with a concomitant development of social
services (especially its educational system) that encouraged a constant
increase in this reliance through the exodus of people from the
countryside, and overall priority being placed on state versus private
farms. By the early 1990s it had become readily apparent there were
fundamental weaknesses in this strategy, which made its appropriateness
for a relatively small, strongly-agricultural economy highly questionable.
The following essay will examine the evolution of the transformation
taking place in Cuban agriculture today. It will do so by focusing on the
ways in which these changes have emerged and are taking shape in one
sector of agriculture, that directed at the domestic market. By focusing on
the food sector of agricultural production and distribution, we can obtain
a clear picture of both the dimensions of the contradictions inherent in the
classical model of development, as well as the importance of the
modifications that are currently being implemented in Cuba's countryside.
The arguments set forth in this essay are based on fieldwork conducted in
Cuba during the 1990-1998 period, which involved interviews with
policy-makers and implementers in the Ministry of Agriculture
(MINAGRI), the Ministry of the Sugar Industry (MINAZ), and the
National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP), as well as with
agricultural producers organized in several forms of production relations:
Basic Units of Cooperative Production (UBPC), Agricultural Production
Cooperatives (CPA), and Credit and Service Cooperatives (CCS). In
addition, analysis of secondary sources and government data was
undertaken, which provides some of the "harder" evidence for my
assertions about this transformation.
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Our exploration of Cuba's agricultural transformation will begin with a
sketch of the classical model of development that dominated the policy
making process toward this sector and society. The government's
response to the food crisis triggered by the disintegration of the
COMECON will be analyzed through an assessment of the numerous
efforts that have been initiated to address it, which form integral parts of
the larger process of agricultural transformation. Finally, the agricultural
transformation underway in Cuba today will be situated within a larger
discussion of the transformation processes that have been set in motion in
a variety of socialist, or formerly socialist, countries, with the goal of
highlighting the similarities and differences between the Cuban case and
the others. In so doing, I seek to assess the extent to which the changes
taking place in Cuban agriculture approximate the emerging trend of
transition away from what has heretofore been known as "socialist
agriculture."
THE CLASSICAL MODEL OF DEVELOPMENT
The new Cuban government's adoption of the so-called classical model of
development in the mid-1960s stemmed in part from the structure of
agricultural production that already characterized the country in 1959,
and in part from the pattern of agricultural development that had been set
by the country that was its closest ally, the Soviet Union. Several of the
central components of that model were its heightened external
dependence; its emphasis on input-dependent, large scale approaches to
production; and a resultant acceleration in rural-urban migration (Pérez
Marín and Muñoz Baños 1992). Each of these components contributed to
the profound crisis that characterized Cuban agriculture in the early
1990s, and the measures that have been experimented with to resolve it
are essential aspects of the transformation that is currently underway
there. Thus, a brief acquaintance with them is in order.
The predominance of export agriculture within the economy and a strong
dependence on food imports to feed the population, which had described
Cuba throughout the period that the socialist government has been in
power, had prevailed prior to 1959. In fact, these were standard features
of the agricultural model that had gradually been adopted over the first
half of the century throughout much of the Caribbean basin region and
the Third World more generally (Barraclough and Marchetti 1985;
Brockett 1990; Friedmann 1990). With the spread of agroexport
production, food crop cultivation was increasingly relegated to less fertile
areas and cut off from receipt of the resources necessary for its growth
and modernization (Williams 1986; Wolf 1969).
In the case of Cuba, the pitfalls inherent in this strategy of development
were perceived early on, and some efforts were made to expand food crop
production so as to reduce the country's vulnerability to price changes in
the international economy. Yet sugar exports still provided slightly more
than 80 percent of Cuba's foreign exchange earnings at the close of the
Fulgencio Batista era, while food imports represented approximately 21.2
percent of the country's total imports and provided for almost one-third of
the food consumed on the island.
The country's overwhelming dependence on sugar was the subject of
disdain of the revolutionaries who overthrew Batista's regime in 1959,
and agricultural diversification was a high priority for them in the early
1960s. But by mid-1962, in the face of the U.S. embargo, a growing
foreign deficit resulting from the Cuban government's various efforts to
promote diversified economic development more generally, and the
Soviet Union's offer to purchase growing quantities of the country's sugar
production, this crop once again came to be seen as the key to
development. Although the precise nature of Cuba's sugar trade proved to
be more positive than that which had characterized it in the past,
diversification of agricultural production reverted to being a medium- to
long-term goal.
This is not to say that sugar cane production remained the same as it had
been before the change in regime. Over the course of the 1960s, and
especially the 1970s, it became increasingly industrialized and this
process, in turn, fostered related industrial development (Pollitt 1985;
Pollitt and Hagelberg 1992; Edquist 1985). At the same time, Cuba's
relationship with the COMECON led to a broadening of the array of
products that it exported to this group of nations. Nonetheless, in the
second half of the 1980s, sugar and its derivatives still generated, on
average, 75 percent of Cuba's export earnings.
As the development plans drawn up in the mid-1960s had stipulated,
domestic production of food stuffs did expand gradually over time
(Enríquez 1994). As a consequence, food imports were reduced
somewhat, so that food products came to represent 17.3 percent of total
imports in 1980 and 12.4 percent in 1989. However, Cuba continued to
be strongly dependent on imports to satisfy its consumption needs for a
number of crucial food items. Estimates of the weight of the population's
caloric intake that was derived from imported goods ranged from 44 to 57
percent.
Cuba's classical model of agricultural development was also
characterized by several additional phenomena. These included its
emphasis on utilizing high input approaches to agricultural production. In
this regard, the pre-revolutionary historical development of Cuba's sugar
industry set a high input tone that was maintained in later years.
Likewise, worldwide this was a period of seeking "technological"
answers to the "agrarian problem" through the Green Revolution.
However, in relying on this approach, Cuba was also following closely in
the footsteps of the strategy of agricultural development that had been
pursued by the Soviet Union (Selden 1982; Deere 1986). One of the
earliest efforts Cuba made to raise the level of technology employed in
production was directed at mechanizing the sugar cane harvests. During
the 1960s and 1970s machinery was also developed to channel cut cane
onto vehicles for trans-shipment to the refinery and to clean the cane that
had been mechanically harvested, prior to its refining.
Nonetheless, technological innovations were not restricted to the sugar
cane sector of agriculture. Notably, rice production came to be even more
mechanized than sugar cane. Likewise, a strong reliance on chemical
fertilizers and pesticides had come to prevail in all sectors of agricultural
production (i.e. the state, CPA, and private sectors) and in food crop, as
well as sugar cane, cultivation. And specialized animal feed became the
basis of state and CPA livestock industries.
Although much of the equipment ultimately employed in the sugar sector
was produced in Cuba, this was not necessarily the case with machinery
used in the production of other types of crops. Moreover, the chemical
fertilizers and pesticides, specialized feeds, and the fuel for all machinery
were almost entirely imported. Prior to 1989 Cuba was able to look to its
COMECON counterparts for provisioning all of the crucial inputs for its
agricultural production. But after that time, it became painfully clear that
the country's high input agricultural development strategy had only added
to the already existing, heavy external dependence.
At the same time, a central feature of Cuba's high input strategy was its
"bigger is better" approach to farm size. Here, too, Cuba was following
the example set by the Soviet Union (Selden 1982; Deere 1986). If the
production process of a crop was to become largely mechanized, Cuban
policy makers argued, then areas under cultivation had to be compacted
so as to take full advantage of the machinery employed through working
large areas. This logic coincided with the government's clearly
established preference for state farms, as opposed to those of peasant
farmers (Deere 1986; Benjamin et al. 1984; C.R. Rodríguez 1983). Its
preference stemmed from the conception that this was the appropriate
means of bringing about the socialist transformation of Cuban agriculture.
Through completion of the process of proletarianization of the
agricultural population-a process that was already far advanced-and the
consolidation of an overarching state farm sector, many of the dilemmas
arising from the now classical "peasant question" could be avoided and
the benefits derived from production in the state sector could be
redistributed according to social, as opposed to individual, criteria.
One of the inadvertent outcomes of the government's strong promotion of
state farms was the undercutting of food crop production. Given that
much of food crop production was carried out on peasant farms, their
relegation to nonpreferred status meant, at the least, that their production
failed to develop at a similar pace to that which occurred on state farms.
Moreover, some (Lehmann 1985) have argued that the Cuban
government effectively lost much of the food production that might have
been generated by this sector because of the limited attention that it paid
to the peasantry.
In addition to lost production, over the course of time the better part of
the population of agricultural producers and laborers was also "lost."
During the three decades following the establishment of the revolutionary
government, a significant exodus from rural areas took place. The
migration out of agricultural work was first noted in relation to the
shortage of labor for the sugar cane harvests beginning in the mid-1960s.
A realization of the more generalized depletion of agricultural workers
was slower to emerge. The causes of the shift from agricultural to other
kinds of labor were multiple, including the new opportunities for owning
land made possible by agrarian reform and other kinds of full-time
employment on state farms; and the overall improvement in prospects for
social mobility for rural dwellers resulting from the opening up of public
education (Lehmann 1985). Educational and employment opportunities
that had been unimaginable in the past for the sons and daughters of small
farmers and agricultural laborers drew them out of agricultural production
and, in many cases, out of rural areas entirely. The end result was the
increasing need-independent of the ideological preference for-to
mechanize more and more of agricultural production.
Although some Cuban policy makers were aware of the weaknesses
inherent in these various aspects of the "classical model" of agriculture,
full comprehension of their potential for fundamentally undermining
production did not arise until the first signs of change in Eastern Europe
and the Soviet Union had emerged. By then it was too late to bring about
modifications swiftly enough for a crisis in agricultural production to be
averted. Within a few short years imports from Eastern Europe and the
Soviet Union had fallen dramatically: in 1990 alone Cuba experienced a
25 percent shortfall in USSR petroleum imports from the quantities
stipulated in bilateral agreements drawn up between the two nations; by
November 1991 food shipments from the USSR had fallen below agreed
upon amounts by more than 50 percent. Because at least 80 percent of
Cuba's imports and exports had been channeled through the COMECON
during the 1980s, the trade alliance's disappearance had drastic
consequences for the Cuban economy generally, and its food situation in
particular. Almost overnight the country's relatively modern agricultural
sector, which had been so heavily dependent on imports, was partially
crippled, and the population's levels of food consumption experienced a
severe contraction.
THE TRANSFORMATION OF CUBA'S AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTION
With the deepening of Cuba's economic crisis following the
disintegration of the COMECON, the socialist government began to
implement major changes in a number of areas. Agriculture production
has been one such area. The changes affecting agriculture have become
more significant each year, addressing important aspects of both
production and distribution. While the idea for several of these had been
toyed with for some time, their adoption on a grand scale has clearly been
a response to the present crisis.
