We are happy to say that we have broken ground on the garden! After some logistical challenges, we were able to get the beginning materials shipped out to the remote village. As shown here in the photos, the men of the community all came together to assemble the structure that will soon be a hydroponic garden for all. In the spirit of our project, we had people of all ages involved in the process, setting the precedent for future communal work. The next steps will be having a representative from both the grocery store and the National Training Service come out to install the more technical elements of the garden and to begin training the community members on the technical and sustainable elements of this style of growing. Darren is also happy to say he’s had the privilege of getting to work intimately with the community members through assisting in the morning milking of the cows and interviewing people such as the local priest, local store owner, and a local woman with firsthand experience of the Colombian conflict. Bringing this community together has already been a major success, and we’ve already noticed increased participation from community members as the supplies have started to arrive. Here’s to continued progress over these next 5 weeks!