Small Farmers. Big Change.

The following is the 4th part in Tom Hanlon Wilde’s series of posts from Cuzco, Peru

Scott Owen of PCC at Aguilayoc Co-op

Eric Stromberg, like the rest of our group, was walking the last half-mile of the road to the Aguilayoc Co-operative in Cusco, Peru. During the 32-plus hours it took to travel from his home in Davis, California, to the same farmers’ co-operative he visited in 2001, he told us the story about learning how to make his favorite salsa. The salsa had been such a hit at Eric’s house that he’s made it monthly for over 10 years now. In 1999, Juana Pezo Suero, a farmer member of Aguilayoc, , had visited him and his family in the U.S. and taught him this recipe:

1 cup fresh ground peanuts

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped finely

3 tablespoons water

2 aji (or any small hot pepper)

Remove seeds from hot peppers. Blend peanuts and water in blender until creamy, add cilantro and pepper. Serve as a condiment on boiled potatoes, chicken or salad.

Amazingly, as we’re walking the last steps to the co-op, we hear a motorcycle and turn around to find Juana perched on the back of the motorcycle holding — yep, you guessed it — a container full of the magic peanut-cilantro-hot pepper salsa! What a happy, special delivery.

Scott Owen, Tom Wilde, and Roberto Pezo, son of Juana Pezo Suero depulping coffee cherries

So we all hugged hello, introduced Juana to the other travelers, and caught up on the years gone by. Eric’s girls are greatly grown up — one now 10 years old and the other is fourteen. Juana’s kids are doing great. Her eldest son Roberto, who was hoping to study to be a teacher when we visited 10 years ago, has been an elementary school teacher for the past 4 years. Heleh, her eldest daughter, has a great husband and three beautiful children. Her youngest daughter Vanessa also became a teacher, but is now working at a better paying job as a notary. And the little 7 year old boy Miguel we knew in 2001 was none other than the young man who drove the motorcycle that brought Juana to us.

We were welcomed to lunch at the house of Enrique Mellado, who was Eric’s host ten years ago. “Where are the turkeys?” asked Eric right away, remembering that a decade ago someone had rustled Enrique’s flock a few weeks before our arrival. “Right here,” replied Enrique, throwing open the door of an immense turkey coop. “I keep them locked up at night now!” explained Enrique, stepping back to let out the 8 huge and beautiful birds that proceeded to parade across the patio.

After lunch we continued “Now a wheel barrrow is something I know how to use,” said Scott Owen of PCC, wheeling the de-pulped and washed coffee out onto the drying patio. From there Peter Mark, who works for the co-operative Equal Exchange, and Sergio, who works for the co-operative Aguilayoc, spread the pergamino coffee into a half-inch thick layer of coffee to leave it to dry. “With the weather like this,” continued Sergio, “this coffee will dry in 18-24 hours.” The staff agronomist, Mario Aguirre, chimed in, “The optimum humidity for coffee to ship is 12%, so that’s what we deliver to the warehouse for export. In contrast, those private buyers will take in coffee at up to 20% humidity, which ruins the quality because wet beans are susceptible to mold. These members only deliver quality coffee.”

The quality of the coffee grown by Aguilayoc members was visible. In front of us stretched a soccer-field-sized spread of gold from the color of the husks on the perfectly uniform coffee beans. We were anxious to get into the field to work side-by-side with the farmers. But we had no fear of missing it. “Tomorrow, you’ll harvest at my cousins field,” Paulina Medina said as she handed out glasses of chicha, “and don’t worry because he has LOTS of coffee on the trees and there aren’t enough people to harvest it. You’ll have to pick a full sack (about 200 pounds) of coffee cherries.”

Tom Wilde, Marie Wallace, and Gavino Garces at 1 of 38 native trees on Emilio Huillca's farm