The Birth of "Autoconsumo" Production
The first such change was that of the spread of the "autoconsumo"
system, or the setting aside of land on all farms for subsistence
production. This system contrasted with the previously dominant one of
maintaining virtually complete crop specialization on farms within the
state and CPA sectors; the state farm sector alone controlled roughly 78
percent of cultivated land in 1989. The move toward maintaining a selfprovisioning section on each farm actually began in 1980, with the initial
experimentation of this strategy in the sugar sector of agriculture. But by
the early to mid-1990s it had reached production sectors that had not
previously participated in it.
As a consequence of the implementation of Cuba's Food Program, state
farms and CPA have begun to pay increasing attention to the selfprovisioning of their workers and members. The goal became to use the
areas that were not already being completely exploited for either annual
or perennial food crops. In addition, livestock "modules" for selfprovisioning by the workers/cooperative members were to be established
on all state farms and CPA. It was taken for granted that CCS members
and parceleros (both of whom farm individually and will be discussed
below), as opposed to those participating in the other two sectors,
maintained the traditional practice of raising livestock for their own
consumption. Thus, all farms were to provide for at least part of the
consumption needs of those who worked them. The underlying
assumption in this strategy was that, at a minimum, it would lead these
producers to eventually give up the food supplies that they had previously
purchased through the state distribution system, even if their expanded
production did not actually contribute to increasing the amount of food
products sold for the general population's provisioning.
Beginning in about 1993, CCS members-who farm individually-also
began to practice self-provisioning for themselves and their workers. One
such CCS member had previously set aside a small amount of his overall
production for his and his family's consumption. But, given the general
difficulty of obtaining food products, the offer of being provided with
food to supplement what was available through official channels was a
powerful incentive for attracting workers who might otherwise find some
other activity to engage in. Through this self-provisioning plot, he
provided his employees with corn, plantain/bananas, sweet potatoes, rice,
beans, tomatoes, coffee, arum root, sunflowers (for oil), and a number of
other products. He estimated that this provisioning actually doubled the
value of the salary he paid them. This farmer justified his recent decision
to set aside part of his small farm for this purpose as the only means by
which he could insure that the eight laborers that he regularly employed
would continue to work for him.
The problem this small farmer was attempting to ameliorate, the
deepening crisis of labor shortages, had been developing for some time. It
had grown in seriousness since the early 1990s, given the lack of
incentives for most salaried labor. The problem was not specific to
agricultural labor; it reflected the overall economic crisis-in this case
expressed in wages that had very reduced purchasing power (Carranza
Valdés 1992; Iglesias-Caruncho 1994). Prices in official channels were
still well within the reach of most consumers. Yet in the early to mid1990s, the black market was so important for meeting the consumption
needs of most sectors of the population, price changes there had the
greatest negative impact on purchasing power. Between 1991 and 1993,
the average rate of inflation in the black market was calculated at 700
percent, with some key items (e.g. chicken, pork, eggs, soap, and cooking
oil) experiencing inflation rates of 1000 percent during this period. Even
after the opening of the Agricultural Markets (see below), the prices for
consumer goods in non-official markets remained significantly higher
than official prices. With wages remaining stagnant, the incentive to work
for a salary had clearly diminished. Given the fact that agricultural labor
is harder on workers than most other types of jobs and continues to have a
low status, it is not surprising that potential laborers chose other options
and farmers were forced to provide extra incentives to insure their labor
needs were met.
Self-provisioning is also occurring at another level. In addition to the
officially organized self-provisioning areas and livestock modules geared
toward those employed on state farms, another option has opened up in
unused areas on these farms for workers and non-workers alike. On
October 1, 1993, the Cuban government ratified a series of measures that
included a provision for retired people, and for others who are able to
demonstrate justifiable cause for not being incorporated into agricultural
production in another form, to have usufruct rights for cultivating a small
area of land (its size depending on the number of members in the family)
on state farms.
According to Deere et al. (1994), the loaning of parcels to workers and
non-workers had been taking place since at least early 1992. Moreover,
she and her co-authors speak of land takeovers occurring to establish
these parcels, as well as their more orderly distribution by state farm
managers. The takeovers indicated a strong demand for land for selfprovisioning, a phenomenon corroborated by a MINAGRI official who
estimated that around 5,000 applications for usufruct rights to a small
parcel had been submitted to the ministry in the first few months after this
legislation was enacted. By April 1998, usufruct rights for 10,943
hectares had been given to 45,804 people-known as parceleros-so that
they could engage in self-provisioning. The objective of this policy has
been to ease the pressure on official channels of food distribution, as well
as to reduce potential discontent about food shortages, by permitting
people to grow their own food.
Basic Units of Cooperative Production
Self-provisioning also represents a central aspect of the new
organizational structure established on many former state farms, the Basic
Units of Cooperative Production (UBPC). On September 29, 1993 it was
announced that many state farms would be turned over to those who
worked them, to farm them in a collective fashion with usufruct rights
that would extend for an indefinite period of time. There were several
impetuses behind this major shift in policy away from state farms and
toward cooperatives. Perhaps the most immediate was the disastrous drop
in sugar production during the harvest of 1993. From producing an
average of 7.8 million tons of processed sugar during the first half of the
1980s, to the 1992 harvest in which 7 million tons were achieved, the
harvest fell to 4.2 million tons in 1993. The enormity of this drop, with its
many repercussions throughout the economy, required the government to
respond in some dramatic fashion, which it did by announcing the birth of
the UBPCs.
Several other issues also undoubtedly came into play, including the longterm, and worsening problem of low productivity among workers on state
farms. Low labor productivity has been a widely discussed issue since, at
least, the late 1960s. A shifting back and forth between material and
moral incentives for work had taken place during this period, with the
former largely prevailing after 1970. But productivity problems persisted.
On one UBPC that I visited in the province of Havana, although the
personnel chief was loath to specify exactly how many hours workers had
formerly put in a day on the state farm that formed the basis for his
UBPC, he finally admitted that regular workers had clocked in 6.5-7
hours a day, instead of the stipulated eight hours, and Contingent
members 8.5-9 hours, instead of the stipulated ten hours. However, the
number of those now working on the UBPC, when compared with the
number of workers formerly employed on the state farm that had been
located on the same land, suggests even lower productivity than this: 216
as opposed to approximately 625.
The problem of maintaining the labor force also contributed to the
decision to transform much of the state farm sector into UBPCs. As
mentioned above, this historic problem has been greatly exacerbated in
the previous few years because of the falling value of wages. In fact, the
UBPC I visited had very few permanent workers (only approximately 11
percent of the work force was permanent) prior to the change in
organization, instead relying very heavily on members of the Army of
Working Youth (EJT), and long- and short-term volunteers that had been
mobilized to work there. By offering workers a share in the ownership of
the farms-with a corresponding share in profits-government policy
makers hoped to retain former workers, long-term volunteers (i.e.
Contingent members), and perhaps even attract new labor from the
surrounding municipalities.
But exactly how were these UBPCs to work? What about them was to
provide strong incentives for membership in them? Most of the UBPCs
set up to date have been established on what formerly made up smaller
pieces of the state farms in the area. Their relatively smaller size has
facilitated their management as cooperatives. So, in theory, the greater
economic benefits that are anticipated in terms of higher productivity and
so forth, will be achieved without having to resort to complete
privatization. Workers partake in the distribution of any profits that are
derived from production and they have a voice in management matters
through the UBPC General Assembly meetings. UBPC members become
owners of their production, but not of the land. In the process they, as an
UBPC, purchase with bank credit the equipment and crops previously
belonging to the state-owned granja located there. Nonetheless, given that
they are only provided with usufruct, as opposed to ownership, rights,
they are not required to pay for the land worked by the UBPC-either in
the form of rent or a mortgage.
However, the UBPCs are not completely autonomous farms. They remain
under the sponsorship of the state farm enterprise from which they were
formed. Concretely, this means several things, including: 1) whereas
CPAs and CCSs look to ANAP and a specific branch of MINAGRI to
provide them with farm inputs, facilitate machinery purchases, etc., the
UBPCs rely on the state farm enterprise that sponsors them for these
types of assistance; and 2) they are not entirely free to make their own
production plans-i.e. choose what they will grow-instead, they continue to
coordinate this with their state farm enterprise. On an UBPC that I visited
in May of 1994 this particular issue was the source of some tension
within the UBPC and between the UBPC and its state farm enterprise.
The latter wanted this recently formed cooperative to maintain the
production plans drawn up earlier to extend its acreage in the UBPC's
principal crop, plantain, while UBPC members preferred to move ahead
with planting self-provisioning crops in this same area. Ultimately, a
compromise was reached, but a precious six months (one crop cycle) had
been lost before the members were permitted to move ahead with
planting subsistence crops.
With regard to sponsorship by the state farm enterprises, the UBPCs were
to be subsidized for the first three years of their existence, by the state in
general, and provided with various resources free of charge by their
respective state enterprises. It was taken for granted that some time would
be required before the UBPCs would be profitable and entirely able to
stand on their own economically. In essence, they represented an
intermediate form of organization located somewhere between state farm
granjas and CPAs.
The UBPCs' membership would be composed of former workers,
Contingent members, and others who were willing to participate in this
experimental organizational form. Shortly after the UBPCs were legally
constituted as an alternative form of organization, it was estimated that
approximately 60 percent of those in Contingents were willing to join
them. The principal incentive that the UBPC held out for potential
members was the food products that they would have access to through
the cooperative's self-provisioning plot and its livestock module. In
interviews that I conducted with three UBPC members, they all
mentioned this as something that was very important to them and as a
reason for why they felt positive about having joined the UBPC. One
early estimate put the number of people who would potentially benefit by
having greater access to food through the formation of the UBPCs
(including members and their families) at three million. Even if the
number of beneficiaries does not reach this high when all of the UBPCs
that are planned are fully functional, they will still, in all likelihood,
improve the food security of a large population. At the same time, they
will facilitate the incorporation of a sector of the population into
agricultural production that might not otherwise participate, helping to
resolve the labor shortage dilemma.
By late spring of 1994, just seven months after the legislation that created
the UBPCs was enacted, 100 percent of the state-owned sugar farms had
been transformed into UBPCs. In the non-sugar sector significant
advances had also been made: by May 10, 1995, 971 UBPC had been
formed of the 2,656 that were projected; and by the end of 1997, the nonsugar UBPCs had reached 1,576 in number. At least initially, more of
these were in the livestock sector, but UBPCs had also been established
on mixed cropping farms (which grow root crops, vegetables, and
plantain/bananas), and other food crop farms. Clearly, the strategy of
moving to smaller-sized farms and shifting from state-owned to
cooperative production was proceeding apace.
"Vinculando el hombre con el area."
