We Need Buyers For Our Honduran Produce

I just returned from a meeting with the Egg Plant producers in the Colonia Agricola, Catacamas, Olancho, Honduras...
49 producers are owed for six weeks of Egg Plant exports...
Payments have been slow for the last year and a half...
The Honduran exporter - Inversiones Mejia - claims the Miami, Florida, USA, buyers are not paying...


Egg Plant producers - Colonia Agricola, Catacamas, Olancho, Honduras...

A tractor trailer was on site...
Waiting to be loaded with Egg Plant...
I asked the producers - why load the trailer if you are already owed money...


I call a Miami buyer that is on one of the export boxes - Pocho´s Best...
I ask why they are not paying the Honduran producers...
I get the usual what right do you have to call me directly yada yada...
But he does say - the Honduran exporter is being paid...
I push the issue...
The owner tells me if the Honduran producers do not like it - to ¨Dump their Egg Plant in the river¨...

I call another Miami buyer labled on another box - Caribbean Fruits and Roots...
They are polite...
They say the Honduran exporter has been paid...
But the recent Egg Plant they have received is of poor quality...
More than half has been thrown away...
So the exporter will not be paid for bad produce...
I explain - if the Honduran producer is not being paid...
He can not harvest a good product...
The Miami buyer tells me they have had many problems with the Honduran exporter...
That they will now work with another exporter...

The Honduran exporter calls me...
Asks me who the hell I am...
Why am I calling the USA...
Talks the tough man yada yada...
Says he owes no one money lol...

My answer...


We did not load the tractor trailer...
Went back to exporter EMPTY...

We have the usual business practice in Honduras...
The Honduran Campesino is used to enrich the Honduran status quo...
The injustice towards the Honduran Campeinso must stop...

I am holding emergency meetings with those who seek solutions for the Honduran Campesino producers...

Seems my recent phone calls - web site posts´ have annoyed people in Honduras...
They are threatening my life lol...
Wow...
You know where I live...
Do not just talk...
Do something...

My children will know their father is not a coward...

If you can help please contact us...

Have to run...


UPDATE Wednesday June 16.2010

There is no reason why Honduras has to live in the Stone Age...
Costa Rica has incredible Agriculture Projects...

The producers in Colonia Agricola settled for two payments out of six...
They filled the tractor trailor today...

Exporter Inversiones Mejia has his Honduran people at his mercy...
Producers owed small grocery stores up to one month of groceries...
The producers told me they had to take whatever money offered by Mejia...
I told them I understood...
But we will not bring change to Honduras working this way...
We can not be slaves to the Honduran Elite...

I just came from an emergency meeting with a group of people I am organizing...
We will open a Farmers Market...
We will build vegetable green houses...
We will open a export company of our own...
We are going to cut out all middlemen who exploit the Honduran Campesino...
We will change Honduras...

"Honduran Dream"
"Sueño Hondureño"

¨Our Actions Will Echo For Eternity¨


UPDATE Thursday June 17.2010

Held meetings with those who want us to start up a Vegetable Export Business for the Honduran Campesinos...
We said it will be a terrific challenge due to corruption in Honduras...
But we all agreed it must be done...


June 18.2010
It was exciting to see our Green Peppers being used to make Shiskabobs...

UPDATE Tuesday June 22.2010


June 21.2010
Dennis holding Green Pepper...
Manuel at his right...
We continue to sell our produce...

This week we will hold our first meeting with major players - to unite the Honduran Agriculture producers in our area...
Everyone is excited...
We are throwing away the antiquated playbook Honduran NGO's use in Honduras...

Ex Honduran President Ricardo Maduro says anyone who thinks there was a Coup in Honduras is ¨crazy¨...


UPDATE Saturday June 26.2010

I just returned from the Agriculture Fair at the National University of Agriculture - UNA - in Catacamas, Olancho, Honduras...

We are assisting the University in organizing local producers...
Since hardly anyone produces vegetables - we had no one to show their product...
We opted to bring the Egg Plant producers from the Colonia Agricola to the fair...
Our goals are to open a permanent Farmers Market...
And a Vegetable Export Company...

We live in one the richest Agriculture belts in Central America - the Guayape Valley...
And there are hardly any vegetable producers...
We have a lot of work to do...


Womens´ group - Fruti Sabores...
They sell fresh Jellies - Pastries - Cookies - Pinol...


Womens´ group - Tajaditos de Olancho...
They sell Plantain chips...


Indigenous Pesh Tribe from Subirana, Culmi and Vallecito...
They need help to begin vegetable farming...

Inversiones Mejia...
And OlanchoFarm...
Are still behind in paying what they owe to the Egg Plant producers in Colonia Agricola...

