Saturday Beth and I went to an agricultural fair down the road in Yagul. The fair gives farmers a chance to display samples of their crops and submit their best for judging. There is also information on new techniques for farming more efficiently. Vendors offer their goods, some concerned with farming and others just taking advantage of the large concentration of people.

Last year the fair was at Union Zapata. It’s a yearly event and must rotate between communities.

Corn is the major crop displayed followed by beans and squash. Chilies are also displayed.

A few artists show their work, some of which are quite good. I was especially impressed with carving done on the gourds of squash-very intricate detail.

 The farmers sit proudly behind their displays eager to swap stories and describe what they have. I was reminded of car shows in the US.

The trend here in farming seems to be shifting towards green houses. Crops can be grown year round and more importantly less water is consumed. A bit disturbing is the practice of mixing fertilizer with the water. I’m no chemist but it seems that whatever they are putting in the water is being introduced into the plant then the product. I don’t believe there is much control here so it’s buyer beware. Beth and I typically stick with products grown outside. You can tell the difference. Products grown inside are perfect looking and very tempting.

Until the fair last year I’d never realized how many varieties of corn there are. Some of them are beautiful in color. Beth and I have purchased tortillas made from more colorful corn and the flavor is different. Some have a stronger richer flavor.

Our friend Casto and his family sold pulque and tepache. Pulque is juice extracted from the maguey plant and tepache is made from the flesh and rind of pineapple. Pulque, cinnamon, and brown sugar are added. Pulque, drank in quantity is a great natural laxative.  It’s best to drink fresh so I doubt that it’s an exported product. It changes flavor daily as it continues to ferment. Some disreputable people water their pulque down.

One display that caught my eye was a hand crank water pump. A pvc pipe is inserted into the well. The water is brought up by rubber pieces inside the pipe. It works really well and is good to ninety feet. It’s perfect for those without electricity.

There were a couple of booths that provided children with activities.