Passport, Vaccines, Itinerary, OH MY!

81 MORE DAYS UNTIL GUATEMALA!!
Do I have your attention yet? :)

For Plant Pathology 575 "Tropical Agriculture and Sustainability", the class is going on a short study-abroad trip to Guatemala. So far in the class, we've been discussing tropical agriculture and how it is similar/different to midwest agriculture. Up here all we do in conventional agricultural that literally deteriorates the soil so the farmers have to add insanely high amounts of fertilizer just to make the crops grow. When the rain comes, most of the fertilizer leaves the fields as run-off and pollutes river, our drinking water tables, ocean, everything.  UNLESS the farm is organic...then there is no chemical fertilizer sprayed. So far, growing organically is the only somewhat sustainable agricultural practice that occurs in the Midwest. Depressing I know. Here's an example of conventional farming.

23 combines cutting down a monoculture of corn in the Midwest

  In Guatemala, most of the agricultural in subsistence or small scale farming. Most of the crops grown are for the household and that's it. Small scale farming will provide food for the family and a little extra to sell for money. What's even better is that they grow crops sustainably in what is called a milpa. Most milpas are corn, beans, and cucurbits (squashes). No nitrogen fertilizer is needed because the beans are legumes which put nitrogen back in the soil that the corn takes up. The squash balance out other minerals and vitamins crucial for plant production. Anyways, the crops all have slightly lower yields compared to "conventional farming in the midwest." But think, what if there is a terrible drought like this summer and the corn fails? In Guatemala in the milpas, there is still squash and beans to harvest even if there is little or no corn to eat. Milpas give people comfort knowing that even if one crop fails, there will still be yield of another crop. Here is an example of a milpa in Guatemala.

There are beans growing up the corn stalks. The corn in grown in a savanna where there are trees. Here, there is no deforestation to make a huge field like what was done in the Midwest. Sustainability and Tree Hugging!

 So, when I go to Guatemala, I will be studying milpas. The class will be comparing Midwest agriculture to Guatemalan agriculture and see if there is a middle point that could be tried in the USA. Who knows, we may even have something to teach the Guatemalans! :) I'll be in Guatemala for 11 days. I'm leaving from Chicago O'Hare International Airport at 6:00a. I will be leaving Madison at midnight to get to Chicago on time (3 hour bus ride) and check in and all that jazz. I don't think I'll be fazed...just way too excited to get to Guatemala!

81 more days <3    I'm going to go find some diseased trees for class. Bye!!