A further scaling-down that is currently underway in Cuban agriculture
has been the emergence of a new concept of how to organize production
in the CPA and UBPC sectors, which is known as "linking the worker
with an area." In its essence, it consists of the formation of small work
teams (typically four people), who are responsible for the entire
production process in one relatively restricted area, one caballeria or 13.4
hectares. The goal is to provide them with an incentive-in the form of
receiving a certain percentage of the profits derived from yields
surpassing a basic level in their area-so they are committed to insuring
their production reaches its full potential.
The principle behind this approach to organizing production is not
entirely new. The concept underlying it was first articulated as early as
1981, with the formation of the Permanent Production Brigades in the
state farm sector (Kay 1988). From the 1960s in which there was virtually
no relationship between either the quantity or quality of work and the
salary received, the relationship between work completed and wages paid
became increasingly linked over the course of the 1970s. With the
formation of the Permanent Production Brigades, this relationship was
further refined to assigning a specific group of workers to a particular
field or group of fields. Wages would reflect production levels in the area
under their responsibility. The objectives behind their formation were to
increase worker productivity and yields, and improve the maintenance of
soil fertility in assigned areas. But a typical Brigade might include 75
members, and the area under their control still represented that of a
medium- to large-sized farm.
Behind the reorganization of workers into Permanent Production
Brigades in the 1980s, and the current further scaling-down of production
unit size, lies the implicit recognition that production levels are higher on
smaller farms-especially those of cooperatives or individual farmers. In
describing the situation in the early 1980s, Medea Benjamin et al., speak
of one area where onions were grown in which yields were 50 percent
lower on state farms than on private farms (as related to them by the state
farm administrator). Moreover, production costs on state farms were
notoriously high compared to those of cooperatives, and the latter were
nearly all profitable while almost none of the former were.
In the 1990s, with high input agriculture confronting serious limitations
due to shortages of supplies, and lower input approaches being best suited
for smaller-sized farms, scaling-down the size of production and
increasing the link between the farmer and the land have come to be seen
as important means of alleviating the agricultural crisis. Yet, the
worsening problems of labor productivity and shortages played similarly
decisive roles in contributing to this policy shift. Now with widespread
support for this new emphasis in production organization, both ANAP
and MINAGRI are promoting its adoption. ANAP was clearly the
forerunner here, however, through its earlier campaign to organize
cooperatives as an alternative to state farms.
Application of the concept of linking the worker to an area of production
is still in somewhat of an experimental stage. But movement in this
direction, or planning for it, can be found on most UBPCs and CPAs. On
an UBPC I visited, a month earlier a group of four members had been
assigned to take complete responsibility for one caballeria. They were
being paid strictly according to what they produced in this area. Their
wages so far averaged about 25 percent higher than those of other UBPC
members as a consequence. The UBPC's administrators were
contemplating offering them even higher wages if their production
increased further. They calculated that the UBPC would still come out
ahead, even with the proposed wage hikes, given the higher production
levels. Illustrating production level differences, the UBPC's personnel
director estimated that the average CPA would have routinely assigned
ten members to an area this size-or seventeen workers on a state farm-in
order to obtain the same amount of production. They definitely planned to
expand this type of organization elsewhere on the UBPC, but over an
extended period of time, so that they could keep mistakes arising from the
change to a minimum.
On a CPA I visited in this same area, the membership had agreed to
organize part of the cooperative's land in this manner. Members assigned
to a particular area would be able to keep approximately 30 percent of the
profits earned from their production, on top of the other payments they
normally received. Those who were working in plantain/banana
production on this CPA were already linked more closely with these
crops' production; their assignment to this crop group was fixed and they
did not rotate to other areas like most fieldwork brigades in the CPA. A
group of five of the members of yet another CPA were entirely
responsible for the small area of grapes grown on their CPA. All of these
members were older men, who would probably no longer have been
assigned regular tasks among the fieldwork brigades. When they were
assigned to this area, they received specialized training in cultivating
grapes. But "linking the person with an area" had yet to become the norm
on the CPA as a whole.
All who favored this new strategy of organizing agricultural work, from
government planners to those engaged in administering CPAs and
UBPCs, thought that the process of conversion from large scale to small
scale production areas should proceed very gradually and spread by
example. If the change was imposed from above, its whole purpose
would probably be defeated. That purpose was, as one CPA president
described it, "so that each person feels even more like she/he is the owner
of the land she/he farms." Clearly, the objective behind this shift in
organization is to move toward approximating the close relationship a
small farmer has with his/her land-especially in terms of the productivity
and production levels yielded by such a relationship. Yet, this objective
was to be moved toward in the context of a work group so that the
collective orientation that has underlain the reformed sector of Cuban
agriculture until now is not lost.
The "Tiro Directo"
Another key area in which change has taken place in the agricultural
sector is that of local produce commercialization. To date, this change has
taken two principal forms. The first was begun in the early 1990s and was
known as the "tiro directo" (or "direct throw"). This commercialization
arrangement involved an agreement between a specific CPA and a central
market or neighborhood produce center (Agro). Instead of delivering the
CPA's produce to Acopio (the state marketing and distribution agency)
and letting it take responsibility for the goods' distribution, a step in the
chain of distribution was eliminated. At least in theory, the produce
reached consumers more quickly through the tiro directo. In return for
this service, the CPA received payment for transporting the goods, in
addition to payment for the produce itself.
While certainly not doing away with Acopio entirely, the tiro directo
represented another example of the move away from the "bigger is better"
approach to agricultural production and commercialization. By taking
produce directly from the field to urban markets, a statement was being
made that-especially given the perishable nature of the goods involvedthe job of transporting them can, in all likelihood, be accomplished more
efficiently when it is undertaken on a smaller scale. Moreover, this
arrangement also reflected the implicit recognition that the producers
themselves can contribute to resolving distribution problems in a way that
the state is unable to.
Formally, the tiro directo only operated between the Province of Havana
and the capital. Moreover, not all CPAs were privy to this arrangement.
According to an ANAP official working in the area of food crop
production, only eight to ten CPAs engaged in transporting their produce
directly to urban areas. But in other parts of the country, similar
arrangements existed without the label of "tiro directo" being applied to
them. According to another ANAP official, in some smaller towns this
kind of informal tiro was the only source of produce for those who lived
there.
The relatively limited extension that the tiro directo system reached
before its effective replacement by other mechanisms belied the interest
that existed in the cooperative and UBPC sectors to engage in more direct
commercialization of their produce. That interest stemmed from several
sources. First, farmers had clearly experienced limitations in terms of
Acopio's ability to insure that produce was picked up from the fields at
the appropriate time so as to guarantee that it entered the chain of
distribution in optimal condition. These limitations appeared not to be
new: one CCS president spoke of problems with Acopio's produce pickups existing as long ago as the mid-1980s. But they were exacerbated in
the 1990s with the growing shortages of fuel, tires, spare parts, and so
forth. Second, because producers are paid according to the value of their
produce once it has been picked up, instead of when the farmer first has it
ready for Acopio, farmers have been concerned about the reduction in its
value due to late pick-ups. Finally, given the problem of theft that has
characterized Cuban agriculture during the 1990s, once a crop has been
harvested it has to be guarded until Acopio arrives. One UBPC
administrator complained of the extra work time lost to guarding produce
that resulted from Acopio's vehicles arriving after the appointed time,
which might mean several days, rather than hours.
In order to reduce losses deriving from such limitations on Acopio's part,
farmers have begun to take matters into their own hands. When produce
quantities are small enough to fit in their own vehicles, the producers
themselves often deliver to Acopio, instead of waiting for Acopio to
reach them. One analyst predicted that with the sub-division of state
farms into UBPCs and the overall trend toward smaller-scale production,
farmers would be increasingly encouraged to do this because Acopio
would be unable to attend to growing numbers of producers, each of
whom has a limited amount of produce.
Nonetheless, producers also regarded the tiro directo arrangement as
being economically beneficial to them. They looked at the profits that
could be earned by transporting their own produce (because of the fees
they could charge for this service) and concluded that they were better off
doing this than maintaining a relationship with Acopio. Listening to CPA
and UBPC administrators' recitations of what their earnings amounted to
with a tiro directo marketing arrangement, it was quite apparent that they
thought of their farms as business enterprises-taking into account
calculations of profits and losses. Thus, they would seem to have come a
long way from attitudes of the 1960s, when economic efficiency was a
very low priority in agricultural production.
The state was clearly somewhat reluctant to promote the further spread of
tiro directo-type arrangements. In addition to obvious material limitationsfor example, in terms of the possibility of providing trucks for all of the
cooperatives and UBPCs that might want to participate-an unwillingness
to completely eliminate Acopio seems to exist. Although not all of those
who are influential in policy making necessarily share this reluctance,
those who do have evidently been strong enough to shape policy thus far
vis-à-vis this aspect of the production/circulation process.
The Opening Up of Agricultural Markets
An even more significant change in the area of commercialization of
agricultural goods has been the opening up of "Agricultural Markets."
Their opening was announced on September 23, 1994, and the
governmental decree-No. 191/94-that legalized them took effect on
October 1, 1994 (Granma 1994; Los Angeles Times 1994; and New York
Times 1994). Although initially they were few in number, by the spring
of 1998 there were more than 300 Agricultural Markets throughout the
country and approximately 65 in the city of Havana alone.
Among the various factors that led to this liberalization was the desire to
undercut the operations and effect of the black market that existed for
these goods. The black market has existed as long as there have been
shortages in Cuba-and shortages first appeared there in the 1960s. In the
years of relative abundance-especially in the first half of the 1980showever, it had much less importance than in times of shortage. Needless
to say, it grew exponentially each year after 1990, so that by the early to
mid-1990s much of the income of urban dwellers was spent on black
market purchases of food products. Given the increasingly limited supply
of goods that were available through official channels, almost all urban
consumers were forced to resort to unofficial channels in order to obtain a
minimum supply of basic foods. (See Table 1 for a listing of the quota of
food distributed through official channels in the springs of 1994 and
1998.) At the same time, extreme shortages of manufactured goods (such
as soap, detergent, shoes, clothes, etc.) in the rural areas drove some
producers who might not otherwise have participated in black market
sales to engage in this kind of "desvio" of their production. Their only
means of obtaining these latter goods was by paying inflated prices on the
black market.
The gap in producer prices between that offered by Acopio, and that
offered in the black market also proved to be a temptation than many
producers could not resist. For example, consumers paid $0.20 pesos per
pound ($1.00 U.S. was equivalent to $1.00 Cuban peso at the official
exchange rate, or $100.00 Cuban pesos at the black market exchange rate
in May of 1994) for the rice they purchased through official channels in
May of 1994, versus $40 pesos per pound for that bought in the black
market during the same period. Given increasing shortages each year
between 1990 and 1994-1995, prices for goods in the latter market rose
constantly. By mid-1994, black market prices were generally either
calculated according to the black market exchange rate for dollars, or
purchases had to be made directly in dollars. This was true of
manufactured goods, as well as nationally-grown food products. The net
result was that consumers who did not have access to U.S. dollars or
extraordinarily high salaries were only able to buy small amounts of
goods through this market. Thus, an important consequence of food
shortages (and those of most goods) and the burgeoning black market,
was a notable growth in differentiation in purchasing power.
