HUERTA DE VIDA
2013-2014 Intern Program
Huerta de Vida is where we express and practice our gratitude for the Earth, the Stars, the Plants, the Animals and Each Other. This project is the 3D manifestation of our respective and related karmas. We welcome new friends who are ready to accompany us and take authentic strides forward as full spectrum human beings, who have learned and are learning to be motivated by love and not by fear, who are actively involved in healing themselves and becoming whole and noble beings. We welcome those who intend to celebrate and laugh and love and live as much as possible in the process.
Huerta de Vida lies within a small valley oasis at the foot of the tallest mountains in the Western Hemisphere. An ancient irrigation system channels snowmelt from the Andes into the Valle de Uco, converting desert into a green stretch of farms, weeping willows and fire flies. The powerful beauty of this place masks a very ugly reality of conventional chemical monoculture, with a new Monsanto facility just outside of Mendoza. Huerta de Vida began as degraded land that is progressively being brought back to life as an edible forest garden. We also belong to a growing, resilient network of organic family farmers and passionate permaculturalists. Together, we share our vision of conscious cultivation of local, sustainable, and spirited productivity of life´s essentials on our shared, precious planet though weekly organic farmers market, seed exchanges, and workshops.
Who we are:
Margot- Many years in the laboratory of my life. In the zone pretty much all day every day. Shamanism and consciousness-expanding plants amongst my many teachers. Lifelong hippy, feminist, social justice and environmental activist and grateful for it all. Worked way too many years in ¨healthcare¨. No longer limited to physical medicine. Lived in variety of communities for long time. Lots to say regarding imperialist foreign and domestic policy. Currently serve as coordinator for weekly farmer´s market in Mendoza. Love BIG ideas. Generally sassy. Favorite quote ¨the doors of heaven open wide for those who bring laughter to their companions¨ Pretty sure it´s time to create heaven on earth...amen.
Vida- Completed my undergraduate education at a big bucks university and then decided, much to my grandparent´s horror, nothing beats a good compost! Past work has included volunteer farming in Spain, urban farming with The Food Project (Boston), gardening at The Heifer Project (Rutland, Massachusetts), and natural building at Finca Bonafide (Ometepe, Nicaragua). Deep ventures into the permaculture realm have included Bio-Intensive Gardening Apprenticeship at Proyecto CIESA (El Bolson, Argentina), Natural Building Apprenticeship at House Alive in Jacksonville, Oregon, Permaculture Design Course with the Bullock Brothers (Orcas Island), and Edible Food Forest Design Course with Dave Jacke (Portland, Oregon). Will be at Huerta de Vida in 2014.
Who we are looking for:
Kitchen wizards: Good food and upbeat kitchen vibe are clear project priorities. We need 2 kitchen people who are dedicated to creative and punctual eating (the people must be fed on time), conscious food purchasing and food utilization within project budget, use of garden and local farmer´s markets produce, maintain and promote kitchen and cabin cleanliness, bake bread twice/week for Huerta de Vida consumption plus farmers market, process garden produce (drying, canning, sprouting, and fermentation). Kitchen wizards are responsible for preparing 2-3 meals/day except on off days, which are self-service meals. Kitchen people need to arrive 1 day before beginning of session for food orientation and pay $175/ session.
Garden Fairies and Natural Construction Warriors: These folks establish and maintain garden momentum and energy necessary for growing power soil and food, also necessary is a strong desire to learn and experiment with natural construction. Tasks range from garden bed prep, direct seeding, seedlings, transplanting, living and dry mulching, composting, biochar, flood irrigating, harvesting, and cover cropping, food foresting, building walls and floors with cane, strawbale, bottle bricks, and earthen plasters.
Session Cost: USD $250/ session, USD $50 deposit to reserve space; $750 pesos argentinos/session for interns from Latin America, deposit $100 pesos argentinos). Huerta de Vida meals do not include meat or alcoholic beverages. Food is vegetarian, not vegan. The session cost provides for a delicious food budget and the materials necessary to provide solid, educational work projects for our interns.
Multiple Sessions: Each session is packed to the brim with different learning opportunities. For those who have the opportunity to continue their time at Huerta de Vida, we suggest that you sign up for multiple sessions. We ask that interns plan trips elsewhere during the time in between sessions so that we have a chance to rest and prepare for the next wave of interns. It´s cool that a variety of folks, foreign and local, have chosen to be here more than just once. We can suggest many beautiful adventures around Argentina and Chile that deserve your time.
Work Schedule: On average our schedule
reflects 6-7 hours of physical activity/day and 3-5 hours of siesta (rest and
personal time) after lunch. Individual chores are done everyevery day,
including days off, to KEEP EVERYBODY HAPPY.
Each day starts punctually with individual chores/tea or coffee/brief
organizing meeting. A strong start in the morning is key to our
objectives. We call it the hour of power
(actually it´s more like 90 minutes of power but that doesn´t rhyme). Don´t worry, a delicious breakfast greets our
return from the field. Our schedule is
designed to minimize working in the strong sun.
