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nuestra habana photographs: the cooperative farm page 9 of 10 |
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Part of our itinerary was a trip to a cooperative farm on the far outskirts of the city. Agriculture remains a very important part of Cuba's economy. The Revolution has put a lot of organizational energy towards increasing productivity, eficiency, and effective… hey, Brie! Get outta that cane field! |
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Nothing like munching cane in the cane field to remind yourself that you ain't in Kansas anymore. It was pretty good, but or guides said it was juicier latter on in the season. If memory serves, sugar cane is grown in eighteen month cycles in Cuba. |
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The campesino quickly whittles the cane stalk down to its juicy pulp. He gave us a tutorial on harvesting with a machete, too. With the way that guy handled that thing, I had to wonder if he shaved with it. He said at the peak of harvest season, folks were lucky to get four hours of sleep between cutting cane. |
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This man was one of the farm's managers, and a true Cuban campesino. Note the straw hat and the outback shirt. He had been a farmer on the land for long enough to see some pretty interesting political shifts as far as agricultural management was concerned. |
