Empowering Community Agriculture in Venezuela [Guest Interview @critic-on]

in #agriculture7 years ago (edited)

wvjcLKg copy.jpg

This post is a guest interview with @sndbox incubator member @critic-on. [Guest Authors and Interviewees receive 20% of the SBD post rewards and an opportunity to showcase unique activities, projects or host challenges within the community.]


Guest Interview: @critic-on


@sndbox: Hello @critic-on! For Steemians who are unfamiliar with you and your work, tell us a bit about yourself.


Hello, Steemit! I am a citizen of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and graduate of the Polytechnic Territorial University. I have worked as an electrical engineer and have done courses with the INCES, an institution recognized by the International Labour Organization.

When I graduated University at 21 years of age I found myself asking, what will I do next? Should I send my resume to large, typical companies or alternatively, dedicate myself to something different.

After graduation, I was curious about a local movement surrounding productive courtyards. In my hometown, there was a boom of urban agriculture going on. During this movement, people began using their courtyards to cultivate produce and livestock. So during this time after university, I began work in my hometown and alongside my mother where the two of us provided a boost of agricultural and livestock production within our neighborhood. Ultimately, I decided to pursue this route. I sought to find a way of merging my expertise of electrical engineering with practices of community-based agriculture.

@sndbox: Urban agriculture is fascinating! How and where did you get started with this?


As a first step - I took part in a new project located atop El Manzano Hill (part of Iribarren Municipality). This area of 15 hectares had a pleasant mountain climate, at an altitude of 533-657 meters above sea level and nice average temperatures between 23 ° and 36 ° C. This area is bordered the community of Los Sauces (North); and with Rio Claro (South), Cabudare (East); and Concepción parish (West). The settlement itself is semi-urban, and adjacent to the central town of Barquisimeto (Iribarren municipality), 23.03 km from Cabudare (Palavecino municipality) and 15 km from small settlements in Rio Claro.


Satellite images of the community (here)

The morphology of the area is characterized by a mountainous relief. The soils are rich with 40 cm limestone and have good drainage in the South zone of the city of Barquisimeto. It also has differentiated vegetation between winter and summer, and with a humidity that can reach a maximum of 30 ° C. The predominant plant species are of high stature typical of humid forest climates such as Cedro, Araguaney, Acacias, Caujaro, different types of Orchids, there is presence of Venezuelan yellow oak, as well as trees brought from other climates and that have had good adaptation like Eucalyptus, Nin. Additionally, there are fruit trees planted in the plots by the people of the sector such as Guanábana, diversity of mangoes, mandarin, oranges, avocados and ornamental species such as bamboo.

Due to the quality of soil and connectivity of roadways, the area is a strong candidate to host livestock, and agricultural activities. Lastly, the population of the Rio Cenizo Communal Council area is approximately 1,200 inhabitants.


Satellite images of the community (here)

@sndbox: Tell us about what you are working on now and what kinds of issues you're tackling.


In the El Manzano community today, there are idle children who abandon their studies because they can not find support in their environment to advance their training. My work with Unidad Productiva Familiar (UPF) and integral farming looks to help people establish small urban gardens that include animal husbandry.


Environmental activities directed by the U.P.F "Las Plazuelas" (here)


Integrating children to ecological community work (here)

The neglect of the environment and the mistreatment of men over their natural resources and sources have become one of the biggest problems of the contemporary world and a concern for politicians, environmentalists, ecologists, non-governmental organizations and scientific institutions.

Of the main global environmental problems that currently affect the human species, we have:

      1. Climate change.
      2. Depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer.
      3. Environmental pollution.
      4. The degradation of the soil.
      5. The loss of biological diversity.
      6. The cost of food production.

By more efficiently using scarce resources (natural, social and financial), we can begin to minimize negative environmental impact. Future strategies must therefore have a twofold objective: to facilitate the long-term transformation of food production by using resources in a sustainable and ecological manner and mitigate the possible harmful effects in the short-term.



Supporting community partners U.P.F "las plazuelas" (here)

As such, we've looked at understanding and dealing with the following aspects -

    • Reduce the effects of pollution and degradation of resources
    • Social and economic feasibility
    • The efficient use of resources
    • Regulation and biotic stability
    • Soil protection
    • Nutrient recycling
    • Water cycle
    • Environmental stability
    • Raise production and productivity

@sndbox: How do you think this will benefit the community and individuals?



Benefited population will be the community (here)

The most important benefit is the goal of a healthy diet by incorporating a lifestyle integrated with animal and plant life. We hope the project will contribute to the production of pork for feeding the inhabitants of the Communal Council Rio Cenizo while using animal products and waste efficiently will promote the independence of self-sustaining communities.


Logo that identifies the family production unit (here)

With a gathering of community leaders around this type of production, we established the Family Production Unit "LAS PLAZUELAS." The organization helps others learn about the process as well as establishing government collaborative links and programs.


