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Today I helped 3 generations of Jerez women plant corn and beans in their newly plowed fields. It was an honor to get to help to plant the food that they eat every day.
We had Sunday morning breakfast with the family: scrambled eggs with onion and tomato, bread with blackberry jelly, bologna, juice, and coffee. After breakfast, the kids took a tortora reed mat outside and dumped out a large rice sack full of toys. Sisa accompanied Antonio as he took a group of tourists for a hike around Lake Cuicocha. She is now old enough that she can do the hike, and she enjoys meeting the tourists. We helped to remove kernels from fresh corn cobs. It was very starchy and messy, and was used for corn soup for lunch. After the soup, we had salad, beef, and a mixture of beans, choclo, and melloco with delicious fresh raspberry juice to drink. Then we prepared for planting. First Craig, Tayanta, Yupanqui, and I helped Rosa to strip the kernels off of a variety of dried ears of corn of all colors. They were much easier to remove when compared to the fresh corn from this morning. Then we loaded the corn kernels into Rosa and Aida's aprons. It is so refreshing to realize that they are literally taking corn kernels off of a cob and planting them in the ground...no middle men, no purchasing of seeds, no GMOs...simply the way it has been done since mankind discovered agriculture. There is so much that we can learn from these indigenous cultures about simplicity and efficiency. We walked out back to the field. We took off our shoes and walked through the rich, fertile soil. Rosa and Aida carried wooden spades and dug holes for the seeds. They threw four corn kernels in each hole. Then Yupanqui and Abuelita took two dried beans from the metal pots that they were carrying, and dropped them in after the corn. I photographed the process and then Rosa asked if I would like to help. Yupanqui gave me a handful of beans. I was clumsy at first, sometimes missing the hole and sometimes planting three beans instead of two. Rosa was gracious and smiled as I picked the misplaced seeds up from the soil, and she said that three beans in a hole wasn't a problem. But I soon got into a groove and we operated like a well-oiled machine. Rosa would dig the hole and toss in four corn kernels, I would follow in lock step and toss in two beans. When I ran out of beans, Yupanqui would fill in for me while I got another handful, so no time was lost. It was really fulfilling work and we can't wait to see the seeds sprout! As soon as we were finished, a heavy rain watered the seeds. It was perfect timing! Soon afterwards, Sisa returned home with Antonio from the tourist hike around nearby Lago Cuicocha. She looked adorable in her hiking boots, and had been quite a hit with the tourists. She had some snack food leftover from the hike, and she shared it generously with her siblings and with us. She really is such a thoughtful girl! We played with the kids in the house and they were so energetic, laughing and screaming as they climbed all over us. Chipi the cat got scared since they were making so much noise! Family friend Rosita and her daughter Natalie came by for a visit. It was nice to see them again. We had dinner: soup, delicious crispy blackened pork, salad, potatoes, and pineapple juice. After dinner, we went back to the casita. The Patriots were playing a Sunday night game, and we watched their victory streaming on the computer. |
 Craig, Yupanqui, Tayanta, and Rosa stripping dried corn kernels from the cobs to plant.  Rosa drops 3 corn kernels into a hole while Yupanqui follows with beans  Abuelita, Aida, Steph, Rosa, and Yupanqui planting corn and beans 
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