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April 22: World Planet Earth Day

Category: Environment

GROUP TASK IN THE AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS OF TIERRAS DEL SOL: AN OFFER IN FAVOR OF PLANET EARTH

“A collaborative work between man, the vegetable kingdom and the mineral kingdom must be implanted on Planet Earth.” – instructs José Trigueirinho, founder of The Light Community of Figueira.

Earth Day was created on April 22, 1970 by a US senator, as a milestone for the creation of an environmental agenda. Later, in 2009, the day was established as World Planet Earth Day, for awareness and environmental education, and also as a stimulus to the conscious management of natural resources.

In the Light Community of Figueira, care for the environment has been one of the commitments assumed since the beginning. It was this commitment that promoted the creation of the Planting Sector of the Light- Community in 1989, two years after its foundation.

The pioneers brought awareness to the Sector of the importance of collaborative work between man and vegetables. Over the years, through studies and exchanges with other producers, who also worked with organic agriculture and with respect for the soil, this work has been improved and deepened with the use of sustainable techniques.

Basing the work on the principle of unity and mutual collaboration between all species in nature, in addition to saying “no” to the use of
pesticides, the Planting Sector adhered to the proposal of interacting with the earth using the agroforestry method.

In the agroforestry systems, relevant species for human consumption are cultivated, such as corn and beans (the first grains cultivated in the Light Community of Figueira), together with plants that are part of the forest. The agroforestry bases were first implemented in the F2 area in 2014, and later on in Terras do Sol, in 2019.

Functions of the Planting Sector in Figueira - Trigueirinho

Digging, Sowing, Fertilizing, Irrigating, Pruning and Harvesting

The management of agroforestry systems demands constant and careful work.

Renewing the impulses of the pioneers of the Light Community, Sunday mornings in the Terras do Sol area are animated by the presence of young residents of the Community and collaborators from the vicinity and neighboring towns, who unite in weekly joint efforts in the area's agroforestry nuclei.

The presence of young people, as well as the children who participate, brings dynamism and joy to the work in the field.

“The group task in the Terras do Sol, for me, is pure renewal. It is an area of the Light-Community that has a coordinate that makes it easier for us to expand our consciousness and vision with nature a little. Whatever the work, the task that is going to be carried out in a group, when they leave, when the group task ends, they have a renewed energy, and I feel that this renewed energy lasts the whole week. It is as if people exchange energy to give continuity to the daily tasks that we have here within the Light Community.” - tells Rodrigo, a 28-year-old man who lives in the Light-Community.

Many young people also take advantage of this moment in the field to carry out an offer in favor of the planet.

“Participating in the group tasks at Terras do Sol is very rewarding, because the contact with nature, with the plantations, renews our energies, makes us feel part of this whole process, of all of nature. So for me, dedicating a few hours on Sunday to Terras do Sol makes me feel very good, very happy, very grateful, especially for knowing that all that food, that we are there at first depositing our energy in that grain, in that land preparation , it will serve at some point to support our body.” – shares Álvaro, 25 years old, young employee.

Maria do Carmo, 34 years old, a resident of Terras do Sol and one of the organizers of the mutirões(group work), comments on the importance of the presence of young people in the mutirões: “The participation of young people in the mutirões is of vital importance for our Light-Community, because with modernities less and less the new generations have the opportunity to experience contact with the land and learn to work with it. These moments provide this contact and with each joint effort this learning is deepened. We cannot help but reflect: who will produce food in the future? Therefore, we have to provide these moments that make us awaken to this reconnection with nature, rescuing this essence within us, bringing this practice to our daily lives.”

And she ends by leaving an invitation for everyone: “We have noticed how working with agroforestry and more sustainable agriculture gives us hope and, if we allow it, leads us to a mutual reconnection with nature. Terras do Sol awaits you for this learning of Love for nature!”

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