Why ancient farming practices have resurged in a storied part of Mexico City
Lucio Usobiaga has childhood memories of going to Xochimilco, a network of ancient, man-made canals and floating islands in southern Mexico City. When he thinks back, he can hear the blasting mariachi music, smell the grilled corn, and see the garbage floating in the waterways.
Today, the area is still known for its crowds of tourists and brightly painted party boats, but Mr. Usobiaga’s associations with Xochimilco have changed. Sitting on the bench of a green wooden boat, known as a trajinera, he’s surrounded on a recent morning by calm glassy waters, white egrets soaring into flight, and the resurgence of ancient farming practices.
“Farming organically is the best way to preserve the ,” Usobiaga says of the islands created in the Valley of Mexico that were incorporated into a larger
Getting farmers on boardA different life before farmingFarm boxes with daikon radishesThree other groups involved in ecology
