Originally from Cerro de Agua in San Rafael del Norte, Jinotega, Nicaragua, farmer Doña Ramona Rodríguez and her family now live in the community of Yupalí in Jinotega. She recently lost her husband who she lived with for 22 years, in a fight against COVID-19.
All of her life has been dedicated to agriculture and raising cattle. When she was very young she worked on a small farm with her dad who included her and her siblings in his work, and today they all have their own land that they cultivate. On the farm, she lives with 4 other people including her 3 year old granddaughter who is not in school yet. They have access to potable water on the farm in Yupalí , health services about 1km away, and an elementary school about 1 ½ km away which has access to electricity.
Doña Ramona's farm is approximately 300 acres (120 manzanas) where she has variety or rotating crops. Her farming techniques include respecting that terrain including sloped areas and barriers that protect the top soil and not burning the soil before each harvest. Doña Ramona has worked with local non-profit organization AVODEC for four years, learning sustainable farming techniques.
The 300 acres of land include corn and beans, which is cultivated only in the rainy season so irrigation is hardly used, guayaba, maracuya, pipian, grass for the livestock, and banana trees which are used as live barriers. The rest of the land includes the house and mountains which are respected, no trees are cut, and this mountainous area provides a constant water source all year round which means there is an abundance of fruit. The farm has a variety of livestock including 18 dairy cows, 45 chickens, 10 pigs, 4 horses, 5 donkeys all which live in a pasture at the entrance to the farm.
In November, 2022 GRID Alternatives and a group of international travelers are installing a pole-mounted photovoltaic solar system at the farm to power a drip irrigation system. The solar system consist of solar panels, mounting hardware, a water pump and controller, a large water storage area, and drip irrigation tubes which deliver small amounts of water from the tank to the plants throughout the day. The water comes from a river and is stored in a concrete storage container. Doña Ramona expects the installation of the solar system to save the farm 1,500 córdobas per week (approx. $42) which she is currently paying to water the crops.
Project Dates: November 5-12, 2022
Location: Yupali, Jinotega, Nicaragua
Trip Fee: $1,800 plus airfare per person (limited spots avilable)