By mid-1992 the Cuban government had stepped up its efforts to clamp
down on the black market. It greatly increased its level of vigilance over
produce sales by private farmers through the establishment by MINAGRI
of a system of jefes de area who were in constant contact with them
throughout the production process and "facilitated" the sales of farm
products to Acopio. Moreover, the setting of examples, with occasional
application of the "Agrarian Law"-which called for confiscation of the
land of producers who failed to sell their produce to Acopio-also played a
role in government efforts to reduce the size of the black market
(Enríquez 1994). Finally, in August 1993 the Cuban government
legalized the holding and use of U.S. dollars by Cuban citizens, legalizing
their access to state-owned stores offering food items (as well as most
other kinds of goods) for sale in foreign currency. The number of such
stores grew dramatically in the years following the enactment of this
legislation, in the process making possible the purchase of scarce food
items through a channel other than the black market.
Despite the implementation of these various measures, the black market
continued to thrive. Its size, omnipotence, and obviousness led most
observers to the conclusion that the government was turning something of
a blind eye to its existence, contrary to its highly publicized campaign to
crack down on it. In a large town surrounded by highly productive farm
land in the Province of Havana, I was easily able to observe the
marketing activities of those engaged in illegal produce sales near the
local train station. Without a doubt, local authorities were also aware of
the functioning of this market, suggesting an implicit recognition that its
size was so large that it would be difficult to eliminate and that it
represented an important source of food products for a population (which
included local police officers and municipal workers) that could
potentially become increasingly disgruntled if cut off from even this
supply.
Despite being a safety valve for the potential build-up of discontent about
shortages, the black market had multiple deleterious effects on Cuban
society. To mention only two of these, the black market contributed to the
radically accelerating process of social differentiation that had come to
characterize Cuba since 1990. Perhaps as important, from the point of
view of the socialist society that Cuba was supposed to represent, the
mechanisms underlying the black market's functioning-theft of statehttp://www.foodfirst.org/pubs/devreps/dr14.html (19 of 43) [5/11/2005 9:53:00 PM]
owned goods and the completely mercantilist mentality of those
participating in its exchanges-clearly weakened its political, ideological,
and moral foundations. At a certain moment the majority of Cubans were
bound to ask what they were sacrificing themselves in the name of,
because this could not have been what was meant by the term socialism.
Whether it was for moral and ideological reasons, or strictly political and
economic ones, in September 1994 the Cuban government overcame the
resistance held by some sectors within it and opened the way for the
country's farmers to engage in marketing their own produce. Moreover,
the government has built (where necessary), maintained, and
administered the Markets. More recently it has also begun to organize
monthly "fairs" in which state enterprises sell their surplus produce at
prices which often undercut those of the Markets.
The farmers, in turn, have taken advantage of these opportunities to
market their produce, and producers (from all sectors) have received a
warm reception from urban consumers. As a result of their opening,
access to food products has fundamentally changed for the better for
many consumers-despite the high prices that prevail in the Markets. At
the same time, black market sales for most products have been reduced.
However, the opening of the Agricultural Markets was oriented towards
doing more than undercutting the black market. The decree legalizing
their existence explicitly states that their principal goal is to incentivize
production (Granma 1994). Farmers would be encouraged to work harder
and to produce more if they knew they would be rewarded with extra
income for everything produced in excess of their stipulated quotas with
Acopio. They are earning extra income both in the sense of getting paid
for more produce than what they have been required to sell until now, but
also in the sense that prices in the Markets are set according to the law of
supply and demand, and thus are significantly higher than those paid in
state-regulated agreements (i.e. by Acopio). Provided they have sufficient
access to key inputs-which has, by and large, been the case-farmers
should feel motivated to overcome the numerous obstacles presented by
"the special period."
In addition to stimulating absolute production increases, the Markets also
make "excess" goods more available to consumers. This is the case
because food products beyond the spare pickings of the consumer quota
are now available in clearly specified locations, at regular times, and in
reasonably large quantities, thereby insuring that those with the money to
pay for them will have access to them. They no longer have to depend on
the vagaries of the black market. This has resulted in these goods being
within the reach of a larger population than that which relied on the black
market for its food purchases.
Sales in the Agricultural Markets also represent a mechanism for
facilitating the larger effort of absorbing the tremendous excess of
currency in circulation. A number of mechanisms have been established
to achieve this goal in an attempt to control the economy's rate of
inflation. Sales in the Markets contribute to both the larger and more
specific efforts by increasing the supply of goods that can be purchased in
Cuban currency (thereby increasing its value vis-à-vis the U.S. dollar)
and through the requirement that produce vendors pay taxes on all of the
goods that they bring into the Markets to sell. This last requirement also
assists in the campaign to reduce the government's massive budget
deficit.
It would appear that the Markets have reached at least some of their
objectives. Consumer turn-out has been significant, and with the initial
consumer frenzy leveling off, it has become clear that most of the time
the supply can meet the demand. By and large, consumers also appear to
appreciate the opening of the Markets and consider them to be of
considerable assistance in resolving their food problems. Yet, given
continuing shortages of food in official channels, prices are quite high in
the Markets, which does nothing to undercut the growing pattern of social
differentiation and causes resentment among those with less income.
In the early period of the Markets' existence, produce seemed to be in
relatively good supply. Moreover, the variety of goods has improved with
each passing month, due to the ever increasing presence of private
farmers (CCS members and those working household plots and selfsufficiency plots). At first the state farm sector had the greatest presence
in the Markets, with its less varied range of goods. But as the fears of
private farmers have diminished, their products have entered the Markets
and enriched the array of goods for sale. Those fears were undoubtedly a
product of both the ambiance in which the Peasants' Markets were closed
in 1986, as well as concerns about being seen as having been withholding
production until the Agricultural Markets' opening.
Now, not only are farmers being encouraged to market their excess
production, they are also being incentivized to sell it where demand is
greatest. This is especially true in the city of Havana. The principal
mechanism being employed to facilitate marketing in Havana is a
differential rate of taxation. Nationwide, taxation ranges from 5-15
percent, but the capital's Markets are at the lowest point on this scale. The
government has also made transportation easier and more available for
those traveling to Havana's Markets from elsewhere in the country.
Aside from special incentives for farmers to bring their produce to
Havana's Markets, the position of the government of opening and
promoting participation in the Markets represents a change in policy of
significant magnitude. As recently as 1990, most policy makers did not
openly admit that the Peasant Markets of the early 1980s had many
positive aspects. While acknowledging that produce had been more
available when they were legal, most of those working in any official
capacity would be quick to point out their deleterious effects in terms of
the tensions generated between workers and farmers (i.e. between
consumers and producers) because of their high prices. Yet, in spite of the
great potential for a similar dynamic to develop in the country today, the
government has firmly embraced the Agricultural Markets as a means of
remedying Cuba's food crisis.
A final change underway in Cuban agriculture represents yet another
major departure from policies promoted by the socialist government in
the past. This change is the acceptance of foreign investment in
production and processing in the agricultural sector of the economy.
Legal provisions for foreign investment in Cuba first appeared in early
1982 (Decree-Law 50 of February 15), with these being expanded in
1992. But it was not until 1993 that foreign investors entered agriculture.
By mid-1994, Israeli investors were partaking in Cuban citrus production
and Spanish capital was engaged in the processing of Cuban tobacco. By
the spring of 1998 there were 17 such joint ventures in agriculture,
representing approximately $60 million (U.S.) in investments. Each such
effort involved provision of some combination of capital, inputs, and
know-how by the foreign counterpart. Undoubtedly, Cuba's socialist
government has opened its doors to this kind of enterprise as a result of
the crisis that is affecting the economy as a whole, and agriculture in
particular. At this point, foreign capital is not permitted to purchase
agricultural land. But should the crisis worsen, that could be the next step.
CUBA'S AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION IN
COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE
The reentry of foreign capital into the Cuban countryside is only one of
the various dramatic changes that have been initiated in agricultural
policy in recent years. No less dramatic were the down-scaling of
agricultural production and its shift toward collective-as opposed to stateownership, the move toward self-provisioning on all farms, and the
partial institutionalization of short-cuts in the official system of produce
commercialization that exclude the principal state purchasing/distribution
agency.
The clear preference of policy makers during the first three decades of
socialist government was toward what has been termed the classical
model of agricultural development. That model, based on strategies
pursued in more developed countries-most especially, in the former
USSR-emphasized economies of scale combined with a high input
approach to production. Several additional aspects of Cuba's agrarian
sector prior to 1990 were common components of agricultural policy in
other socialist countries besides the USSR, including the collectivization
of production-typically in large-scale form-and the assumption of control
over produce marketing by state agencies. Each one of these aspects has
undergone some modification in the past few years in Cuba, adding up to
the agricultural transformation described above.
Cuba's shift away from some of the key aspects of what has come to be
thought of as socialist agriculture has coincided with similar processes
that are, or have been, taking place in a number of former and current
socialist countries. While the changes initiated in the Cuban countryside
bear a resemblance with some of those occurring elsewhere, there are also
important differences between Cuba and the other cases. Let us briefly
review the nature of these resemblances and differences, to see if a new
model of "socialist agriculture" is emerging that is common to those
countries still purporting to have socialism as an objective, a model that
might represent a more appropriate strategy of development in light of the
many weaknesses inherent in the formerly predominant one.
Probably the most important change that Cuban agricultural policy has in
common with a number of former socialist countries, as well as several
countries that continue to be identified as socialist, is that of a move away
from the very large production units that reigned supreme in the heyday
of socialist regimes. Although the former Soviet Union is the only
socialist country besides Cuba to have been characterized by the major
role played by state farms in the agrarian sector (Deere 1986), a general
trend is identifiable even in those countries where cooperatives had been
preponderate towards reorganizing production into smaller unit sizes.
In the case of the former socialist republics of Eastern Europe, this trend
has been part and parcel of the overall process of privatization of property
taking place there. This can be seen especially clearly in the cases of
Hungary and Czechoslovakia; despite notable distinctions between them,
in the recent past they did share the existence of a strong cooperative
sector (Swain 1994; Swain 1993). These countries' collectivized farms
were, for the most part, organized into large-scale, factory-style
production units that had a complex division of labor and in which the
"members" were in many respects similar to wage workers.
With the transition away from socialism that began in Eastern Europe in
1989-1990, a process of privatization of collective property was initiated.
In Hungary and Czechoslovakia this process has had two fundamental
aspects: the restitution of properties confiscated during earlier "agrarian
reforms," with compensation being in money or bonds or land; and the
"personalization of cooperative property." It has yet to become clear what
percentage of former cooperative members will opt to continue to farm
their now privatized land in a collective fashion. Given the broad
spectrum of participants benefiting from the respective restitution
processes (besides those who had been cooperative members in 1990),
the large-scale units that had made up the cooperatives in each country
during their socialist eras will undoubtedly experience a significant
downsizing.