Training and recruitment of producers, farmers and the community in general (here)

@sndbox: What's in the near future for your organization?



Working in the community, for a world ( here)

We have set ourselves the goal of helping other experiences learn about "agroecological" production and animal husbandry. We hope that this helps alleviate other social ills as well, especially amongst the youth, for example the consumption of narcotics, juvenile delinquency, and so on. We believe firmly in a healthy mind and a healthy body. These new experiences will hopefully nurture a different kind of community and create a better vision for the world.



Advice to producers in general (here)

Thank you @critic-on for this interview! We encourage other Steemians to learn about his account dedicated to homesteading and urban agriculture.


170817_Curation-Trail_1-01.gif

Want to support Steemit authors like these? Consider joining our curation trail! You can learn more about the @sndbox incubator mission and 2018 program here.


Help us spread the word. Follow our Twitter and YouTube Channel!


footer-02.png

Sort:  

Great support by @snbox.
We sometimes focus too much on our digital lives on this platform and forget the simple things in life!

Community agriculture is a stellar way to get people together around a cause they can agree on. Additionally, it is great to get the youth involved early so they turn to a healthy community for support and guidance.

This is absolutely beautiful.. 👏..another amazing support by @snbox. We all know that agriculture is one very important aspect of our lives, without food there is no life and without life of course no one can be active on steemit . Thanks @snbox for supporting and empowering this great Community Agriculture in Venezuela and @critic-on keep it up and more grease to your elbow, with this you are not only providing food for Venezuela but you are also creating job opportunities.

I had the opportunity to meet @ critic-on with whom we have a contest project "food that you have to eat you have to plant it yourself", which has had a lot of acceptance.
As a food foraging fan, since I met critic-on, I have always liked to share valuable information about agiculture with those who have the opportunity to support many people throughout their communities.
He surprised me by only one thing, while I saw many Venezuelans crying and complaining about their pain and bad situation, I have never seen a single complaint, always working forward and always publishing great information very useful for everyone here in steemit, and supporting everyone in your community.
and we share the great love for nature and agriculture focused on self-sustainability and self-feeding, in our small plots.
Whenever I have had any doubt I have the advantage of having a link in Discord with him to make any query whether agricultural, electrical or even on, Steemit by his route we complement each other, some things that he does not know I know and vice versa.
Thanks SNDBOX for sharing and enhancing a person who fights on this platform and who sees his great work in agriculture and is one of the activities less valued many times, but with his support you can do a lot for this noble and great activity that feeds us all.
a hug.
Best Regard @galberto.

Community agriculture is a nice concept.Now a days urban agriculture is getting popular all over the world.Also in our country people who have some spare land they are using the land to cultivate something.Who doesn't have land they are making their roof into a garden.This community agriculture is also creating awarness about different issues like Social and economic feasibility,The efficient use of resources,Regulation and biotic stability,Soil protection and some more.Thanks for the post.

The idea of community agriculture is a unique idea.People ill be benefited by this kinds of thing.This will teach them a lots of things about cultivation and nature.This will help them to get united and work together.Thanks for this nice post.@upvoted.

Felicidades a @critic-on y muchas gracias a @sndbox por ayudar a la comunidad venezolana.

Es excelente idea el impulso de la agricultura sin importar su escala, con ello se garantizan sanos alimentos, más aún cuando son personas jóvenes quienes están al frente de estas iniciativas, sirven con el ejemplo. Muy bien @critic-on y gracias @sndbox por difundir estas actividades realizadas en mi bello país.

Saludos desde Venezuela

This is the kind of things that are happening in Venezuela and no one talks about abroad, because it isn´t the easy and ussual propaganda complain we often hear around here, the one everyone likes to reblog and upvote because they are misinformed. Thanks to @sndbox for taking a stand and taking the risk to say that my country is a territory where people is thinking and working in beautiful things despite the US sanctions and the soft coup that is going on.

Estaba por pasarte este post! conoces a @critic-on? Leí que es de Barquisimeto y está o estuvo vinculado al INCES. Abrazo!

No lo conozco pero ya le escribí, seguro nos hemos visto. Barquisimeto es muy chiquito. Vaya, salud!

Estimado amigo fenomenal el trabajo que haces a nivel comunitario, no solamente creas conciencia de espacio, de tiempo y educativas; estas llevando herramientas sencillas para producir alimentos, que tanta falta hacen en estos críticos momentos, orientas en el manejo y conservación ambiental, muy especialmente en cuanto al manejo de nuestros recursos naturales debilitados por el abuso del hombre como lo son suelos y aguas. En definitiva, me despojo de mi sombrero para expresarte mi mayor contento y apoyo por tan loable gestión para tu comunidad, no puedo pasar por alto que mencionas a tu señora madre,hasta ella mi fraternal felicitación. Un abrazo y ASI SE HACE PATRIA. OIZA

Agriculture is not only a profession, it is service for humanity .
Its an excellent job we should encourage it ,
I always apreciate this work.