water moves among trees & swales

Jesus Leon Santos, indigenous farmer of Nochixtlan, Oaxaca, practices Mixteca farming practices to revitalize devastated land. After Spanish colonization, the land was overgrazed and poisoned with large amounts of chemical fertilizer. In addition, farmers growing corn in the region lost their market to the export agriculture of US corn made possible via NAFTA.

Santos began working with a group of local Mixtec farmers--CEDI-CAM--in the 1980s to plant trees that were local to the region, such as ocote pines, which could hold the rich soil in place and filter water. The CEDI-CAM farmers also dig hundreds of miles of contoured ditches, also described as swales in permaculture, which retain water for crops. They are drawing from indigenous farming methods, and promoting an indigenous diet.

"The indigenous people have so much to share with this planet," Santos said. "We must not let the corporations take these resources because this is the legacy for all people, not just a few."

source: Indian Country Today