 |
|
 Personnel from the Ciudad Romero Production Center explain seed germination to a group of farmers |
The Ciudad Romero Production Center serves as the most important hub of the Coordinadora’s Agriculture Program. In addition to providing offices to agronomists, the property houses their seed bank, nursery, greenhouse, training facility, and has enough space to test new crops and techniques.
A nearby field hosts an extension of the Production Center, with staff producing fertilizer, testing additional crops and techniques, and conducting pilot projects.
|
In Ciudad Romero, the Coordinadora has operated an experimental fruit and vegetable plot for about 2 years. This area allows agronomists to test new techniques and technologies before recommending them to beneficiary farmers. |
 This new curved layout is just one of the innovations that may allow them to improve harvests and soil retention. |
 The building of a trellis system for loroco (an edible flower) |
One example of the Agriculture Program’s growing sophistication, effectiveness, and long-range planning is the Center now operates with an annual management plan. The plan will make it easier to chart annual progress and impact by laying out activities and objectives for the year. |
The Greenhouse
| Every year the Center’s staff has developed additional experience and expertise in managing the greenhouse. This allows them to use this space effectively and produce more and better seedlings. By basing their greenhouse in the region, rather than buying from a commercial producer elsewhere, the Coordinadora can exercise strong quality control, confirm the health of the plants, and produce plants already adapted to the local climate. |  |
Although the flooding in October 2007 damaged the ultraviolet-resistant plastic roofing of the greenhouse, they have been able to repair it.
All told, they have produced roughly 50,000 plants of the following varieties for family gardens and diversified farms, including tomato, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, cabbage, eggplant, and okra.
The Nursery
The nursery produced 20,000 trees, including 22 varieties of forest trees, 16 varieties of native fruit trees, and 19 non-native fruit trees. This exceeded their goal.
The Coordinadora has made a special effort to recover native fruit trees, many of which have become quite rare. They used a significant number of the fruit trees to reforest alongside the paved road from Ciudad Romero to the highway.
 The preparation of fertile soil for tree planting |
Native trees have advantages over non-native species because they are more adapted to the local climate, are less vulnerable to pests and disease, and increase economic and nutritional options. They also contribute to the genetic diversity of the region’s crops, lessening the economic and nutritional impact should one or two crops fail in any given year (which often happens in farming). |
The Coordinadora uses non-native trees that over previous decades have become part of the local diet and thrive in the local climate. These provide additional nutrition and income for beneficiary families.
 A variety of trees is grown from seed and provided to beneficiary farmers and for sale to the general public. |
Organic Fertilizer, Pesticides, and Fungicides
As more farmers have success using organic methods, the demand for organic fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides has grown. The Coordinadora’s agronomists have taught beneficiary farmers how to make some of these themselves using local materials, so the Coordinadora only makes small quantities for demonstration purposes. With other products, due to economies of scale, complex processes, and other causes, the Coordinadora has found it more effective to produce these products on a large scale themselves.
 |
 |
 |
Last year, the Production Center made: 20,000
kilos of bocashi fertilizer |
Mangrove Radio has played an important role in promoting the use and household preparation of these organic products. This has resulted in a decrease in the use of hazardous chemical fertilizers and pesticides which pollute the water and hurt human health.
The Seed Bank
|
The Coordinadora has begun building a seed bank as part of their efforts to recover native seeds. The Coordinadora participates in several agricultural exchanges in the region every year. They take local seeds that they've rediscovered and trade them for others. Then they begin the process of testing the new seeds to see how they respond to local growing conditions. |
 Beans are dried and cleaned |
 |
By keeping them at a steady, cool temperature, the seeds' viability is extended for many years. Not only do native seeds tend to be better adapted to the local climate than seeds produced by outside companies, they are not genetically modified, and the farmers don't have to pay royalties to patent holders to use them. |