A TYPICAL DAY IN A FARMER’S LIFE

Immersion in a daily base routine

The indigenous (Mayans) Zoque and Tzotzil people, who live in Teapa, Tabasco area, have been growing and using cacao in their daily routine, for thousands of years. They produce cacao in a sustainable way: agroforestry systems, mixing several kinds of trees: citrus, banana and other fruits, achiote, allspice, cinnamon and wood species. The average family owns 1-3 Ha and their house is normally next to the cacaotal.

Their day start early around 6:00 am with a cup of coffee. After that, they have breakfast and leave to the cacaotal. They walk around the orchard to check on in trees. A lot of farmers have been changing from chemical applications to organic ones because they have noticed the difference: when they go organic, you can see the presence of different birds and mammals. You may even see monkeys in some of them- this is an amazing show! Also, farmers notice an improvement in their health when they are not in direct contact with agrochemicals.

Meanwhile, women spend a lot of time cooking: they prepare chicken soup out of their henhouse from scratch. They save some for them and sell the rest in their community and the market. For this broth, they use spices such as black pepper, clove, oregano, cumin and a pinch of salt. Also, to season the broth, they make a mix of tomatoes, onion, dry chili, garlic and cilantro. They fry or boil the tomatoes and chili and then blend and add them to the

soup. For veggies they use sweet potato, zucchini, carrot, chickpeas, tomatoes, potatoes and corn grains.

One of my favorite things about country cooking is tortillas! You get to eat hand-made fresh tortillas, not from flour but directly from corn dough (Milpa is the source of maize for tortillas). They eat tortillas at every meal. Also, beans and fried plantains are present every time.

The amazing thing about cacaotal is that a family can obtain a good portion of their food from it. Some of them also have beehives and get fresh honey. A lot of farmers have Milpas as well as (crop-growing system of corn, squash and beans, normally for self-consumption) chickens and other house animals.

At mid-morning, farmers take a break from their labors (pruning, harvesting, fertilizing, pest-control, etc.) to drink some Pozol. This amazing drink is so rich that it is considered a meal itself. It is made from fermented maize dough and cacao. Some also add sugar. It is thick, fresh and delicious. At harvest season, the farmers put the cacao pods in the wheelbarrow and broken ones on the floor. The quebradero is the spot where farmers break the pods to take out the juicy beans. The pod casks are not wasted, they are spread in the cacaotal and used as compost, a source of organic matter, to keep soils healthy.
Everyone in the family has a role: cooking, washing clothes, working in the cacao, cutting and bringing wood for cooking, among others. The kids also help in the daily chores. Of course, there is also time to just relax and hang out on the hammock., which are typical in country houses and are very comfy.