Co-workers! (Homework #5)

Only recently have I gotten a colleague other than my supervisor.  He is a native Honduran who was adopted by an American missionary couple when he was young.  Recently he has moved back to Honduras.  He started out just translating for us, but now he helps me on my trial plots.  Our relationship is based on mutual friendship.  He knows more about Honduran culture and even more about corn than I do.  I am constantly learning about traditional farming from him, and I try to teach him the scientific approaches I am taking to growing corn in return.  The first question he asked me was how many corn seeds I was planting together, three for four.  I replied one.

This week I started planting my corn plots!  Right now, I have 18 plots measured out but only 11 planted.  I also conducted an interview with an agronomist this weekend.  I asked him questions about local corn production.  The topics ranged from planting date, fertilizer, weeds, insects, and diseases.  Of course the answers were his opinions, but it was information I could not find on my own.  I also harvested (and ate) some corn that was planted back in May.

The only agronomic problem I can think of is the tiller we were going to use could not be fixed here in Gracias.  We had to end up buying a weed eater to get rid of the weeds and then purchase a hand planter to plant the corn.

Supervisor's Leadership Style (Homework #4)

Shannon’s leadership style is one that I work well under.  He leads more as a partner or co-worker than a supervisor or boss.  He has made it clear from the start that I am free to make mistakes and look like a fool, because that is how we learn.  He asks questions of me only for my benefit in thinking things through.  Never does he make me look or feel like I’m lacking in knowledge.  This leadership style helps me take more chances and not be afraid of failure.  I think this is also how I lead; giving encouragement to others and not making them feel inadequate, because in life no one knows everything.  We can all learn from one another.

These past two weeks have been filled with research and project finalization.  I’ve started research on a corn production factsheet specifically for this region in Honduras.  A lot of the information is general and can be used for corn production anywhere; however some is region specific.  I also finalized my project plan: plot size, specific trials, what I’m measuring, what needs to be the control, etc.

This week, I have also heard about some ‘miracle’ organic fertilizer for El Salvador.  This is not necessarily an agronomic problem, more like a question.  No one really knows what’s in it or what it comes from, but it supposedly increases yield tremendously.  I’m quite intrigued and a little leery, but the resolution is to get some of this organic fertilizer and apply it to a test plot of corn and see what happens.  The other thing is to dig deeper and find out what this really is.

Interview Process (Homework #3)

I came into contact with my supervisor after a great deal of networking.  The actual interview process took place mainly through email.  He asked questions about my background, what I wanted to learn, if I could financially support myself while here.  What I liked most about his responses was the fact he was always honest about the work he is doing.  After we had been emailing for about three months I drove down to Texas to meet him and his family.  It was there they told me more about their vision and how I would fit into what they were doing.  We spoke briefly about projects I might have while in Honduras.  In March I came to Honduras for a few days to make sure I would be okay living here for such a long time. 

The past two weeks have been a little different.  It began at the radio station where the corn is.  I helped turn over some compost piles, take a soil test for the coffee land, and measure out a menzana which is an area unit of land.  Menzana is also the Spanish word or apple, so it gets confusing sometimes.  Later I worked with a mission group from Texas who came to put cement on the outside of a mud brick church.  Being around Hondurans during a specific task (like remodeling the church) is a big help when it comes to learning Spanish.  The same words like cement, ax, shovel, and broom are used repeatedly.

This week I had to deal with more of a professional and cultural resolution of an existing problem.  For the first month I was here, my supervisor’s wife was still back in the states.  In Oklahoma this wouldn’t be much of a problem, but here it limited me on how much I could do with him.  For instance, I couldn’t always go to church if a group of girls did not come along.  I couldn’t go out in the villages if the other missionary team wasn’t with us.  I couldn’t go work on the aquaponic system at his house because no one else was there.  Now his family is back, so it opens more doors for me to do what I came here to do.

Project Plan (Homework #2)

Project

A Christian radio station near Gracias, Honduras sits on the outskirts of some 32 acres of land.  The great majority of the land is uncultivated and grown up in grass, weeds, pine trees, or a combination of all three.  However, there are some areas planted in coffee, plantain, pineapple, corn, and beans. 

Throughout my time here, I will be working directly with all those crops with emphasis on the corn and the beans.  These two crops are planted in small sections on a hill covering a little less than two acres.  This patch of land has not been cultivated for several years, and the lack of management has left the soil void of essential nutrients.

Once I receive the soil test report back from the lab, it will be my responsibility to present a plausible soil fertility recommendation to my supervisor.  The lab provides a recommendation, and I will compare my suggestions to theirs once I come up with a plan.

Another part of my project is to conduct research on the corn and beans already planted as well as a second crop.  The different trials will include fertilizing with water from an aquaponics system, amending soil with compost, and using synthetic fertilizer.  More trials may be added as resources become available.

In the end, I will compare the results of the research trials to use in further studies.  The overall goal of this project is to help integrate scientific and critical thinking skills into crop production in Honduras.  Once that begins, finding actual solutions to agronomic problems can be found and used for long term management instead of fixing problems on a short term basis.  Hopefully this will relieve some extra costs and time.

Progress

A soil sample has been collected and taken into the lab for analysis.  It should be ready to pick up, but the lab is 3 ½ hours away.  In order to save time, money, and overall safety I’ll not actually receive the results until we make a necessary trip to the airport (in the same town as the lab) at the end of July.  This is Honduran life.  I have started to research more about soil fertility and soil recommendations so I will be ready to go when I actually do get the results.

Problem

The beans started to set pods before I got them all weeded out.  I helped make the decision to leave the rest be, harvest them, and start over with a second crop.  There will be enough time after harvest to get another crop in.  The upside is the second batch will be planted after I have results and recommendations for the soil.  It will be nice to see the differences in the two crops.  Another problem is the corn field has weeds in it.  My resolution was to whack the weeds down with a machete.  I don’t yet know what kind of herbicides they have here or how reasonable they are for the average farmer to purchase. 

Experience

This Friday is a celebration called Lempira Day.  Lempira was an Indian chief back when Spain invaded Central America.  He is also the man the department/state is named after and the man the money is named after.  The festivities have only started, but the central park was filled with booths and people last time I walked by.  Apparently there will be a parade.