Irituia

 Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of posts lately... I just got back from my independent study project though, and I've got plenty of photos. I spent the past week in Irituia, a small town of farmers about 3 hours east of Belem. A new system of farming called agroforesty - basically wild orchards - has really taken off here, and I decided to take a look at it.  I'll keep comments brief since there's so much to show.

Fruit #1: forget the name... but its like a natural cotton candy.

A brand new tractor for the Secretary of Agriculture. Now it just needs wheels.

An 8 year old harvesting acai 40 feet up.

Cattle farm outside town.

Beehive on a local agroforesty plot.

One of the farmers I interviewed. He's draining the cyanide juices from the mandioc....

And then made the manioc into farinha to eat.

Me with another interviewee.

Helping out with acai production.

Downtown Irituia.

Local farmer's live fence. Really, he planted it a few years ago and cuts it every few months.

Irituia

The natural cotton candy again.

The home I stayed in the past week. The local Secretary of Agriculture, Zezinho, and his entire extended family made sure I felt at home there.

Agroforestry system.

Ouch, again.

Two twenty year olds. It just grew a bit bigger.

Off to the market with the acai (and child) in tow.

A godsend. Kills mosquitos with a satisfying zap.

The acai!

Farinha production.

Jaca nuts, jaca juice, and crema de jaca. All from the jaca fruit, of course.

Pedro, 8 years old.

An interviewee's grandfather. "80 years old! Can you believe it!"

Interviewee and cupuacu!

Antonio, Secretary of Agriculture technician and my driver for the week.

Guess what he produces?

Jaca! Yeah, its big.

Fish, rice, beans, farinha, acai.

Zezinho (center) with two interviewees.

The family cat. It wouldn't stop meowing.

A fraction of the extended family and me.