In contrast, the process of downsizing of cooperative production is
already notably advanced in two Asian socialist republics, China and
Vietnam. This process was initiated in both countries in the late 1970s
and has been much more gradual than those of Eastern Europe and Cuba.
In the former two cases downsizing through decollectivization was begun
in response to a crisis in agricultural production that policy makers
believed could be resolved through the adoption of measures deemed to
allow greater freedom to the peasantry (Werner 1984; Watts 1995;
Bramall 1993; and Gray 1982).
In China decollectivization was set in motion with the establishment of a
new system of contracting out farm production, which replaced the
previous system in which commune leaders oversaw the entire production
process and members carried out tasks assigned to them. Households, or
groupings of them, have since become the most common unit of
production, although Bowles and Dong note that by the early 1980s
"village collectives" were once again on the increase. In Vietnam, a subcontracting system was also set up that came to rely heavily on
households as the key unit of production. Thus, in both cases, large-scale
production on collectivized farms has given way to forms of production
which, although admittedly somewhat varied in their make-up, are clearly
of a more small-scale nature.
In addition to sharing the shift from large-scale to smaller size units of
production with a number of former and current socialist countries, Cuba
also has followed the growing trend within this group of nations toward
reintroducing some elements of a market economy into agriculture.
Where state controlled marketing of agricultural produce predominated in
almost all of these regimes in the past, each has moved in varying degrees
towards liberalization of domestically-oriented marketing. This process
has been of a piece with the changes that have characterized production
relations in each case.
For Eastern Europe, the introduction (or expansion, in the case of
Hungary) of market relations in the commercialization of agricultural
produce was part of the overall package of reforms that brought these
countries back into the realm of capitalism. Despite the call for
agricultural support policies in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Poland, the
general thrust of the agricultural strategies adopted by post-socialist
regimes there has been to permit the market to determine prices, dictating
the farmers' success or failure.
In China, as was true in a number of other cases, state control over
produce marketing had long been a highly contested aspect of agrarian
policy. In spite of any concerns for the well-being of the peasantry that
might have motivated the establishment of a state monopoly in produce
marketing, over time it became an arena of struggle between the state and
the peasantry. The loosening of state control over grain marketing there
and in Vietnam-which began in the late 1970s-has been credited with
playing a major role in notable production increases since that time
(Bramall 1993; Oi 1989; and Watts 1995). It was precisely this outcome
that was sought by policy makers in Cuba when the decision was made in
1994 to reopen that country's farmers' markets.
Production increases were also the principal objective underlying most of
the other major changes characterizing Cuban agriculture, as policy
makers there, like their counterparts in other former and current socialist
regimes, responded to what had become a crisis in agricultural
production. Despite these key similarities, Cuba's transformation differs
in important ways from those taking place in some of the other countries.
Perhaps the most significant of these differences is that cooperative
production is still considered viable in Cuba, even though downsizing is
on the agenda for this sector as well.
The decision to convert the previously dominant state farms into
cooperatives (UBPCs) underlines the perception held by policy makers
there that collective production is not only desirable (for the maintenance
of socialist production relations), but also that this sector is capable of
insuring increases in production if provided with the proper incentives.
Although a novel type of cooperative has been introduced and further
systems of accountability of workers have been implemented, land is still
considered to be a social good that should be owned and profited from in
a collective fashion. The new emphasis on cooperative production in
Cuba distinguishes it from changes underway in Eastern Europe, China,
and Vietnam. In each of these latter cases decollectivization has become a
major tendency, if not the order of the day. The typical result of
decollectivization in most of these cases has been a return to household
production.
In Cuba, it is only where individual households are provided with access
to state farm land that a change has occurred permitting an expansion of
family farming. Yet even there, access to land is governed by usufruct
agreements and no passing of land titles is being carried out. In strong
contrast to the various other cases we have examined, Cuban policy
makers remain convinced of the practicality and organizational
importance of collectivized agriculture. Nonetheless, within this
parameter, the experimentation taking place in Cuba in both UBPCs and
CPAs with "linking workers with the land," represents a new, more
nuanced approach to "cooperative" forms of agricultural production. This
suggests a recognition that small-scale production, in which links
between labor inputs and produce outputs are clearly identifiable, will
yield better results in production terms. So, despite their continuing
preference for cooperative over family farms, Cuban policy makers
appear to be acknowledging that factory-style production relations are
inferior to those approximating (without arriving at) household
production, at least in the present circumstances. It remains to be seen if
the transformation underway in Cuban agriculture will eventually go the
way of China and Vietnam and open the door more completely to family
farming.
A further distinguishing feature of the changes underway in Cuban
agriculture, at least with regard to those characterizing Eastern Europe is
that restitution or compensation for land confiscated during the former
country's agrarian reform is not on the agenda. Even if certain analysts
might describe the virtual elimination of state farms as a process of
privatization (Deere 1994), it has not been accompanied by, nor has there
been mention made of, compensation now being made in any form to
those whose land was taken from them by the agrarian reform.
This last distinction is one that Cuba shares with China and Vietnam as
opposed to Eastern Europe: Cuba's agricultural transformation is being
carried out by a socialist regime whose objective is to fortify its economy
and government in the face of serious threats to its existence. The major
changes in agricultural policy that were set in motion in Eastern Europe
formed part of a larger, societal transformation from socialism to
capitalism. In Cuba, as in China and Vietnam, agricultural transformation
represents a modification of the socialist model of development, rather
than its wholesale abandonment.
As such, Cuban case continues to represent a stark contrast with the
majority of nonsocialist Third World countries, in that providing
everyone who wants to farm with access to land is a key priority of the
Cuban government. This last aspect of Cuban agrarian policy
dramatically distinguishes it from the position that has become
increasingly widespread in the nonsocialist Third World: that agrarian
reform as a strategy is now passé, and what must instead be emphasized
is the search for off-farm means of supporting the rural poor. Where depeasantization is becoming the accepted norm in most places, the Cuban
government has launched a concerted effort to make and keep land
available for small farmers.
CONCLUSION
Cuba's agricultural transformation has been accompanied by a number of
other reforms in economic policy since mid-1993 as part of the
government's response to the economic crisis that reached its nadir in the
mid-1990s. These included the legalization of holdings and expenditures
in foreign currencies and self-employment in certain specified areas; the
active promotion of foreign investment in Cuba; the elimination of
subsidies on some items of popular consumption; and a move toward
implementation of a system of taxation. The outcome of these and other
measures will have a notable impact on the effort to bring about the
recovery of specific sectors of the economy, such as agriculture. The
potential for improving agricultural production contained in the changes
that are underway in that sector of the economy, will be conditioned by
the degree of stability that is achieved in the economy as a whole. At the
same time, recovery in agricultural production will have a major impact
on Cuba's overall economic situation.
Moreover, all of the changes implemented in policy making-in agriculture
as well as the rest of the economy-will require some time before they are
able to produce noticeable positive effects. Such changes, in and of
themselves, result in dislocations that cannot be set right overnight.
The urgency of Cuba's agricultural crisis of the early to mid-1990s
highlights in a dramatic fashion the fundamental weaknesses inherent in
the classical (socialist) model of development that its government
adopted more than three decades ago. That model, whose applicability in
more developed countries is even open to question, heightened many of
the problems already existing in Cuban agriculture. It increased the
country's external dependence, while reinforcing its reliance on one crop
to fuel international economic relations. At the same time, it exacerbated
the rural exodus that had been initiated by the spread of agroexport
production, creating a situation in which, once jobs were available in
agricultural production, there were few people to fill them.
The transformation that is currently underway in Cuban agriculture is
designed to resolve a number of the dilemmas produced by Cuba's
classical model of development. The changes that compose it are quite
daring in nature and scope. In addition to perhaps fulfilling its promise of
providing a new stimulus to that country's agricultural production, the
maturation of this transformation will allow us to assess the potential
inherent in Cuba's new approach to agriculture for offering policyoriented and theoretical alternatives for those concerned with agricultural
development elsewhere in the Third World.
Tables
TABLE 1. Guaranteed Quota of Food Products Per Capita
(May 25, 1994 and April 15, 1998)
1994
1998
Product
Quantity
Periodicity
Quantity
Periodicity
Rice
5 lbs.
per month
5 lbs.
per month
Sugar
6 lbs.
per month
3 lbs.
per month
Coffee
1 oz.
bi-monthly
1 oz.
bi-monthly
Beans
20 oz.
per month
16 oz.
per month
Cooking
Oil
.5 lb.
per month
every 4
months
.25 lb.
Non-Guaranteed Goods
1994
Product
Quantity
Periodicity
Beef
(for
each
child
under 6
years
of age)
.5 lbs.
per month
Chicken
no information
1998
Quantity
Periodicity
no information
1 lb.
every 2
months
Fish
(for
each
3
persons)
2 lbs.
per month
1 lb.
per month
Eggs
4 units
3
times/month
6 units
per month
Ham or
Soy
Meal
6 oz.
bi-monthly
1 lb.
every 3
months
Bread
1 roll
daily
1 roll
Seasonal Availability*
1994
1998
Bananas
Cabbage
Carrots
Corn
Cucumbers
Garlic
Grapes
Lettuce
Plantain
Potatoes
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Tomatoes (Every 3 months)
(*Quantities and periodicity depending on availability.)
Goods Occasionally Available
1994
1998
Additional Coffee
Additional Coffee
Cinnamon
daily
Corn Flour
Pasta
Pasta
Salt
Salt
Wine, Dry
Wine, Dry
Yogurt
Endnotes
1. The author visited and conducted fieldwork there each year
between 1990 and 1994; and returned there for an update visit in
1998.
2. Archibald R. Ritler, The Economic Development of
Revolutionary Cuba (New York: Praegor, 1974).
3. CEE (Comité Estatal de Estadísticas), Anuario estadístico de
Cuba (La Habana: Editorial Estadística, 1989), Table XI.8.
4. Medea Benjamin, Joseph Collins, and Michael Scott, No Free
Lunch: Food and Revolution in Cuba Today (Oakland: Food First
Books, 1984), pg. 9.
5. It was more positive in the sense that the Soviet Union (and the
COMECON as a whole) paid consistently better prices for the
country's sugar and offered several-year purchase agreements that
permitted for economic development planning.
6. For various points of view on the degree and nature of Cuba's
dependency on the Soviet Union and the COMECON, see Mesa
Lago (1981); Leo Grande (1979); and Pérez-López (1989).
7. Lage Davila (1994) provides a nice description of the
development of Cuba's citrus crop as a response to the existence
of a niche within the COMECON as citrus supplier.
