The never-ending sound of rain crashes against the metal roof as I walk through the outdoor hallways of Earth University. To my right, wild orchids sway in the wind, flashing their pink and purple petals in the reflection of the raindrops. To my left, students ride their bikes to class, seemingly unfazed by the downpour. The rain hasn’t stopped the lush landscape from radiating color, making me yearn for a break in the clouds so I can explore these new and interesting plants. This place is a horticulturalists haven, and I feel irked that I know little about the masterpieces surrounding me. Over the next couple days, the sound of the rain starts to blend in with the sound of my breath, becoming a part of me and my existence here at Earth.
Today is a work day. Our group joins the students as they prepare for their work on the Student Organic Farm, feeling slightly like outsiders but excited to interact with the students for the first time since we arrived. After an incredible tour of the facilities, we decide which farm project we would like to help with, and I immediately decide on helping with the production of the cacao trees.
My one true weakness in life is the dark, smooth, bitter taste of an artisanal bar of chocolate, and yet I know nothing about the production of this magical substance. I am handed a pair of pruners, a canvas bag, and introduced to a first-year student named Marisol. She works in the cacao trees twice a week, and is going to teach my classmates and I how to complete the day’s farm task. Marisol either speaks very little English, or her shyness prevents her from experimenting with her language skills. Either way, I feel a huge wave of disappointment in myself for never taking a Spanish class. I want so badly to get to know her interests, understand her background, and learn about her community back in the Yucatán region of Mexico. She is wearing purple pants, a patterned shirt, and a bright yellow raincoat, looking as colorful as the scenery around us. Thankfully, a member of our group acts as a translator, and as the afternoon goes on I start to see glimpses of Marisol’s vibrant personality.
Our task is simple. We are looking for cacao fruit that has been infected with a fungus, cutting this fruit from the tree and re-counting the number of pods left on the branches. Each tree is numbered, and Marisol is recording all of this information on a damp piece of paper. The rain pours down but we keep counting and cutting the bad fruit. I lug the canvas bag of fruit, which is getting heavier and heavier with each tree we visit, and we count again. The bugs are biting, the mud is splashing, the work continues.
We have one more task to complete before we get to take a break from the rain, which is burying the bad fruits in the forest, far away from the cacao trees. We do this so that the fungus doesn’t spread to more of the fruit, and also for peace of mind. We hike into the forest, lugging bags of cacao fruit behind us. We jump over a small creek and then begin to dig. I try and pull my weight by taking over the shovel, showing these strong students that I know a little bit about farm-work myself. But as I dig my shovel gets tangled in the foreign roots, making me look like a novice as I struggle. Our hole is large enough, and we dump the infected fruit, standing around the hole in a group. It feels ritualistic and sacred as we bury the fruit, covering them with damp earth, wishing for their decomposition and containment as we shovel.
The day is done and rice and beans await us in the cafeteria. For me, today was a transformational day. I felt like a tourist on this farm, soaking up more than rain and mud as I talked to students and learned about their interests and research. For students such as Marisol, today was one of two work days that they will complete this week, ultimately compiling into a well rounded agricultural and technical education. They are learning skills that will benefit themselves and their communities, with goals of a more sustainable future for us all. The next time I bite into my favorite fancy chocolate bar, I will not do so without thinking about the implications of my purchases, the farmers whose incomes I am affecting, and the hard work that goes into maintaining and protecting cacao fields all over the world.
Cassandra Malis
Masters Candidate in Food Studies
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