Harmless lizards and a snake shared the room for some of us overnight in the Villa Hatuey.
Breakfast in the cafeteria at Indo Hatuey
Map of local agriculture impacted by Indio Hatuey
Classroom discussion/presentation at Indo Hatuey about ecopueblos and local agriculture
We then left for Havana and on the way stopped by the Finca Campesina Placido Gonzalez (aka Placido farm) in Cardenas, Matanzas province where we received a tour from Fernando Donis. The farm was an excellent example of integrated animal and plant agriculture with an emphasis upon creating and maintaining a closed system, i.e. no external inputs, which is the agroecological way. In the animal category there were cattle, swine, poultry and rabbits. In the plant category we saw turmeric, banana, elderberry, and moringa. We also saw biogas and micronutrients production, the later which has multiple uses including antiparasital, fly control, smell mitigation, among other benefits. The micronutrient production we saw uses forest litter, milk and other ingredients.
Dr. Fernando Funes and Fernando Donis (left to right)
More views of Placido farm
Nursery beds with bird house beyond
The farm had ducks, peacocks and chickens
Poster about the finca
Turmeric between the orchard rows
The software drink bottle fills up with nutrients then its full weight causes it to tilt forward where it when injects the secret sauce into the water supply supplying the greenhouse plants. When the bottle empties its contents, it springs back to be refilled again with nutrients.