8. Calculated from Anuario estadístico de Cuba, Table XI.5.
9. Pérez-López (1991) and Deere (1992) differ as to the extent to
which these figures can truly be understood as pointing to a drop
in dependence on imported food. Rather than dwell on the
absolute number, it is the trend that I am interested in
demonstrating.
10. Enrique Pérez Marín and Eduardo Muñoz Baños, "Agricultura y
alimentación en Cuba," Agrociencia, serie Socioeconómica, 3, 2
(May-August 1992): 2; Luis A. Cardet Hernando, "El programa
alimentario: su estrategia económica," Cuba Económica 1, 1
(April-June 1991): 40.
11. As Brian H. Pollitt and G.B. Hagelberg ably demonstrate in
"Labour Supply, Harvest Mechanization, and the Demand for
Cuban Sugar" (occasional paper, No. 54, Latin American Studies,
University of Glasgow, 1992, pg. 17), the need to respond to
growing labor shortages gave rise to the search for means to
mechanize the various stages of the harvest, culminating in
slightly more than 70 percent of the 1989-1990 harvest being cut
mechanically.
12. Forster and Handelman (1985) and the Anuario Estadístico de
Cuba (any issue) demonstrate the weight of peasant producers in
food crop production; and Lehmann (1985) and Burnhill (1985)
speak of the consequences of the prioritization of state farms over
private sector production.
13. See Pérez Marín and Muñoz Baños (1992) for figures illustrating
the dropping rate of rural residency between 1970 and 1989.
14. Laura Enríquez, The Question of Food Security in Cuban
Socialism (Berkeley: International and Area Studies, University
of California at Berkeley, 1994), pg. 22.
15. Anuario estadístico de Cuba , Tables XI.3 and XI.4.
16. Ibid., Tables VIII.8, VIII.14, VIII.15.
17. An additional area that self-provisioning has reached into is what
has come to be known as "urban agriculture." Given the
predominantly rural focus of this paper, I will not address this
new avenue of food crop production. For further information, see
Murphy (1999).
18. In fact, by mid-1992, a full 90 percent of the CPAs had set up
modules containing sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits, dairy cows,
chickens, and ducks (The Question of Food Security in Cuban
Socialism, pg. 40).
19. Personal interview with CCS member, Güira de Melena, May 21,
1994.
20. One CPA president also pointed to the self-provisioning offered
by his cooperative as the reason behind the new interest shown by
many in joining the cooperative (Personal interview, Province of
Havana, May 24, 1994).
21. Manuel Iglesias-Caruncho, "Cuba en la mitad de los noventa:
Medidas de reforma y reinserción internacional," Tiempo de Paz
1994: 92.
22. MINAGRI (Ministerio de la Agricultura), Legislación sobre las
Unidades Básicas de Producción Cooperativa, Atendidas por el
Ministerio de la Agricultura (La Habana: MINAGRI, 1993), pg.
4.
23. Personal interview with MINAGRI economist, June 2, 1994.
24. Unpublished data from MINAGRI, April 14, 1998.
25. See also Figueroa Albelo (1996); and Pérez Rojas and Torres
Vila (1996) for discussion of the reasons behind the formation of
the UBPCs.
26. These figures were taken from Iglesias-Caruncho's "Cuba en la
mitad de los noventa," pg. 88. However, it should be noted that in
an interview with Granma, Carlos Lage Davila (a member of the
Political Bureau of the Cuban Communist Party and Secretary of
the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers) cited the
figure of 4.3 million tons as the amount of sugar harvested in
1993 (Granma, "Nos sentimos esperanzados porque tenemos
seguridad en las medidas que estamos aplicando, en los pasos que
estamos dando." Interview with Carlos Lage Davila, October 30,
1993b: 3).
27. Personal interview, May 27, 1994.
28. Personal interview with UBPC administrator, May 20, 1994.
29. Ibid. Labor mobilizations of both a short and long term nature
grew dramatically after 1990, in response to increased labor
shortages and the augmented demand stimulated by expansions in
food crop acreage resulting from the Food Program's
implementation. The number of people mobilized had reached
600,000 by the end of 1992 in Havana province alone (The
Question of Food Security in Cuban Socialism, pg. 27).
30. Each state farm enterprise was composed of a number of granjas
(farms) and these granjas have been the basis of the UBPCs.
However, it should be noted that some UBPCs have also been
formed on previously uncultivated plots of land in urban areas.
31. In a presentation to the Sub-Committee on Agriculture and
Hunger of the U.S. Congress, Carmen Diana Deere
("Implicaciones Agrícolas del Comercio Cubano.") characterized
the transformation of state farms into UBPCs as being virtually
equivalent to privatization.
32. Personal interview with UBPC administrator, May 20, 1994.
33. "Nos sentimos esperanzados porque tenemos seguridad," pg. 7.
34. Personal interviews, May 27, 1994.
35. "Nos sentimos esperanzados porque tenemos seguridad," pg. 7.
36. By the spring of 1998 approximately 130,000 people were
incorporated into UBPCs in the non-sugar sector of agriculture;
the figure for the sugar sector by mid-1995-when the sector had
been completely transformed into UBPCs-was 133,685 (Personal
interview with MINAGRI official, April 10, 1998; and Beatriz
Díaz, "Cooperativización agrícola reciente: Estudio de caso en
Cuba," respectively). If these figures are multiplied by the
average family size in rural Cuba of 4.5-5, the total number of
people benefited would be between 1,186,583 and 1,318,425.
37. Personal interview with MINAGRI official, May 10, 1994.
38. Unpublished data from MINAGRI, 1994; and personal interview
with MINAGRI official, April 10, 1998.
39. Cristobal Kay, "Recent Developments in Rural Cuba:
Collectivization, Economic Reforms and Rectification," Bulletin
(EADI-European Association of Development Research and
Training Institutes, 1988) 1: 10.
40. No Free Lunch: Food and Revolution in Cuba Today, pg. 171.
41. Forster (1982) and Lehmann (1985) also describe the dramatic
differences in productivity between these sectors.
42. Personal interview, UBPC, Province of Havana, May 27, 1994.
43. Personal interview, CPA president, May 24, 1994.
44. Ibid.
45. One promoter of this strategy suggested that it should also help to
cut down on thefts, as those responsible for an area will have a
concrete interest in insuring that precautions are taken to prevent
them.
46. In fact, one of this strategy's strong promoters pointed to the risk
of losing the sense of collectivity inherent in it and the
consequent need to move slowly in its implementation (Personal
interview, ANAP national office, June 2, 1994).
47. Personal interview, April 15, 1998.
48. It should be noted that this figure had remained constant since
1994 (Ibid.; and personal interview with ANAP official, June 2,
1994).
50. The same problems also appear to exist vis-à-vis the state
purchasing agency that was responsible for distributing produce
to the tourist sector of the consumer population.
51. Personal interview, Province of Havana, May 25, 1994.
52. This phenomenon has existed for some time in Cuba, but clearly
increased in the early 1990s. Certain kinds of goods are
particularly subject to theft, including garlic, potatoes,
plantain/bananas, and arum root. Even more vulnerable than
produce in this regard are various species of livestock, most
especially cows and oxen. Some stolen goods may be consumed
by those who steal them, but most are destined for the black
market.
54. Personal interview with MINAGRI official, June 2, 1994.
Personal interviews with UBPC administrator, May 20, 1994; and
CPA economist and agronomist, May 24, 1994.
55. See No Free Lunch: Food and Revolution in Cuba Today.
56. In a radio program aired in the Province of Havana on May 22,
1994, a recording of a speech given by Raul Castro Ruz was
played in which he lambasted Acopio, calling it a "white
elephant," among other things.
57. Personal interview with ANAP official, April 13, 1998.
58. While noting these prices, it is important to bear in mind that
most salaried positions provide wages that make purchases in the
black market very costly-a veterinarian earns approximately $250
pesos a month, while a law professor earns approximately $310
pesos a month.
59. On May 1, 1994 the government announced its new campaign to
crack down on the macetas, who were the biggest operators in the
black market. In the following weeks, several very heavily
publicized arrests were made based on the May 1 decree.
60. There are a number of items whose sale is not permitted in the
Markets. They are the following: beef, horse or mule meat,
tobacco, coffee, cacao, potatoes, and milk. The rationale behind
this prohibition are the extremely limited supply of some of these
items or that their production is geared for the export market.
61. See especially Julio Carranza Valdés, "Cuba: Los retos de la
economía," Cuadernos de Nuestra América 19 (OctoberDecember 1992): 131-158.
62. In addition, government currency exchange houses have been set
up near most of the Markets-facilitating the exchange of dollars
earned through remittances, in the tourist sector, etc. -which
contribute to sales in the Markets.
63. Torres and Pérez (1994) note, however, that demand in some of
the markets at least initially outstripped supply.
64. Although prices have dropped notably since the Markets were
first opened, the difference between official prices and those for
goods sold in the Markets is still dramatic. For example, rice is
sold through official channels for 0.20 pesos a pound and in the
Market for 6-7 pesos a pound; plantain is sold for 0.45 pesos a
pound in official channels and at 1 peso per plantain in the
Market; and carrots sell for 0.40 pesos a pound through official
channels and for approximately 1.66 pesos a pound in the market
(based on prices in the Mercado Agropecuario, Plaza, 4 April,
1998).
65. See especially Cary Torres and Niurka Pérez, "Mercado
Agropecuario Cubano: Proceso de Constitución," Economía
Cubana: Boletín Informativo, 18 (November 1994): 29-42.
66. State farm participation in the Markets represents one, if not the,
principal difference between the current Markets and the
Peasants' Markets of the early 1980s.
67. On the Peasants' Markets of the early 1980s see Rosenberg
(1992); Deere and Meurs (1992); and Figueroa Arbelo and García
de la Torre (1984).
68. The figures for 1998 are from a personal interview with
MINAGRI official, April 10, 1998.
69. As of November 1993 foreign capital was permitted to purchase
up to 50 percent of industrial facilities (Granma, 1993), so it is
not unimaginable that a similar course might be pursued in
agriculture. In a lengthy interview with the editors of Time
Magazine ("Castro's Compromises," February 20, 1995), Fidel
Castro implied that foreign ownership of agricultural land might
soon become legal. Yet as of this writing, this is still not the case.
70. It should be noted here that the Hungarian agrarian sector had a
greater presence of family farms than was true of Czechoslovakia
and that agricultural policies in the former country were
significantly more liberal than in the latter (cf. Nigel Swain's
Collective Farms Which Work? and "Transitions from Collective
to Family Farming in Postsocialistic Central Europe: A Victory of
Politics Over Sociology.").
71. Bowles and Dong, as cited in Michael Watts, "Agrarian
Thermidor: Rural Dynamics and the Agrarian Question in Vinh
Phu Province, Vietnam." Unpublished manuscript, 1995.
72. See especially Jean C. Oi, State and Peasant in Contemporary
China: The Political Economy of Village Government (Berkeley:
University of California Press, 1989).
