During my short week at La Gran Vista I learned so much about organic and sustainable farming. We spent two days digging up holes along the hill of the farm for soil conservation, one afternoon terrace farming in the forest, one full day collecting and making organic fertilizer and compost, and a couple days harvesting and planting in the garden. We also made an alternating schedule to help Xinia cook fresh and natural meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Most of the food we ate was grown on the farm and harvested just a few minutes before cooking with them such as oranges for oranges juice, coffee beans for coffee, cilantro to garnish our eggs, etc. Seeing exactly where these foods came from definitely made me appreciate nature more and reinforced my love for agriculture.

     Before heading to bed every night our group would reflect on what we learned that day. Whether it be something simple such as learning about a new fruit or something complex such as how to make organic fertilizer, we knew that what we were learning will help make a difference not only on that farm but in the future as well. I know that I can take my experiences from this service learning trip and apply them to the farm that I will work on during my time in Paraguay as a Peace Corps Volunteer. This trip truly opened my eyes and gave me a glimpse into the world I signed up for in my future as an agriculture volunteer.