We do garden tasks first thing in the morning and after the sun mellows
in the late afternoon. When the sun is
intense we will work in the shade, frequently in natural construction. As much as possible we will stick to the
schedule, yet at other times we stick to the task at hand until it´s done,
rather than worry about the time. Folks who are doing particularly strenuous
work are to receive plenty of love. We
leave no worker behind. REAL
IMPORTANT: A big part of being here is
learning how to be productive. However,
interning at Huerta de Vida is not a J-O-B.
We do our best to offer wise leadership and comradeship. We consciously choose not to work with folks
who need an external authority figure to boss them around. Work, life and joy are not separate here. We
take pride in our individual and collective endeavors, whether we are ¨working¨
or ¨playing¨. And we are really good at
having fun…
Field Trips: Local wineries; worker-controlled
tomato sauce cooperative; bolivian flea market; social justice mobilizations; cultural/music
events, seed exchanges, farmers´ markets, marches, celebrations, speakers,
films, occasional bonfires right here at home…
Session 1: Setting the Stage
(Arrive September 10 – Depart October 6)
What To Expect: Plant seedlings for summer crops and direct seed spring garden; prep of planting beds; tune-up of irrigation system; compost utilization and renewal; fertilization and dormant oil spraying of all trees and perennials; plant and harvest of cover crop; animal care-construct corrals for rotational grazing; redesign garden beds on contour; inoculate garden beds with biochar; build drying racks; organize tree and plant nursery.
Work Schedule: Tuesday-Saturday, 8:00 am - 8 pm. Breakfast 9 am, lunch/siesta 1-5, dinner 8 pm. Group meeting Thursdays after siesta, followed by optional yoga/visualization or documentary.
Session 2: Making it Happen
(Arrive October 15 – Depart November 10)
What To Expect: We will keep the garden
evolving; dig contour garden beds, garden bed prep; make and apply biochar for
fruit trees, compost tea and foliar spraying to the max; establish rainwater harvesting system; fruit canning and drying ie apricots, plums,
cherries.
Work Schedule: Tuesday-Saturday, 8 am - 8 pm. Breakfast 9 am, lunch/siesta 1-5, dinner 8 pm. Group meeting Thursdays after siesta, followed by optional yoga/visualization or documentary.
Session 3:
(Arrive November 19 – Depart December 15
What To Expect: Keep the garden wheel turning; transplant and foster seedlings; contour garden beds; plenty
of watering; weeding; vigilence for bug predators; regular foliar feeding; tend bees; walk
the talk of ecological food production.
Work Schedule: Tuesday-Saturday, 7 am - 8 pm. Breakfast 8:00 am, lunch/siesta 1-6, dinner 8. Group meeting Thursdays after siesta, followed by optional yoga/visualization or documentary.
Session 4: Summer Intensive
(Arrive January 5 – Depart February 2)
What To Expect: Full spectrum of growing and harvesting food plus natural construction; keep garden going strong, plenty o´ weeding; start fall seedlings; contour garden beds; harvest and preserve peaches and nectarines; lots of tomato drying and canning; make herbal and flower wine; window and door framing; build Walipini underground greenhouse; build bat houses.
Work Schedule: Tuesday-Saturday, 7 am – 7 pm. Breakfast 8:30 am, lunch/siesta 1-5 pm, dinner 7 pm. Group meeting Thursdays after siesta, followed by optional yoga/visualization or documentary.
Session 5: Growth Spurt
(Arrive February 11 - Depart March 9)
What To Expect: Put in fall garden, cover crop,
continue summer harvest & contour garden beds; seed saving; lots of drying and canning, complete Walipini underground greenhouse; frame and install doors and windows; complete bat houses.
Work Schedule: Tuesday-Saturday, 8 am – 7:00 pm. Breakfast 9 am, lunch/siesta 1-5 pm, dinner 7:00 pm. Group meeting Thursdays after siesta, followed by optional yoga/visualization or documentary.
Session 6: Abundance
(Arrive March 18 – Depart
April 13)
What To Expect: Full time
harvesting; transplant/direct seed fall
garden; contour garden beds; continue harvest; seed saving; garden map and next year´s rotation map;
cover cropping; animal care; organize tree and plant nursery; start winterizing; nonstop food
preservation.
Work Schedule: Tuesday-Saturday, 8 am – 6:30 pm. Breakfast 9 am, lunch/siesta 1-4, dinner 6:30 pm. Group meeting Thursdays after siesta, followed by optional yoga/visualization or documentary.
Recommended Reading and Films: We have most of the following mind expanders...so please bring a copy
of your favorite mindblowing-lifechanging book or film with you! Areas of particular interest that we don´t
have include: Neuroplasticity; more Carlos Casteñeda; Fidel´s new books: Guerrillero
de tiempo
Books: Deep Economy (Bill Mckibben); The Four Agreements (Don Miguel Ruiz) ; Shaman, Healer, Sage (Alberto Villoldo); Sacred Mirrors/Alex Grey; Medicine for the Earth (Sandra Ingerman); Confessions of an Economic Hitman (John Perkins) The Humanure Handbook (John Jenkins; Fields of Plenty (Michael Ableman), The Unlikely Peace at Cuchumaquic (Martin Prechtel).
Films: The Take (Naomi Klein); Il Postino; Fidel; The Future of Food; The World According to Monsanto; The Mission; Healing the Luminous Body; The Revolution Will Not Be Televised; Life and Debt; ¡SALUD!; Orgasmic Birth
