Together We Can

6^th of December, 2018

I’m currently flying back to Boston after a trip in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. I’ve been visiting and shadowing Andrew Hermann, an old high school buddy from Seattle Prep, for the past 10 days. Oddly enough, out of our 10 days on the islands we never actually made it out to the beach – we were too busy spending time with rural farmers in the mountains, meeting with cooperatives in farming districts, and touring processing facilities!

Our typical day started around 7am with a plantain based breakfast, fresh juice, and cup of coffee and ended splitting a large beer on the roof of a 5-story  building contemplating what we’re doing and how many people do not know what the “rest of the world” is like.

Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic were nothing like what I was expecting. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting – maybe something a bit more isolated since my only abroad experience to this point was in Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Both countries have a lot more roads and general infrastructure than I was accustomed to. But again, that’s in comparison to Mozambique, the 7^th poorest nation on the planet.

For starters, Puerto Rico is US territory so it should be comparable to one of the 50 states, or at least more or less. We drove up into the mountains to meet with a 3^rd generation coffee farmer hoping to secure some heirloom coffee varieties. Shortly outside of San Juan there are various MANSIONS – like we’re talking masssssive compounds with ocean views. However, we also pass a lot of houses affected by the hurricane that are still in shambles: missing walls or roofs. I can only imagine how many people have been displaced. We’re making our way to the highway Vito, the coffee farmer, said his farm was off of. Our directions aren’t quite correct and Vito tells us to just go back to town and ask someone there to give us directions. Of course, the first person we ask knows where Vito lives and gives us some initial directions. Along the way, we have to stop and ask random houses to help us navigate the mountain roads and determine where to turn. Arriving to the coffee farm, it’s very much what Andrew calls “Island time” (not too different than “Africa time”). We chat for awhile, enjoy a marvellous view, and then Vito takes us on his jeep through his coffee fields explaining his history and story. Of the heirloom varieties we are hoping to find, the bushes do not have any ripe berries and Vito did not save any from the last harvest. Heading out, he sends one of his workers to pick some fresh advocados as a gift for us.

Back in San Juan, we have a meeting at a government office looking for old designs for a school compound built in the 1970s. Driving through town, there are a lot of stop lights not working. They went out in the hurricane and are still not operational yet. It becomes clear that Puerto Rico is still recovering from the last hurricane and has a lot of infrastructure work left that needs to be done. We were able to secure the CAD drawings and head to a meeting with an engineering firm in town. Upon arrival, we are immediately provided with fresh coffee! It’s amazing how many times I had fresh coffee while in Puerto Rico and the DR. The islands definitely began to win my heart over with all of the fresh coffee. In general, Puerto Rico is a calmer lifestyle, has affordable beer and food, and its people are welcoming, kind, and willing to engage with you.

The Dominican Republic. Empanadas, plantain dishes, TONS of fruit. Driving in the DR is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. It’s kind of like whatever you can force you can to do, is allowed. Making a left turn from the right most lane? Go for it! The capital of Santo Domingo has some of the worst traffic I’ve ever seen. Andrew has been working in the DR for 8 years now and is able to explain and dissect the history. There has been a disaspora from the rural areas into the cities. Total population of the country is 10 million with 5 million living in cities. Santo Domingo has been built on the fly resulting in poorly designed roads leading to horrific traffic.

In the DR, we visit some Moringa farms, packaging facilities, and make our way to Andrew’s host family out in a rural coffee community in the mountains. Seeing Andrew interact with his host family brings me back to my host family in Namaacha, Mozambique. There are sooooo many good people and quality families in the world. All of them constantly opening their hearts and homes to others.  

Without a host family, integrating into the DR or Mozambique would have been incredibly challenging for Andrew and myself. It’s only together, as a community, that we can achieve the world we need to build. Andrew and I are using agriculture as a tool to serve the environment, economies, and communities in our respective spheres of influence in the world. Many of us may not realize the beauties, magics, and challenges farmers throughout the world (including the US) are experiencing.

Short human history note: Agriculture and food is the basis of our society. Until wheat and barley were discovered the vast majority of peoples were nomads (the only non-nomadic and non-agriculture communities were fishing communities, one located in modern day china and the other somewhere on the west coast, I forget if it was in Canada or the US). With the introduction of wheat and barley, production spiked. We then created silos to store the food and thus began small communities of 100-150 people.

How we eat, what we eat, how our food is grown, and where are food comes from are the core fundamentals of our lifestyles around the world. The beautiful aspect is we have developed technology so not everyone needs to be a farmer! However, if we forget what sustains us and what gives us life, we may forget the value of what it actually means to be alive.

I know this was a little bit longer of a post, so thank you for reading to the end! I have a challenge for you – pick any kind of vegetable you enjoy and grow it indoors (if you already do this, that’s great!). Just one potted plant, maybe a potted tomato plant. Watch your own food grow. Learn about the disease challenges farmers face. Engage just a little bit more with your roots, with that which sustains you.

May we continue to work together to build a better world for all peoples.

With all of my heart,

Daniel Bladow