::: Granja Gatuncito :::
August 5, 2009
THE FARM
Benjamin Rodriguez is the President of Granja Gatuncito, an eight hectare farm in Gatu that yields a wide variety of crops, including corn, fish, rice, peppers, plantains, cabbage, beans, guandu, otoe, mango, tomatoes, limes, chickens, and pigs. Benjamin owns the farm with 5 other socios, and 29 people in total generate their sustenance from this land.
THE PROBLEM
Granja Gatuncito suffers structurally and financially, the two issues being heavily linked. Since 2007, strong winds have blown through Gatu every February, destroying crops and rendering structures unusable. The farm has had their two main structures, a chicken coupe/ grain dryer and a community rancho, heavily damaged by these winds. The rancho, used for group meetings, cooking for farmers, storage of tools and wood, drying beans and grains, and storing dried goods, is structurally unstable, and the farmers fear that the roof will cave in while they are working within. However, they must continue to use the space, as it is all they can afford. Further, the four-year-old thatch roof has deteriorated heavily, and anything that is drying beneath while a storm comes is ruined (storms accumulate quickly, and there is seldom enough time to move goods to a dry space).
In addition to structural misfortunes, the February winds have dealt Granja Gatuncito great financial blows as well, destroying substantial amounts of crops (corn, beans, and yucca). The greater issue, however, is one of revenue generation. Because of the remoteness of the farm, it is almost impossible to transport goods to be sold outside the community (the walk from Gatuncito to the nearest paved road is almost four hours, and any crops that make the trip are often ruined). As a result, farmers have to go outside of the community, often cutting sugar cane at larger farms from 5am- noon, profiting $3/day. This leaves Granja Gatuncito untended to, and the ability to yield consistent harvests becomes difficult. Their most successful in-house method of revenue generation has been with grains and beans, but there is not enough room on the farm to dry or store enough of these to generate the necessary income.
THE SOLUTION
If the socios of Granja Gatuncito have to continue to leave their farm to seek revenue, the Granja will suffer, and the families will lose the ability to feed themselves. Therefore, the architectural solution to their problem must also be their financial solution: a space that not only can withstand the strong February winds that have ruined so many other structures, but also provides substantial space for the drying and storage of beans, rice, corn, and onions, for export. If the socios can grow, dry, and store enough of these crops to be sold at the point of their greatest demand, they can generate enough revenue to make the farm completely sustainable.
