La Granja Porcón,
Model of management and realization of the impossible
Granja
Porcón is a Peruvian town located in the Cajamarca region, province and
district of Cajamarca, with an altitude of 3152 meters above sea level, has
1200 inhabitants and some 200 houses. Porcón is linked to Cajamarca by a paved
road of 30 km.
Since
1848 the Hacienda Porcón was owned by the Public Welfare of Cajamarca; by 1950
it covered 28,000 hectares and included the communities of Porcón Bajo, Porcón
Alto, Porcón Potrero and Granja Porcón.
After
the Agrarian Reform of 1970, on the initiative of the evangelical comuneros, in
1975 it became the Agrarian Cooperativa de Trabajadores "Atahualpa
Jerusalén Ltda" by the members of the "Atahualpa Jerusalén". The
cooperative remained united and achieved surprising results, while old
haciendas assigned to other peasant communities collapsed due to mismanagement
or corruption. The peasants of Porcón began to work and set a goal; the others
quickly squandered the sudden and undeserved wealth, neglected the work and
dedicated themselves to living the present.
The
peasants of Porcón were organized, driven by active practice of the ethics of
the evangelical doctrine, created a vision of the future to develop and improve
agriculture and livestock, adding tourism as the basis of a solid and sustainable
economy. Tourism has located Granja Porcón as an integral strategic management
model. The families of Porcon, by diversifying their activities, created a
source of income and a base of development that allows them to grow and
progress, exploiting profitable activities respecting the environment without
colliding against the principles of ethics, honesty and diligence.
Currently,
the inhabitants of the Porcon Farm have a standard of living that is shown in
details such as: Everyone has a job, self-subsistence capacity, basic needs
fully met, and as a reward the opportunity to live in a place that is
comparable to that of the best places in rich countries like Switzerland. All
the farmers of Granja Porcón are well dressed, well fed, own vehicles, their
spacious two-story houses have all the amenities such as digital televisions,
laptops, tablets, smartphones, cable TV, wireless internet, other good schools,
good public services , etc.
In
Cajamarca, it is paradise because of all that it has and offers to its
inhabitants and visitors. The other peasants are poor or very poor and without
a future.
La
Granja Porcón has about 11,000 hectares, 90% planted with pine trees, the rest
are native plants such as queñual and alder, totaling twelve million trees. The
project of reforestation in the high zones, to protect and take advantage of
the soils was totally successful; In addition, the emergence of flora and fauna
that were in danger was achieved. The creation of the zoo, the fish farm and
the cultivation of edible mushrooms are remarkable successes in the management
of the Farm.
Belgian
forestry cooperation was fully exploited. An unusual situation in Peru, because
aid is usually wasted. Another factor that contributes to the success of Porcón
is the good relationship with the Yanacocha mine, which provides electricity
and buys wood and dairy products. It is an example that shows that forestry,
agriculture and livestock can coexist with mining in harmony and for mutual
benefit.
Porcón
Farm exports pine wood; and it is a wood supplier of the north zone. The wood
is sold for the production of paper, the rest is used in the manufacture of
furniture in the carpentry workshops of the same community; It has its own
sawmills and carpentry workshops. There are craft production workshops, dairy
products.
The
best time to visit Granja Porcón is between May and September. The rest of the
year is rainy season. Travelers can buy dairy products, crafts; They can enjoy
nature by going through the countryside, visiting the zoo, riding on docile
horses and recharging energies. The experiential and ecological tourism allows
the approach to the inhabitants of Granja Porcón; You can participate in
livestock, forestry and agricultural work, have contact with animals, make
unforgettable ecological walks through the woods, waterfalls and the fields
that surround it.
There
is a hotel that has all the amenities such as a fireplace, private bathrooms
with hot water and excellent views of the whole place and its surroundings. In
the typical restaurants all the products of the farm are used for meals, in
presentations that satisfy the most demanding gourmets.
To
get to Porcón, from Lima the plane takes an hour; by land are 15 hours. From
Cajamarca to Porcón, travel for an hour enjoying a landscape that will make you
forget your time.
"My dream is
that Granja Porcón is an example for Peru and also for the world. Keep working
together. We want to share what we know and have achieved with other peoples,
other communities. And in that way we can fight extreme poverty, because if it
is possible, with work and creativity it is possible to succeed and sustain our
development in a sustainable way "(Pedro Santos Chilón, partner and in
charge of the tourist office of Porcón).
I
hope your words reach heaven and some kind god helps Peru, and Cajamarca, a
region so abused and robbed by venal politicians.
Link to see Part 2:
Porcon Farm. Walking through paradise
Link to see Part 3:
Porcón and La Fiesta de las Cruces
Link to see Part 4:
Porcón, chunchos and the clarion of Cajamarca
References
