Story of a producer

Monday starts the week, and I really like to start the week with a couple of eggs and chaya for breakfast, a little coffee and two handmade tortillas, after that work starts, but I don’t consider it a job, because of the On the contrary, I like to see my garden grow, live.

I find it incredible how nature gives us everything by giving so little, my father planted these trees about ten years ago, then I planted others that already produce, it took about 3 years, maybe a little more, I don’t remember exactly how long, but the trees I planted already give oranges.

I have mostly sour oranges, but also lemons and some tangerines. Sometimes we eat tangerines here at home, I like them because when they’re ripe they taste really good.

Last week I had a birthday for my nephew, I had to bring the tamales, everyone asks me to be the one to prepare them because they turn out good, the secret lies in the butter that I put on them and in the xpelón, which is like a little bean here. So I was a bit spent, so my plan today is to take down all the sour orange from the trees that is already ready and take it to the ARPEN juicer, so I get money that helps me well for the week.

I lower as many as I can with a lowerer, it is a long stick that my husband made me, as if it were a pitchfork, I made a bag for it and it has a sharp edge at the end, so I cut the orange and it falls into the bag, once I put several together in a huacal, I think that by this time I can gather up to 3 huacales per tree. I leave them there near the tree, because I really can’t handle them, they are heavy. So since I have several together, I tell my husband, don’t think that only I am going down, my nephew and my sister-in-law help me anyway, I give them part of what I earn, I pay them for the day.

At about 11 we stopped for a while, because the sun is strong, we rested and drank water and pozol, sometimes we eat some toasted nuggets and we followed him, for about another hour and at about 1 pm my husband picked me up and we all went up the crates to the truck, and we go to the plant.

We get there and we go to have the truck weighed, then they tell us where to put it and the crates begin to go down to a band that takes the fruit, while they are taking it down we take the ticket that they give us on the scale and that later is used for they pay us

The fruit is processed and the juice is sold abroad and the plant always smells delicious. Once everything is done, we go back home to rest, and we really don’t spend a lot of money doing the whole trip, we have fun, we we laugh and live together while we lower the fruits, while we travel to the plant, while we return to the house.

Without a doubt, it is something that we like to do and every peso that I receive, I thank my father for having taught me to take advantage of what nature offers us.

Maria Mercedes Avila Chulim