Katherine Krouse: Student Report from 2016 Alternative Spring Break in Belize
One of the major reasons this trip stood out to me was the idea that we would be working on a sustainable farm. Why in the world, with all of the interesting aspects of the trip, would this stand out? Well, my grandparents live in Virginia where they built their own house many years ago, and it has become my favorite place in the world. They’re surrounded by farms with cows, horses, goats, and massive fields. All of my life, I have grown up with stories from my mother about her childhood with their stubborn goat, cute pony, bunnies, and many Mennonite neighbors. So of course, I have always dreamed of having my own life of living off of the land, building my own house (well let’s be honest, designing it), and ultimately having a sustainable farm.
On our way to Belize, I had watched the introductory video about how earth-bag construction works, but that was pretty much all I knew. We had several exciting things planned for the first day, but I was eager to actually visit the farm. When we first arrived, the bumpy dirt road took us all for a ride as we almost fell out of our seats, but the first glimpses of the farm were promising.
From the unique adobe-esque houses to the ducks and geese, from the natural pond to the moody turkeys, from the grafted baby trees to the gorgeous albino peacock, the farm had it all. Immediately, I fell in love. You could tell how passionate Jaime was about his project as his eyes lit up as he took us from spot to spot on the farm, explaining how and why they chose to do everything. Everywhere you looked, you saw innovation. He had planned where to plant trees for shade and for food, where each of the windows should be located for proper air circulation, which animals he should have for food and therapy, and even where he wanted the soccer field to be, uniquely outlined by used tires. His dreams were unfolding along the path on which we were walking.
I learned so much through working with and listening to Jaime. It still amazes me how he has been building homes from dirt that could withstand extreme weather conditions for the local girls from the orphanage. With calluses on his hands, he walked us through the entire process of shoveling the dirt, mixing it with the lime, filling the bags, and packing them down. Our group got right to work. It took a few bags of lime until we got into the swing of things, but afterward, we worked very efficiently as a team. I think we accomplished much more than Jaime had originally expected us to be able to do in the amount of time we were given to work. We made it our goal to finish the root cellar since another University of Tennessee, Knoxville, group of engineers had started the project, and we did it! Jaime taught us a fascinating way to make sure the ground floors of all of the buildings were level through using water and a plastic tube. Once we made it to ground floor, it was time to celebrate! We reminisced about the trip after dinner and into the night. They even gave us beautiful Belize sculptures to always remember our trip.
This trip taught me so much about sustainable farms. I am now completely convinced that all of the work is well worth it! One day, I hope I have as cool of a farm as this one. In the meantime, I will be planning what animals to buy and what foods to plant!