Espadin Agave Replaces Native Landrace Corn Fields for Mezcal Production
We call native corn here CRIOLLO. This term refers to landrace varieties of plants that have adapted to local conditions over generations. Maiz (corn) criollo is a traditional, non-hybrid corn variety grown by indigenous and rural farmers. Criollo can mean something authentic, traditional, or deeply rooted in a region’s culture. I’ve written a Substack essay […]
Mezcal and the Labor Shortage in Oaxaca
One of my first outings after settling into my casita in Teotitlan del Valle upon arrival to Oaxaca was to make a visit to weaver Arturo Hernandez in San Pablo Villa de Mitla. Mitla is one of those ancient Zapotec villages where a spectacular archeological site rises from the landscape of wild agave, cactus and […]
Oaxaca’s Pacific Coast Offers Biodiversity for NC State University Students
After five days around Oaxaca city and into the rural Tlacolula Valley, our group of 13 people boarded the Little Airplane That Could — the 13-passenger AeroTucan, for a 35-minute flight to Puerto Escondido. Over the next five days we would immerse ourselves in the the bio- and cultural diversity of Oaxaca’s Pacific Coast. There […]
Cultural Continuity and Sustainability in Oaxaca’s Tlacolula Valley
I thought it was important for the North Carolina State University Study Abroad students to spend an overnight in an indigenous Zapotec village while they were here in Oaxaca. So, I recommended to Professor Ricardo Hernandez that we include a stay in Teotitlan del Valle as as part of our itinerary. The students were here […]
North Carolina State University Study Abroad Comes to Oaxaca, Mexico
For the past 10 days, Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC (and me!) was host to 11 students and Professor Ricardo Hernandez. They came to study sustainability in developing countries. Dr. Hernandez is a leading international researcher in agricultural greenhouse design in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at NC State University. This is the second time I […]
Book Preview–Milpa: From Seed to Salsa, Oaxaca Food, Recipes, Sustainability
When I visited photographer Judith Cooper Haden in her Santa Fe home recently, she showed me the final proofs for Milpa: From Seed to Salsa, Ancient Ingredients for a Sustainable Future. The book explores the Mesoamerican way of growing, cooking and eating food. The photography is stunning! Four years in the making, the book is […]
Soft Landing: Oaxaca, Mexico
The Continental flight from RDU to IAH to OAX was easy, fast, painless. The plane left the gate in Raleigh-Durham at 2:30 p.m.(EDT) and arrived in Oaxaca at 8:30 p.m. (CDT). I was welcomed into the arms of family cousin Uriel Santiago (you can find him on Facebook: Teotitlan Fruit Company [UriCorp]). He managed to […]