We feel that it is important to be as intimately involved as possible with the sources and suppliers. We fair-trade the seeds with our Shipibo friends, because not only does it help them financially, but through evolving friendships, we learn a lot not only about the seeds, but about the people and their native environment. In that way, our knowledge expands, which we pass on to you!
In this year, 2010, we are planning many trips in order to learn more, and share it all with you, through dialogue, photos, and videos.
Among the trips and projects are:
1/ Visit Cesar and Julia's families near Pucallpa, in the central Amazon of Peru, and assist in the sustainable harvesting, and processing of seeds. In the case of Huayruru, this will involve a 30 hour trip deep into the jungle to where the virgin stands of Huayruru trees live. Cesar always offers native tobacco to the trees upon arrival, asking permission to collect some seeds. If the tree spirits say "no", then that is the final word.
2/ Go to Quillabamba, ( The Valley Of The Moon ) which is an Amazon town just beyond Machu Picchu. We get some seeds from here, through our native friend Jasmine, who is a traditional shaman. There are some "off the map" Inca sites in this area, so we will visit those too!
3/ Become more actively involved in offering employment, in the way of purchasing traditional items, from Shipibo people in the neighborhood of Lima where Cesar and Julia live. We are already purchasing rattles from their cousins, when Cesar and Julia are too busy with other projects to make them for us.
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