Escuela del Campo
VISION
La Escuela del Campo emphasizes both ecological and social responsibility through regenerative agriculture. Through education, we seek to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and skills throughout the local community.
MISSION
We seek to provide educational opportunities for inspired individuals to become community mentors.
HISTORY
The Escuela de Campo was conceived in December 2006 by Andrea Calfuquir. During the winter of 2007 it was greatly built upon in scope, breadth and vision by Hannah Maia Roessler, Katherine Young, and Jackee Pitts. The concept was vetted and supported by Project Bona Fide. Since its inception over 3 years ago, Escuela de Campo has been aided by numerous BF volunteers and friends. Original programs based in fertility building strategies, gardening, and seed saving have been expanded to include horticulture in the nursery and the study, use and diffusion of local and exotic medicinal plant knowledge, preparation, storage, and usage. Spring and summer of 2008 saw the introduction of a lecture series by Nicaraguan local experts in the fields of agro-ecology and integrated pest management and a organic grain production project conceived and run by Escuela de Campo students.
NEW PROJECTS FOR 2009 AND 2010
Escuela de Campo will begin a transition phase in the summer of 2009 towards honoring its vision of training mentors. Escuela de Campo students will now become teachers and they will educate local Nicaraguan individuals, school groups and adult learners about the many facets of organic agriculture, horticulture and herbalism that encompasses their acquired skills and knowledge. Along with their further community involvement they will also begin to explore a “Permaculture Education Program” that is envisioned as a vehicle for international students to study with Escuela de Campo teachers, visiting instructors and the Bona Fide Co-Directors, Michael Judd and Chris Shanks. The vision is a collaborative program that will include language school immersion, learning organic agriculture in Spanish and learning by doing via participation and “hands on” at Project Bona Fide. For more information please contact: coordinator@projectbonafide.com.
THE FUTURE
The Escuela de Campo will continue to focus on education and action as its two key precepts and guiding principles for the foreseeable future. Students at the school will continue to add to and improve their current skill sets and will devote energy and time in 2009 and 2010 to developing right livelihood positions based on emerging organic food markets and educational opportunities on the island and abroad.