ALAMAR

WHAT IS IT?

Vivero Alamar is an organic farm or organopónico located in the Alamar municipality of Havana. They use natural fertilizers to grow crops, grease up coloured plaques that attract bugs and make them stick, use natural fungicides like lime, grow plant repellents such as marigold and oregano that emit unpleasant smellsforinsects,nurturehealthycompost,etc.

Role In The Community

We discussed the population’s response regarding the sudden shift in agricultural practices of the 1990s caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union. The guide told us about the current crisis that strongly affected the food safety net of Cuba. He described Vivero Alamar’s role in the food chain in which they provide as much as possible directly to the population. Moreover, this organopónico’s objective is also to provide produce in line with the community’s needs. For example, one year they grew more iron-rich foods such as spinach for the maternity center nearby that required it.

THIS WAS (QUITE LITERALLY) A VERY DOWN-TO-EARTH EXPERIENCE WHERE WE GOT TO LEARN ABOUT THE SKILLFUL WORK OF THE FARMER [WHO] PRODUCES HEALTHY AND FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOR THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES

- Amalia