Author: Coffee Mtn Me

United Nations Development Program Funds Ecotourism Information Center in Santa Fe

The UNDP is funding a couple of “tourism” projects in Santa Fe in collaboration with the Tourism Cooperative.  One is the recently approved information center, which will be next to the mayor’s office.  It will be the tourism cooperative’s responsibility to actually fund people working there, once the structure is built.  (And heads up for you watch dogs, there is also a funded “museum” …er house, to commemorate Hector Gallegos and a tourist center (er house once again) near Alto de Piedra.

Cele was asked to volunteer some time to provide technical advice and oversight in the construction of the information center.  Now, one thing about Cele is that he works hard and motivates those around him to work hard as well and gets things done quickly. (This can be a little tiring, if you’re on the receiving end of this motivation).

 

Cele and the team broke ground on Wednesday.  It’s Saturday. They’ve finished the foundation, and the walls are 10 blocks high. All work is by hand.

Because it’s going up so quickly, one of the locals passed by, saying, it looks like you all are invading land!  It’s a compliment, meaning the center is going up quickly.

In the past, prior to land titles, landless and homeless people would invade the large, rural farms, in groups to squat.  They go, usually at night, and under the moon, would rapidly construct a little city of dwellings on the empty land…and thus, claim, ah, we’re here, what are you going to do about it?

So, they say it takes three years from planting to when your coffee bushes start producing.  We planted about a year ago. We now have our first beans.

I am not prepared.  There is equipment for you to pulp, dry, & roast coffee and we can sell to the coffee cooperative, but this crop is so small, that I thought we’d try home processing.

My mother-in-law started telling me how they harvested, cured, roasted and ground their own coffee when she was younger.  A half hour later, she was still talking about the process.

Maybe it’s time for her to come up and visit.

 

 

I’ve been putting effort into pulling together a list bird species from sources for Santa Fe (250 species, wow!)  Only to find  the Cocalecas (Gray Throated Wood Rail, I think) wandering contentedly in the back of our inn…and not on my list.  Sigh.  Just updated the list.