Home Again: Sustainable Farming Returns Felix to his Roots
My name is Félix. I’m a farmer, but there came a point when I couldn’t support my family anymore. I spent months at a time moving to other parts of the country to find work. My wife had occasional jobs, but could only earn around 15 cents a day. We both did what we had to do to support our seven children. When I heard about an opportunity to receive training on ways to improve my farm and raise more food, I was eager to give it a try.
I made my depleted soil more fertile by planting cover crops and fruit trees, making organic pesticides, fungicides and fertilizer, and rotating crops, and produce a greater variety of fruits and vegetables.
You should see my farm now! I used to grow mainly corn and beans, but now have plantains, sweet potatoes, pineapple, yuca [a tuber], sesame, peanuts, papaya, hot pepper and more. We eat most of it, but I also sell some so I no longer have to leave my family to make money. My family’s healthier, too, because food grown in rich soil has more nutrients. I’m also lowering my costs. My wife encourages me to continue to try new things, and helps me. We believe that you learn by doing. I’m convinced that my land can produce even more.
My hope is that God gives me strength to continue farming my parcel of land so I can leave a sustainable inheritance for my children. I pray that God continues blessing the donors who make this program possible. I believe that they demonstrate what it really means to love our neighbors.
Photo caption: Felix explains how cover crops replenish soil nutrients
Guatemala Four Departments Program
Led by World Renew and various local partners
25 communities, 750 households, 4, 500 individuals