The Medicine Farm



Ajijic, Jalisco, MX, July 4, 2010. In mid-June, more than twenty members and friends of Green Transition in Action (GTiA) and the Lake Chapala Green Group (LCGG)—Lakeside community groups focused on sustainable living—convoyed north on the Chapala-Guadalajara highway to the high country around Ixtlahuacán. There they visited what one might call the "Medicine Farm" of José Guadalupe Vásquez Maderos.  

Here, for more than a year, José has been growing medicinal herbs and other healthful plants. The wide-open view and the abundance of production belie the fact that the farm comprises only two hectares. It is, however, a model of efficient, organic, growing practice, and features at least 30 plant species that are regularly harvested. Among them are the nopal blanco (pictured above), reportedly "the most commonly used substance for lowering blood sugar among persons of Mexican descent," condurango, an intestinal remedy which has been studied, if not confirmed, as a treatment for stomach cancer, papaloquelite, a lemony cilantro-like plant whose leaves are used to season many Mexican dishes and which, according to Cornell University's "Papalo Science Page," are employed as a "medicinal herb for many ailments, such as high blood pressure, upset stomach, and infections."

José's neat brick home on the property is "built green," with solar-heated water, gray water filtered for use in the garden, and an odorless and compost-yielding indoor dry toilet. Plans are underway for a rainwater capture and natural purification system. Outside is an airy post-and-beam constructed, covered outdoor kitchen and dining area, with a word-burning stove, brick oven, and tables for several dozen visitors.

Today's "visitors" from GTiA are more that just that, for many of them have been part of what José calls "este duermo de communidad" from the beginning. Members have planted trees, consulted on plant uses and green technology, and even danced on the community dance ground by the house. In conjunction with José and other local growers and community members, they have established a weekly market for organic and local produce that is open to all. Those cooperating in this effort, Mexican and non-Mexican alike, seem ready to put their vision of a sustainable future for the Lake Chapala area, for México, and for the world, into action now.

Bob Craft