The first community we visited was in the highlands at Tzimbuto where 52 members, all women, represented 150 families. A few members from other communities joined our group. The students from the school first put on a traditional dance with Ecuadorian music. There were radio people broadcasting the event; a couple, that also worked with Ekorural. The community then put on a play where they acted out the large corporate producing companies that produce fast food and packaged foods and how they influence consumers. Also how unhealthy the processed food, illnesses created and chemical that are digested as compared to organic locally grown foods. The foods grown with natural fertilizers, by women in the community and the relationships built around rural communities growing their own food and taking it to the urban areas to market.

The ancient grains and strains of potatoes are being recovered from some farmers Foods that are being grown include more than 20 varieties of potatoes, lima beans, onions, orange carrots, white carrots, tree tomatoes, many varieties of corn, quinoa, alphalpha, garlic, herbs of all kinds and medicinal plants, hakuma, avocado tree etc.; on a smaller scale broccoli, peas,

These are all grown in the small plots shown up mountain sides in the photos and the women seed and harvest all by hand using spades, small scythes etc. Irrigation is by small repeated s shaped hand dug canals that flow from simple cement irrigation canals controlled with large rocks to stop the flow.

Each member may have a cow, pig and chicken to use for milk and cheese (cow) and fertilizer.

The second day, we visited another urban area called Unara Lagua where the organic produce was set up once a week and sold in consumer baskets to consumers that ordered ahead of time. A group and partner called Utopia are a group of women who organized the location networks etc. The produce from Ekorural members and other farmers arrived in bulk early before the market opened. Violet and Becca pitched in and helped bag a number of tomatoes, peppers, limes and papaya then by weight lima beans, potatoes and onions. All this takes place outside, on the ground, with scales and volunteers helping out. The bags/baskets are then picked up by the the consumers who arrive at 10:00 am. There is Andean music played with Spanish songs selected about growing corn, farming, the sun etc on loud speakers.

Seven of us sat around in a round table that was broadcast in the market and discussed local and international produce and consumer trade of foods. The pros and cons of organic produce, trust, relationships, health, nutrition etc. The round table consisted of Canadians and Belgium students, philanthropist, American NGO, Ekorural, Utopia, and Government officials etc.

We then visited another community with 22 members, all women, representing 79 families. They had been operating for 4 years together and were in the pics without the traditional dress. All produce is grown organically without chemicals only natural insect spray made out of certain biodegraded veggies and herbs plus fertilizer from their own cows and chickens.

The women in each community visit other communities and trade seeds. Women can now support themselves and their children. Most husbands are go to work in urban areas and are home on weekends.