73. It should be noted that in addition to the land made available
through usufruct rights for self-provisioning, usufruct rights to
land have also been granted to those willing to cultivate coffee,
cacao, and tobacco. As of April 14, 1998, 78,137 hectares had
been made available in this form for coffee and cacao production;
and 41,605 hectares for tobacco production (Unpublished data
from MINAGRI, 1998). All of these crops are grown for export.
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Organic Farming and Urban Garden Revolution in Cuba
Castro Topples Pesticide in Cuba
Renee Kjartan, Washington Free Press
August 7, 2000
Organic farming -- often considered an insignificant part of the food supply -can feed an entire country concludes a report by the Oakland, CA-based
Institute for Food and Development Policy/Food First, a group advocating
sustainable farming.
In Cuba, many of the foods people eat every day are grown without synthetic
fertilizers and toxic pesticides, the report, Cultivating Havana: Urban Agriculture
and Food Security in the Years of Crisis, found.
Cuba's organic food movement developed in response to a crisis. Before the
revolution that threw out dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959, and to some extent
during the years of Soviet support for Cuba, the island followed a typical pattern
of colonial food production: It produced luxury export crops while importing
food for its own people. In 1990 over 50% of Cuba's food came from imports.
"In the Caribbean, food insecurity is a direct result of centuries of colonialism that
prioritized the production of sugar and other cash crops for export, neglecting
food crops for domestic consumption," the report says. In spite of efforts by the
revolutionary government to correct this situation, Cuba continued in this mold
until the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1989.
The withdrawal of Soviet aid meant that 1,300,000 tons of chemical fertilizers,
17,000 tons of herbicides, and 10,000 tons of pesticides, could no longer be
imported, according to the report.
One of Cuba's responses to the shock was to develop "urban agriculture,"
intensifying the previously established National Food Program, which aimed
at taking thousands of poorly utilized areas, mainly around Havana, and turning
them into intensive vegetable gardens. Planting in the city instead of only in the
countryside reduced the need for transportation, refrigeration, and other scarce
resources.
http://www.purefood.org/Organic/cubagarden.cfm (1 of 3) [5/11/2005 9:53:03 PM]
The plan succeeded beyond anyone's dreams. By 1998 there were over 8000
urban farms and community gardens run by over 30,000 people in and around
Havana.
Urban agriculture is now a "major element of the Havana cityscape," the Food
First report says, and the model is now being copied throughout the country,
with production growing at 250-350% per year. Today, food from the urban
farms is grown almost entirely with active organic methods, the report says.
Havana has outlawed the use of chemical pesticides in agriculture within city
limits.
Martin Bourque, Food First's program director for sustainable agriculture, said
the goal of the National Urban Agriculture program is to produce enough fresh
fruits and vegetables for everyone, and that some cities have surpassed this. He
added that farmers are some of the best-paid people in Cuba, and "organic foods
are for all Cubans, not just for the rich."
Autoconsumos, or self-provisioning gardens, are found at schools and workplaces, with 376 in Havana today. The produce usually goes to the lunchroom
of the host institution, and the rest goes to the workers at low prices.
There are 451 organoponicos, raised container beds with a high ratio of compost
to soil and intensive planting, in Havana, growing and selling vegetables, herbs,
and spices directly to the public.
The rest of the farming is done in huertos intensivos, or intensive gardens, city
plots planted for maximum yield per area and incorporating organic matter
directly into the soil. There is almost no pest problem because of the "incredible
biodiversity" of the gardens. "We are reaching biological equilibrium. The pest
populations are now kept under control by the constant presence of predators
in the ecosystem. I have little need for application of any control substance," the
president of one huerto intensivo said.
There are other programs aimed at increasing small-scale urban and suburban
production of everything from eggs to rabbits to flowers to medicinal plants to
honey, Bourque said. Many rural homes now raise their own staples, such as
beans and viandas (traditional root and tuber crops), and small-animal raising
has also spread dramatically, especially in the suburban and rural areas.
At first, Bourque said, sustainable agriculture was seen as a way to "suffer
through" the shock of the Soviet withdrawal. "When they began this effort,
most policy-makers could not imagine any significant amount of rice being
grown in Cuba without the full green-revolution technical package (e.g. high
off-farm inputs). But by 1997 small-scale rice production had reached 140,000
tons, 65% of national production. Today everyone agrees that sustainable
agriculture has played a major role in feeding the country and is saving Cuba
millions of dollars," that would otherwise go "to the international pesticide cartel,"
Bourque said.
According to official figures, in 1999 organic urban agriculture produced 65%
of Cuba's rice, 46% of the fresh vegetables, 38% of the non-citrus fruits, 13%
of the roots, tubers, and plantains, and 6% of the eggs, Bourque said.
He noted that food is "still very expensive in spite of rationing programs designed
to make sure everyone has access to the basics, but Cuba has clearly grown itself
out of the food crisis of the mid-1990s." In the last year Food First has taken
dozens of farmers, researchers, academics, and activists from around the world
to learn from Cuba's organic agricultural experience.
Contact Food First at 398 60th St., Oakland, CA 94618; (510) 654-4400
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http://www.salon.com/health/feature/2000/01/26/medicine_verde/print.html
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salon.com > Health & Body Jan. 26, 2000
URL: http://www.salon.com/health/feature/2000/01/26/medicine_verde
Green medicine
How Cuba is integrating natural remedies into its public health care.
------------
By Andrew Webster
The political drama between patriots in Cuba and exiles in Miami around 6-yearold Elián González raises a key question: What are the boy's chances of growing
up healthy if and when he heads back across the Florida straits to his dad? The
bottom line is that he'll benefit from a system in which universal health care is
entrenched as a "human right," but if he gets a headache his dad may not be able to
afford to buy him an aspirin.
Such contradictions are not uncommon on Castro's island, as I discovered when I
lived in Havana for almost a year. What I found, to my surprise, is that Cuba's
essentially totalitarian regime is in the process of engineering something inherently
democratic: the integration of low-cost botanicals and other natural medicines into
its public health care system.
My story begins on a hot May afternoon walking my bicycle down crowded
Obispo Street in Old Havana. The bicycle pedal scraping against my leg is only a
trivial annoyance as I pass by Hemingway haunts, art vendors and 17th century
architecture under repair -- until three days later a nasty infection from an earlier
injury blossoms on my left calf.
Far from being a worry, the infection is my opportunity to test my faith in Cuban
alternatives to mainstream medicine. In what amounts to a revolution in health care
delivery, the Cuban government has been actively promoting low-cost botanical
medicines instead of drugs. It's also encouraged doctors to reeducate themselves in
"natural" medicine techniques.
Much of the credit goes to the continuing U.S. trade embargo. The economic
disaster following withdrawal of Soviet aid in the early '90s made it impossible to
access many medicines and pharmaceuticals. So the Cuban health care system was
forced to search for alternatives. It didn't have to look far, because medicine verde,
http://www.salon.com/health/feature/2000/01/26/medicine_verde/print.html (1 of 6) [5/11/2005 9:53:06 PM]
or "green medicine," has been part of Cuba's culture for centuries.
---------------------
I'm in the home of Enrequito Hernandez Armenteros, at 81 one of Cuba's betterknown priests of Palo Montes and Santeria. As a practitioner of Afro-Cuban
religion, Enrequito knows the country's thousands of healing plants and herbs. A
shrine to San Lazaro, surrounded by floral offerings, graces his front yard. A
prized memento in his private consulting room is a photo of himself with Fidel
Castro taken last year at a reception for the country's senior babalaos. The photo
shows the tall Cuban leader with his arm draped around the diminutive Enrequito.
I have it on reasonably good authority that Fidel, far from being a heartless atheist,
is an "hijo" (son) of Babalu-Aye, the orisha in the Santeria pantheon who causes
and cures illnesses. I've also been initiated as an "hijo" of Babalu-Aye in a Santeria
ceremony as part of my exploration of Cuban archetypes. And I made the 50-mile
pilgrimage on my bicycle to El Rincon to the church of San Lazaro, the Catholic
saint paired with Babalu-Aye. This act of devotion on my part should certainly
protect me against some trifling leg infection -- shouldn't it?
I'm visiting Enrequito to introduce Tracey Spack, a Canadian Ph.D. student in
medical anthropology. She's conducting research on how Cuba is introducing
natural medicine into its public health care system. She says that before Castro the
use of plants and herbs was relatively common and accepted in Cuba. The
revolution brought in modern medicine, vaccinations and antibiotics, so natural
medicine faded into the background. Cubans who grew up in the Soviet-backed
economy of the '60s through '80s didn't exactly embrace natural medicine with
open arms. "But," she says, "they found out to their surprise that it actually works."
She adds, "In Cuba there's more of a sense of community around medical care, and
patients are seen more holistically. There's more consideration of the person's life
situation: marriage, work, etc." The contrast in North America is that we tend to
want to "kill an infection, deal with a specific pathology in isolation. In North
America it's more difficult because people want a quick fix."
Speaking of which, as I sit around Enrequito's Arthurian round table, sipping
aguardiente rum, I'm starting to panic. The infection is making the sore on my leg
start to weep. For Enrequito, my problem is a no-brainer. The solution is to simply
apply leaves of the caisimon tree, hojas de caisimon, which are readily available at
the four corners market in Havana. But wait. Today is Sunday and the market is
closed. No problem, says one of Enrequito's sons. He dashes off, returning in 20
minutes with a couple of dozen large, dark green, heart-shaped caisimon leaves.
"And if that doesn't work," jokes one of Enrequito's followers, "we'll do an
amputation."
As I gratefully depart clutching the caisimon leaves in a plastic shopping bag,
Enrequito advises me to rest the leg for two days.
That evening my Cuban girlfriend lights a red candle and takes one of my cigars as
an offering to San Lazaro. I go to bed with a caisimon leaf wrapped around my leg,
and in the morning it looks as though I'm on the mend. The episode with my leg is
giving me a direct experience of medicine verde. Still, I have some fear. Maybe I
should go to Cira Garcia, the hospital for foreign visitors, and get antibiotics. But I
don't like antibiotics, and I want to test the herbal treatment.
Since I'm feeling better, I decide to head off in a taxi -- instead of on my bike this
time -- to an interview Tracey has set up for me with a young doctor at a newly
opened government clinic in the Havana suburb of Miramar.
When I arrive, Orlando Sanchez, just two years out of University of Havana
medical school, is placing tiny acupuncture seeds in the ear of a middle-aged
woman. He's practicing the ancient art of auriculotherapy. His patient is being
treated for post-menopausal problems, he says. On the opposite wall hangs a
symbol of the tao, which is not only an unself-conscious declaration of his faith in
traditional Chinese medicine, but also a symbol of the remarkable 180-degree turn
Cuba has taken back to centuries-old healing techniques.
Sanchez says his parents were part of Cuba's pre-revolutionary botanical culture.
