El Mezquite Garden Report: Winter 2024-2025 When Agustín and Marisol returned home after a 6-month internship with Ecology Action in 2007, they turned El Mezquite—their formerly unsuccessful garden in a rocky, dry area—into a flourishing GB demonstration/training/research site, building up their soil fertility about 5 times faster than normally occurs. They also began working with Juan Manuel Martínez, director of ECOPOL, and have since become Master-Level Certified GB teachers and are currently in charge of the GB Teacher Certification program in Latin America and Europe. You can read more about their work in Juan Manuel's article in this issue. We are located in central Mexico, between two mountain ranges: the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Sierra Madre Occidental. This makes winter and most of the year predominantly dry. Occasionally, if cold fronts from the north have enough moisture, we experience winter rain. This winter, the garden suffered. In response, Marisol and I reflected on three words: EFFICIENCY, RESILIENCE, and EMPATHY. This combination turned our garden into an oasis when everything around us was dry, which is why mice and squirrels arrived in impressive numbers. Our four dogs worked overtime to catch them, and even then, our winter crops were almost a total loss. This reflection led us to carefully plan our winter crops, rigorously applying a special 60/30/10 formula: 60% efficiency/30% resilience/10% empathy For the 60% yield, we believe the garden can be as productive in winter as in summer, provided we carefully select the crops. In our case, and with some winter rain, we choose to grow winter beans, Kamut wheat, and barley. We typically plant a little over 60%—almost 70%— as we like to make bread with Kamut wheat, a fluffy, sourdough bread that we value highly. We plant four beds of barley, three of wheat, and two of fava beans, ensuring a sufficient amount of biomass for compost. Although barley yields are generally similar to wheat, we obtain between 5 and 8 kilos of seed per bed (more than the average yields expected at intermediate GB level). We use barley to make beer. The advantage of brewing barley versus Kamut wheat for bread is that 1 kilo of wheat provides an average of 2 kilograms of bread, which means its value as a food doubles. In the case of barley, 1 kilo yields 2.5 kilos of malt and 12 liters of beer. This is where the importance of assessing the versatility of crops, and their EFFICIENCY, lies. The key is knowing which crops are efficient at meeting both biomass and food needs—food for us and for the soil.
The rodent infestation almost completely wiped out the broad beans (already in the pod) and barley (still in the ear). The alfalfa was attacked at ground level, while the wheat, being taller, could be protected with netting, and survived.
In relation to the 10% yield in winter, our favorite crops are: kale, cabbage, broccoli, onions, and chard. This year, only the onions survived; the rest became succulent and nutritious food for mice. Although mice are not culturally accepted as food for humans, we were tempted to set up a taco stand in the corner of the garden, since they were plump and well-fed. They even ate the stems of the tree collards! Finally, in early March, the rodent infestation was under control. With patience and trust, between the dogs, traps, and repellent, they were gone. And surprise! The beans flowered again, the barley and alfalfa began to grow again, and here again, RESILIENCE applies. A garden with healthy, well-nourished soil and sufficient compost allows the crops to recover. The small scale, and faithful adherence to the principles of the Biointensive Method, show us that anything is possible, because our garden’s foundations are strong and we have resilient crops. Including our spirit and confidence!
With this experience, we reflect on how as it gets warmer, small species reproduce more quickly, extreme droughts mean there is less food in the surrounding area, and a Biointensive garden is an oasis for these animals, rodents, insects, and small mammals—an unexpected(?) consequences of climate change. Of course, we understand that all living beings eat and have the right to do so, the right to life, and food. But with changes in land use, the privilege of industry, an economy of unbridled consumerism, and excessive energy waste, animals and people need to be fed first and foremost. By cultivating a garden, forming a community of teachers, and Biointensive gardens, we promote peace, but above all, EMPATHY with people and living beings. This invites us to be patient and understand our human and natural environment. The right to life is a divine right, and part of what keeps us alive is eating. This experience led us to the conclusion that, as the wise Alan Chadwick said, “the garden is the teacher” and this winter taught us efficiency, resilience, and empathy. ♥ top | Newsletter Home |Table of Contents| Archive
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For the 30% winter
crops, we grow garlic
and potatoes, planting
garlic in late fall, on October
15th. We love potatoes
for their spectacular
yields. The main characteristic
of these crops is
that they are efficient in
terms of area and weight,
and they provide us with
high caloric value. And
garlic not only provides
us with calories: we also
use it as an antibiotic and
it's an important source
of income, as we make
tinctures that are in high demand and well-priced in the
alternative medicine market. It makes us more RESILIENT
by healing us and helping us generate an income,
and above all, rodents don't like it!
