In an economy as small as Perales and with the meteorological challenges presented by its location, the recovery process has been slowed by a lack of sustainable and healthy food supply.

 

FAMILY GREENHOUSES FOR SELF-CONSUMPTION AND SMALL LOCAL COMMERCIALIZATION

One of the identified needs in Perales was to develop vegetable gardens for family consumption and to promote the marketability of crops. For several of the families, this was their first chance to own and operate a small business or to create a local bartering system.

 

CONSTRUCTION OF THE GREENHOUSES

Summer 2013

During the summer of 2013, a team of architecture students from the Universidad del Bio-Bío led by Iván Cartes made 2 trips to the area to deliver materials and to support the construction of the greenhouses.

 

• 10 greenhouses were built

• 3 were distributed to Alto Perales

• 7 were distributed to Perales

 

The vegetable garden teams now cultivate and supply their homes with some vegetables and make exchanges with their neighbors.​

 

COMMUNAL UNION OF VEGETABLE GARDENS (UCHO)

Thanks to the support of the Mayor of Colelelmu, the people with vegetable gardens of Perales visited the Unión Comunal de Huertos Orgánicos (Communal Union of Vegetable Gardens, UCHO) of Tomé, in order to know its trajectory, experience and best practices. A beautiful alliance is accomplished among women with vegetable gardens who became empowered and thought together how they are going to support one another and generate exchange networks of commercial interest.​