You've heard me talk about MESA in my posts thus far and no, I'm not going to go to Peru to learn how to build tables. Rather, I'm going to Peru in concern to what goes on them. (I will go ahead and state that all pictures/most of the information on this post will be through information I have received through email as a steward or through MESA's website.)
     MESA stands for Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture and, "connects sustainable farming leaders around the world for participatory training and cross-cultural exchange to strengthen local, resilient food systems worldwide" (MESA). This non-profit, two-way exchange was set up in 1997 and has so far connected 1200 farmers, activists and advocates worldwide and has helped begin over 130 small-scale farms and food justice projects in the process. In my exchange I am lucky enough to go to Peru, spending a total of 3 weeks in Lima and 4 weeks in Cuzco. Past expeditions have gone to Tanzania and Thailand. (For further, more elaborated information PLEASE visit MESA's website at http://www.mesaprogram.org/. They of course do a lot better of explaining what MESA is exactly for I just want to give you a broad idea/rundown of what I'm doing.)

(From MESA's website)

      For my stewardship, I will be going to Cuzco for four weeks and will be working with Yesica Nina Cusiyupanqu and her family on the C.C. Sacllo demonstrative parcel with biointensive production. Below is a picture of my beautiful host mother for four weeks along with whom I believe to be a family member.

(My beautiful host Mama)

     One may ask, Now did you really want to go to Cuzco?, and of course my answer would be HECK YES! It was actually my number one choice. Part of the perks of being a steward is you get to rank your host preferences in order of most desired to least, (although they were ALL amazing), after you are given a description of each destination. Here is Yesica's: 

Join Yesica’s family farm located in the Calca Province at the heart of the Cusco Region

in the southern highlands of Perú. Yesica participated in MESA’s US program in 2005

and 2006 as a Steward at Golden Rule farm in California. There, she learned

biointensive growing practices and was inspired to implement them on her family farm,

Parcela Demostrativa C.C Sacllo, in Cusco. MESA-Peru Stewards on Yesica’s farm will

have the chance to participate in several community projects, including the construction

of 200 biointensive growing beds! You will also travel with Yesica to nearby farming

communities where she trains other growers in organic vegetable production. During

your stay, you will live in an adobe house in Sacllo, a rural community consisting of

approximately 50 families, while learning about Andean cultivars and catching glimpses

of Inca Empire remnants.

      Doesn't that sound like the BEST thing you've ever heard? Well to me it does, obviously.

(Some of the work Yesica and her family participate in.)

      Now that you all know a general idea of what I'm doing I don't want to bore you with even MORE detail. Instead, the rest of theses posts/THE PURPOSE OF THIS BLOG is to document my adventures with Yesica and her family and what I learn in the process. Don't worry, though, for before I leave I will have a cliche post of what I'm packing with questions such as, Does she really need all of those scarfs?, with the answer, Yes, yes she does. It's cold in Peru! I'm excited to get away from this summer heat though!

Hasta la próxima vez