He recalls that his career interest in medicine was ignited during his Cuban army
service, when he was befriended by a medical school dropout who taught him tai
chi and Qigong (traditional Chinese practices that aim to harmonize body energy).
He doesn't see a conflict between natural and conventional medicine: "We are
trying to develop some sort of synthesis," he says, "the best of natural and
conventional medicines -- to heal without damaging the patient." The clinic is
aggressively promoting self-healing techniques by holding free classes in yoga, tai
chi and stress management, even teaching school children acupuncture points.
Without any prompting from me he notes the problem with my leg, and I leave the
clinic impressed with the Cuban health-care system's openness to experimentation
and innovation.
Patients treated with natural medicine (acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal remedies)
have more than doubled since 1996 to about 3,000,000 in 1998, according to
Leoncio Padron, director of traditional and natural medicine for the Ministry of
Public Health. Tough economic times forced the government to slash health-care
expenditures to about half of what it devoted back in 1979.
However, Cuba has more doctors now than in 1979. "Health care is better now
because we can do more with less," he said in an interview. Even if the embargo
abruptly ended, he adds, Cuba would continue paying attention to natural medicine
in the interests of developing "medical science." Medical consultations, hospital
visits and surgery are free of charge in Cuba's public system.
The revolution in Cuban health care has not gone unnoticed by Cuba's neighbors to
the North. Marta Perez, director of natural and traditional medicine for the
Ministry of Public Health in Havana Province, told a dozen visiting health
professionals from the United States last fall that the Cuban government promotes
natural medicine because it's sustainable and cost-effective. "The special period
has been a great teacher for Cuba," she said, "because in the midst of this difficult
situation we had to find a way to fight back."
In 1992 the government set up organizational responsibility within the ministry for
natural medicine, and a resolution was introduced that sanctioned herbal medicines
and infusions made from plants, acupuncture and related techniques, as well as
homeopathy and thermotherapy (sulfur baths and mineral mud baths).
Adding all such treatments to a system that was completely allopathic
(conventional) hasn't been easy, Perez said. "We defended all of these treatments,
saying we needed to have a wide range of treatment options." She added, "We
looked mainly for techniques that we could defend scientifically." Pyramid power
was not among them, she quipped. The practice of laying on of hands might work,
she said, "but its scientific basis can't be measured and it can't be standardized."
Says an official of the Ministry of Public Health: "For Cuba's common illnesses -skin problems, fungal infections, parasites and especially bronchial diseases -green medicine usually works at least as well as the drugs, without the side
effects."
Rita Beretervide, a doctor in her mid-30s, is a specialist in family medicine in the
Havana suburb of Santos Suarez. Her salary is 500 Cuban pesos a month (about
$24). A 1986 graduate of the University of Havana, she was trained in the old
school before natural medicine started making a comeback. But last year she joined
dozens of other doctors attending weekly neighborhood clinics on natural
medicine. She now says she's comfortable prescribing herbal medicines and
believes in their effectiveness.
A few blocks away customers gather at the counter of an open-air pharmacy carved
out of the ground floor of a crumbling apartment building. A large sign lists the
most popular herbal remedies. Pharmacists there report that the most common
ailment among people over 50 in the neighborhood is hypertension, which can be
treated with an herbal medicine derived from sugar cane, called cana santa, which
costs the equivalent of 4 cents.
Not everybody, of course, is singing the praises of medicine verde. A Cuban
women whose skin problems didn't respond to herbal treatment said, "Frankly, I
don't believe in green medicine. If it really worked, the doctors in the United States
and other rich countries would be using it too. We only use it here because there's
nothing else."
But natural medicine has gained a strong foothold in Cuba, propelled by economic
necessity, unopposed by the medical establishment and with deep roots in the
culture. In her briefing to the visiting U.S. health professionals, Perez related an
anecdote: The vice minister of public health for Cuba came down with a large and
ugly lesion on his mouth. He was told the best natural medicine treatment was a
combination of aloe vera, rosemary and a special herbal cream. "Within three days
it was healed," she said, "and now no one can say a bad word to him about natural
medicine."
OK, but I'm having trouble resolving the discrepancy of Cubans' raging because
they can't afford to buy aspirins (one bottle costs about one-tenth the average
monthly salary) in a health system capable of embracing natural medicine
techniques with such alacrity.
These and other unresolved contradictions of life in Havana hang in the air as I
climb aboard the Cubana flight back to Toronto two days later. I'm worried
because the leg infection is looking scary again. I think I got overconfident and
forgot Enrequito's advice to stay off the leg for a couple of days.
Back in Toronto I visit the outpatient department at East York General Hospital
and get an antibiotic prescription; I'm willing to sacrifice my belief in natural
medicine for a quick fix. I have options unavailable to my Cuban friends, even if
their public health care is showing an openness and resilience to be envied by
neighbors to the north.
salon.com | Jan. 26, 2000
------------
About the writer
Andrew Webster is a writer in Toronto who
specializes in travel and health reporting.
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Articles Compiled by Global Exchange Staff and Colleagues
July 21, 2004
Inter Press Service News Agency
ENVIRONMENT-CUBA -- The comings and goings of tanker
trucks and the urgent extension of water pipelines give away the
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the Cuban countryside -- has also settled in the island's cities.
Ten years ago the drought hit the eastern part of Cuba, and
since early 2003 has only gotten worse, to the point that in May
of this year none of the island's 14 provinces saw more than 60
percent of its usual monthly rainfall.
July 12, 2004
Granma International
CONFRONTING TROPICAL STORMS -- Before 1959, there
was no structure here for confronting natural disasters. The Red
Cross, fire brigades and police, to a certain extent, carried out
rescue efforts in the case of fire, floods and other effects of
tropical storms. It was after 1961 that the embryo of today’s
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July 02, 2004
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July 01, 2004
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Home > Book Shop > Books > All Books > Greening of the Revolution: Cuba's Experiment with
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Greening of the Revolution: Cuba's Experiment with Organic
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Edited by Peter Rosset and Medea Benjamin
Global Exchange Originals
This is the first detailed account of Cuba's turn to a system
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scientific delegation and fact-finding mission on low-input
sustainable agriculture which visited Cuba in late 1992. (85
pages)
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EXN.ca | Discovery
Cuba- On the cutting edge of renewing energy.
By Maryam Henein, March 11, 1997
Times are bleak. The currency is worthless.
People are rationing. Petroleum is scarce, so
cars are practically obsolete. The U.S. embargo
drags on and now the USSR is dead. These
circumstances detail what Cubans call the
"Special Period."
Following
the
breakup of the Soviet Union, in ’89, Cuban’s oil
supply stopped flowing by 50 per cent.
Revamping the energy plan became the
country’s main focus.
Biking though the streets of Cuba
"Cuba has
been
Tooker on a "greenspiration"
working
odyssey
to
leapfrog the petroleum age by placing a
growing emphasis on solar and renewable
energy," say Edmontonians Tooker Gomberg
and Angela Bischoff who cycled through Cuba
last month. These two environmental activists
tobacco plants found on organic
are traveling around the world in search of
farm
inspiring environmental stories- a
"Greenspiration Odyssey". "No other country has been as quick and effective at
addressing energy issues."
Sugarcane, Cuba’s main export, supplies the
country with one third of its renewable energy.
Once the sugarcane is harvested, the straw-like
residue or bagasse is burned to produce
electricity. Leaves and stalk are also
compressed and used as solid fuel. There are
156 sugar mills throughout Cuba, says Laurie
Stone associate of a Solar Energy Company in
Colorado who also cycled with the duo. Stone
says Americans can travel to Cuba via Canada Solar-panelled house Photo by
Tooker
and Mexico, or if they are sponsored by a
Cuban organization. But the latter method prevents Americans from spending
money.
Another savvy method of renewable energy is practiced in what Stone calls the "sol"
http://www.exn.ca/Stories/1997/02/20/04.asp (1 of 3) [5/11/2005 9:53:42 PM]
EXN.ca | Discovery
of Cuba. The town of Magdelana is completely
powered by photovoltaics. A system of solar
panels, similar to the ones found on pocket
calculators, generates electricity from the sun.
Magdelana has a population of 574 and each
house has its own power voltage system, which
runs compact fluorescent DC lights, radio, and
television, says Stone. The homes receive 18
lighting hours per day.
Cuba's sunset
"Cuba is no utopia, but by global standards
their social and economic situation is impressive," says Gomberg. Cubans consume
1/30 the energy of a North American. While we burn up an annual 59 barrels of oil
per person, Cubans burn two. Even before the energy crisis the total was four barrels
per person.
The country’s long-standing commitment to the sciences has prepared them to deal
with the energy crisis in an environmentally friendly manner, says Pam Montanero a
coordinator of Cuba tours in San Francisco.
Thousands of windmills pump water from the ground and generate electricity. And
the abundance of small rivers are home to 220 micro-hydro systems. They provide
energy to over 30,000 Cubans.
Cubans now rely on buses and bikes, says Gomberg. In the early ‘90s the country
imported one million bicycles from China. Today they’ve established six bicycle
factories to build their own models. Bikes have peddled their way into Cuban
culture.
Along with fuel shortages, fertilizer and pesticides (also petroleum products) were
also reduced. Because of the crisis, Cuba leads the world in converting to organic
farming, says Gomberg. Moving away from chemicals has reduced water pollution
from dangerous run-offs.
People may wonder whether Cubans would revert to contaminating methods if given
the chance. The communities who’ve experienced success wouldn’t switch back to
being environmentally unfriendly, believes Montanero. Even though Cubans' were
forced to renew energy, she says that doesn’t dismiss the facts that they’ve done it
and that it works.
"If a country truly wants to develop in a sustainable way, it can improve people’s
quality of life no matter what the GNP. And Cuba’s accomplishments in the field of
renewable energy proves it," says Stone.
If you’d like to read about the adventures of Gomberg and Bischoff turn to
Greenspiration Odyssey
e-mail this story / print this story
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EXN.ca | Discovery
Copyright © 2005 Bell Globemedia Inc. All Rights Reserved.
COSG - Cuba Organic Support Group
This site has moved to:
www.cosg.org.uk
If you are not automatically redirected, please click on the above link.
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Tours will be held at our convenience.
Gardening is our business (we sell our produce to local clients), work takes precedence
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This summer is a busy one for us as we tackle necessary projects on our "to do" list
(building a cob oven, house construction, installing a grey water system and compost
toilet -- and more). Unfortunately these projects have taken longer than anticipated.
Public tours will be suspended at this time until further notice.
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However, you are welcome to attend any one of our public events. You will be able to
meet the PTF team and learn about our project.
JULES DERVAES
Founder
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631 Cypress Ave, Pasadena, Calif
Tel: 626.795.8400
Hours: 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Pacific Time
Sunday thru Friday. Closed on Saturday.
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Cassidy enjoying the garden
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Focus on Cuba - Cuba`s Green Revolution

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