The small town of Bolaños, in the isolated mountainous regions of Mexico’s Jalisco State, has been the home of silver mines since the 1550’s. Bolaños suffers an extreme climate, tucked in a deep valley. Temperatures can reach 55C during the months of April and May, and lows of -25C in the winter. The soil is dusty and dry, having been leeched and washed away by annual floods.
EcoHuerto (the sister company of The Growing Connection, based in Guadalajara, Mexico) was contracted by the very progressive and community-oriented management of Mines & Minerals Mexico to bring sustainable organic food production to the families and schools of Bolaños.
In Feburary 2019 the EcoHuerto team installed the first demo/training garden at the picturesque 1700’s community centre with 60 Caja kits. Local school children and a select group of mothers, fathers, and community activists were trained in using the Caja container, in plant germination and organic pest management. In March, a second shipment of Caja containers will go directly to 11 Bolaños families in the next step of this project. Future steps will include vermiculture, a seedling/germination greenhouse and low-impact flood control measures allowing mixed fruit/vegetable production. It is the goal for both EcoHuerto and Mines & Minerals Mexico that this project will serve as a prototype for corporations to engage in practical and effective community building activities.
Below are some photos of the installation and workshops:
Seed/Seedling Workshop
Learning About the Caja
Learning to Plant
Hands-On Planting
Having Fun in the Garden
Finishing Up
The Garden – Nestled Under the Mountains and the Banana Trees
Read more about our other case studies featuring unique and inspiring gardens.