We know we have a tough road ahead of us in organizing Honduran Vegetable producers...
We have to start from the ground floor...
We are going to create our own contacts outside of Honduras...
Our goal is to find those whose lifestyle is based on the Golden Rule of Ethics...


April 21.2010...
At our farm...
Left - UNA Ing. Roberto Rubi - Works with UNA project - Escuelas de Campo...
Center - UNA Onan Mejia - assistant to Ing. Rubi...
Right - UNA Nate Lehmkuhl...
Working hard to organize local Honduran Farmers...

Many ask me why I live a good life...
I tell those I live a life based on good Ethics...
I honor my commitment to the Great Spirit to help my fellow Honduran Campesinos...
I honor my wife and children...
I adore my wife and children...
I do not use the Honduran Campesino for my personal agenda...
I work hard to make the world a better place...
I have no vices...
No taboo kinks...
It is simple...

Our farm is doing well...
We are dropping Drip Irrigation as a means to irrigate our vegetables - it is not a natural way to irrigate plants...
We are preparing to plant another 4 tareas of Green Peppers...
And a 1/4 tarea of Cucumbers...
There are 16 tareas to 1.6 acres of land...
We are going to perfect our method in growing Green Peppers and Cucumbers...
We are going to create a model for our fellow Campesinos to follow...
Kind of like building a Vegetable Franchise - a franchise that earns a solid income...
We are working hard to learn how to use Organic methods to fertilize our veggies and control pests...
This will lower costs for our Campesinos...

We will try to not give credit to the wrong doings of the NGO´s who did not follow through with their word to assist our Farmers Co Op...
Their story has been already told in preceding posts´...
They have no future in the new Honduras we are building...
We will present to you only solutions to better the lives of our fellow Honduran Campesinos...

Yes...
I thanked these same NGO´s here...
In my next breath...
I asked them to leave our farm...
The circumstances changed very fast...
It was a shock for us...
We weathered the storm...

Our Mission Statement has been achieved at this Blog...
We said we could organize a group of Honduran Farmers to plant Vegetables...
And bring the vegetables to the local market for sale...
We did that...
And we only started planting in January 2010...
Even with plenty of broken promises by several people - costing us 100K lempiras in losses...
Lack of vegetable farming experience by us ...
We are still selling Green Peppers and Cucumbers...
Now we are going to expand our operation...

Ask your favorite Honduran NGO what they have their group of Hondurans planting and selling...
And they have been working in Honduras for years...


UPDATE Monday June 28.2010

Anniversary of the Honduran Coup...
The Honduran Resistance Movement is alive and well in Honduras...

Honduran soccer team did not score a goal in Africa...
What did you think...
Celebrating your entry into the World Cup in Africa...
While a Honduran President was exiled at gunpoint...
Hondurans were dying...
And you were celebrating...
Karma is good...

We have begun a different game plan...
We will perfect our Green Pepper and Cucumber project...
Once we have the Green Pepper and Cucumber production manual ready...
That is when we will say we are ready to present our work to the public...
If the Honduran Farmers do not have a legit production manual to follow - there is no way we can expand our work in Honduras...
Our manual will include Organic methods - Preparing the soil - Nursery - Transplanting - Irrigation - Plant maintenance - Harvest - Market...
We will build a totally integrated Green Pepper - Cucumber turnkey system...
Veggie greenhouses are on our agenda as well - great projects for womens´groups...

It is going to be hard work to put our Honduran Farmer project ideas at this Blog into action...
A Pro Honduran Farmer climate does not exist in Olancho...
A Farmers Market does not exist in Olancho...
There is no Honduran Farmer Vegetable export company...
We are ready for the challenge...

Several people have suggested I am being harsh with my NGO comments...
Well...
Ask why over one million Hondurans migrated North...
If you think Honduras sending mothers and fathers North...
Sons and daughters North...
Disintegrating families...
If you think this is the right thing to do...
You are at the wrong Blog...

There is no true leadership in Honduras...
No one is watching out for the common man...
The Honduran staus quo have removed anyone who threatens their bank accounts...
Honduran NGO´s always remove me from their projects as soon as possible lol...
I am a threat to their personal agenda...

Those who use religion as a fund raiser...
The Honduran people can not eat a Bible...
Why not save a person...
And teach them how to plant vegetables...
Telling someone G-d will provide - whether you work or not - is not true...
Why not create a Honduran Christian Agricultural project - it can be done...
Please do not show me two or three tomato gardens your members have planted...
And say ¨We showing our members how to plant veggies...
Show me at least 50 church members who are exporting veggies each week...
Through the Honduran export company you built in Catacamas...
Show me how many new profits and wages are generated annually from your Agri Project...
Show me how your Agri Project removed Hondurans from imposed poverty - forever...
Made them less dependent on you...
And show me how your Agri Project changed the economics in Catacamas...
Show me true change...
I challenge you to show me such a project...
Amen...


