Ariel Rafael Gutierrez
Ariel Rafael Gutierrez is our 25 year-old ag technician from the community of Pio XII. Ariel has a young family – his wife Roxanna and his one year old son Liam. Although he grew up in more of an urban community, Ariel has loved agriculture from a young age, having spent many days of his youth on the small farm operated by his grandparents. Ariel has completed a three year ag-technician course to be able to begin work with La Semilla, and is currently in year three of another three year program to achieve his agriculture studies degree from UNIAV (Universidad Internacional Antonio de Valdivieso) in RIVAS. As for most university students, education means sacrifice, and Ariel is working hard to achieve his life goals. He works 5 ½ days a week at La Semilla as an agriculture extension worker, and every other weekend travels the 2 hours journey to…
Partnering in Personal Protective Equipment
Ag development work comes with it’s share of costs. A shout out to our friends at Taber Home & Farm Center and Independant Crop Inputs and our many farmer supporters in Southern Alberta for their financial help in helping us bring awareness and training of this important topic to the farmers of Carazo, Nicaragua. Although the use of agri-chemicals is wide-spread in Nicaragua, proper handling, application techniques, and personal protection are areas where much training is needed. Application is exclusively by backpack sprayer, so applicators are directly in the zone of pestcide application. Beginning at our annual field day, we are teaching awareness and proper use of personal protective equipment. It’s true the climate in Nicaragua is brutally hot to wear one more protective layer, but looking after your health is an important part of sustainable agriculture. Each grower who attended our annual field day received a free pair of nitrile…
Finanzas para El Reino/Finances with a Kingdom View
Ever since La Semilla Ministries was created to address the issues preventing healthy development in rural Nicaragua, teaching sound financial management has been a goal. Along with all the other tasks of this integrated development ministry, assigning the resources necessary to bring this about took some time. In April, 2018, this course became a reality in Carazo, Nicaragua. International ministry is always looking to be efficient and resourceful to accomplish goals. Our investigations brought us to Jesse Rodriguez of the Nehemiah Center in Managua. Jesse had brought in spanish language resources for teaching a financial management course called «Buen Sentido, Finanzas Para El Reino» based on a course developed by the Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois. Two of our staff, Franklin Garcia and Ariel Gutierrez attended a leaders course in Managua to get trained to teach in our geographic region. On April 19, 13 participants graduated from this 4…
Advancing Toward Certified Seed
Those involved in crop production agriculture will quickly recognize the benefits of always starting a production cycle with quality seed. The facts are no different in Nicaragua. We battle against climate, disease and viruses. For any crop to have a healthy start, it needs every advantage it can get. At La Semilla (translates to «The Seed») one area of primary focus is improving the quality of seed that producers in our province of Nicaragua are planting. First off, we investigate and source varieties with the appropriate qualities needed for predictable yield results in Carazo. Varieties are then evaluated in local growing conditions in a couple of distinct micro-climates to assess their qualities. Varieties then need to pass the criteria for marketing – size and color of the grain is very important in both local and international markets. Second, we contract the propagation of selected varieties with certain growers trained to…
Learning by Demonstration
It would seem that if we offered a technical program to a group of farmers that had very little access to new technologies, ideas, and opportunities, they would jump at the chance to be involved, right!? As we’ve learned over many years and growing cycles here in Nicaragua, this is not always the case. Traditions and culture, no matter where we live, are huge influences on our willingness to consider new ideas. Adaptation (sometimes TRUST is synonomous) continues to be one of our biggest hurdles in agriculture development in Carazo. Probably no matter where you are, or what business you’re in, actual functioning examples – demonstrations – are one of the best tools for sharing ideas and realizing uptake of those ideas. Recognizing this, La Semilla Ministries maintains various test/demonstration plots as a manner to share with our grower base. We’re blessed with some talented young agronmists who have eagerly…
Sebastian Molina – Las Mojicas
1 John 3:17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? La Semilla Ministries exists because of this mandate – Practically demonstrating God’s love….to EVERYONE! Search around our website for a series of posts that describe the people, their life and it’s realities here in Nicaragua. The people we work with are real, gentle, humble and deserving. Thanks for your support as we continue to deliver options for the poor to escape the clutches of material poverty and to work alongside them discovering new opportunities. Sebastian Molina. Living in the community of San Miguel de los Mojicas, Sebastian works hard tilling the land. Besides 3 or 4 acres planted to beans and sorghum, he always has a vegetable plot on the go to sell watermelons, or zuchini, or peppers. Imagine the…
Luis Galan – Cañas Blancas
Sustainable agriculture development is a tool to fight poverty. It’s a long-term investment of dollars and time and energy that La Semilla Ministries is committed to! Luis Galan: Don Luis has been working with the minstry as a producer of beans for the past 3 growing cycles and has achieved what we call «GRUPO UNO» demonstrating good cultural practices and responsibility with crop inputs, including credit. Don Luis is from the community of Cañas Blancas and has a fairly diverse income. He is the caretaker of a plantation of advocados and plantains, he rents land to plant beans and sorghum each year, and he has a small piece of land himself where he has planted advocados. Diversification is certainly a part of a sustainable agriculture model. A challenge that Don Luis and other Nicaraguan producers face is fair and just access to credit. It’s disappointing to know that the credit…
Don Carlos & Doña Benita
James 1:27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. It’s our mandate, right? Each one of us concerned for the needs of others. God brings joy and peace into our lives through our loving on others. Give us your eyes for the world, LORD. Don CARLOS & Doña BENITA: Of course our daily life here in Nicaragua exposes us to much of the harsh reality and affects of poverty. Living situations like Carlos & Benita. They are residents of the barrio next to where we help with a seniors home. While they aren’t ready to make a move into the actual facility, where care and love is provided for 9 residents, they do benefit a lot from the practical care that is offered at Dulce Refugio Seniors Home. Simple…
Selecting the Right Participants – «La desicion es suya!»
Working in agriculture in Nicaragua within a development model requires that we select the right participants into our programs. Believe it or not, not every producer that we interact with wants the services and opportunities that Ministerio La Semilla presents. Many people are stuck in a lack of vision, and are not looking for solutions for them to develop themselves – economically, socially, nor spiritually. If there were things being given away, sure, they would be first in line, but the effort and «cost» of development – no thanks. Sustainable development starts with a vision and desire to improve! Thankfully though, we meet many producers who do believe in a better future for themselves and their families, and will take active steps to make changes. Over the years and growing seasons that we have worked in Nicaragua, we have continually defined our programs and the manner in which we make…
Centro de Salud LA CHONA officialy opens!
Alcaldesa (mayor) Yulinda Téllez addresses the crowd. Although La Semilla Ministries is focused on economic development through agriculture, we have a heart for the families and communities where we work. Based on that compassion, and our desire to practically demonstrate the love of God, we began work on a community health center in LA CHONA in July of 2015. Through many months of labor, both paid and volunteer, the building began to take shape, and the final outfitting of equipment and supplies could be put into place to make the building ready for occupancy. Hats off to our work teams from CENTRA Windows & Doors in B.C. Canada, Taber EFC Church, Alberta, and MEMO Canada (equipment & supplies) for your generosity and dedication to making this project a reality. May God add His blessing to your work! The clinic is located on public property, on the same grounds…