UPDATE Tuesday June 29.2010


June 29.2010
Todays´ Green Pepper and Cucumber sales...
Today was our eleventh cutting of Green Peppers...
Most producers harvest - maybe - three times...
Like I have said here...
He does provide...


Our Green Peppers are coming from small parcel to middle right of this picture...
A little more than 2 tareas...
We are going to plant 4 tareas to the left...


2500 Green Pepper seedlings in planting trays...
Planting trays will help us - avoid traditional ground nursery soil problems - avoid transplanting stress - allow plant to reach maturity faster...


UPDATE July 2.2010

Due to recent problems with our Green Pepper crop...
We believe rainfall is the reason for bacteria - fungus related issues...
We will continue to use Drip Irrigation...
Seems moisture allows certain bacteria and fungus to thrive...
Irrigationg our vegetables with sprinklers will aid the moisture problem...
By trial and error we are learning what is best for our vegetables...

There is talk of new government agriculture projects...
Such as Agri Parks...
Centers where farmers can buy sell agriculture - produce products...
World Food Program - PMA - is offering to buy grains from farmers...
The Honduran government is talking about buying our cow milk...
Country wide pressure from the Honduran Agriculture sector is pushing the government to act...
We shall see...

We are meeting with our Olancho senator Francisco Rivera PN - to begin talks about Agriculture projects we desire...
I spoke with the ADEL-Catacamas office yesterday...
They will help us organize a local Farmers Market...
I spoke with Ex Catacamas mayor Ing. Gustavo Rosa regarding our ideas as well...

Inversiones Mejia owes Egg Plant producers in Colonia Agricola, Catacamas, Olancho four weeks of payments...
Rumor has it Mejia is building a packing plant in the Dominican Republic...
Hence the slow payments to the very people who made Mejia a rich man...
Once the packing plant is built - adios Honduras...
Producer beware...

Olancho Farm was given an order by UNA Rector Dr. Marlon Escoto to get their act together - and pay the producers - or their contract would be canceled with UNA...
Our pressure prompted Dr. Escoto to take these measures...
Olancho Farm is paying producers...

Action with passion...


UPDATE Sunday November 21.2010


I have not returned to the womens´ group I organized...
I believe mankind must step up to the plate and do their part...
Not to hold out their hand and expect someone to drop food into it...
Mankind did not get to where it is today by not working the land...
Some call this Survival of the Fittest...

We are still working together with UNA...
UNA Agri engineer Andres Paz is one of our advisors...

Olanchofarm went bust owing the Egg Plant producers of Colonia Agricola 800K Lempiras..
The vegetable packing plant at UNA is available for a responsible group...

We still will work with greenhouses´...

Our NGO plans were stopped by the Honduran - American Combine...
Export plans have stopped for now...

I have faith one day we can build a Ethical Honduran Camesino Agriculture NGO...
Some have said to me...
I have crossed true ethical standards criticizing certain Honduran NGO´s...
Losing 85K Lempiras cause of non ethical Honduran NGO´s...
Is something I had to analyze...
I determined Honduran business as usual that caused suppression of the Honduran Campesino had to be discussed in a public forum...
If this is non ethical...
So be it...
I will not turn the other cheek...
My words will remain in print...

We have begun our Family Farm Project...


Thursday June 23.2011

We are not planting veggies at this time...
We have replaced vegetable beds with our Yellow Corn and Frijol crop...
We need Yellow Corn to make our concentrate for our pigs...
Frijol beans are at 20 and 22 Lempiras per pound today...
For this reason we contunie to plant Frijol bean for sale...

· · ·

Review Of Last Seventeen Months

January 12.2010
· IDE - Honduran Campesino Drip Irrigation Project


January 20.2010
· The Honduran Campesino Dream Begins


January 27.2010
· Answer To Imposed Honduran Poverty - Action


May 5.2010
· We Are Selling Our First Vegetables


June 15.2010
· We Need Buyers For Our Honduran Produce


Friday November 12.2010
A decision has been made together with our Honduran Campesino associates...
All IDE International drip irrigation equipment has been removed from our farm...
We are looking at irrigation systems developed in Nicaragua...


November 12.2010
· Family First


November 14.2010
We have initiated our Pig Project...
· Family Farm Project


December 24.2010
· Aldea Sosa Roadside Farmers Market


January 19.2011
· We Continue To Plant Frijol Beans


January 26.2011
· We Continue To Sell Our Farm Products


February 2.2011
· Frijol 40 Rosado - Frijol Cuarentano Rosado


March 24.2011
· My 24 Year Old Dream For Honduras - Swadeshi


June 28.2011
Pig project update...
· Failure Is Not An Option


August 29.2011
· Corn Warriors

September 4.2011
· Pig Warriors