Farm(er) Friday February 17th, 2023
The Sanchez-Gutierrez family are survivors
Patrocinio Sanchez and Osiris Yecibet Gutierrez and their children Patric and Melany survived a terrible night in November of 2020. It was nonstop rain due to the second major hurricane in ten days and as night fell, they heard loud noises. The mountain was giving way all around them, as the oversaturated soils slid down carrying trees and houses.
There was nothing to do but wait and hope that the land below them held. They felt a crash as the hill above their house released, taking out the south wall and filling the house with mud, and letting the wind and rain in.
They made it. The next day the whole village evacuated, walking down the mountain. No lives were lost. Many never returned. Their farms were gone, replaced by steep red clay mudslides.
The Sanchez Gutierrez family had nowhere else to go, so they rebuilt, knowing the next storm could take their farm. What else could they do?
This year when I visited, Patrocinio had a huge smile and was happy to show us the ripe coffee, ready to pick. They had a new pig pen with happy pigs. And a pickup truck.
In addition to the farm, Patrocinio has been working for the water district of the city below. He is a leader in the community and has been working to get help to reforest the landslide sites. This is a family that can’t be set back so easily.
When we visited this year two things were different. First, their dog Lucas was friendly. Last year he was tied up, and being tied up made him protective. This year it was so different. Second, their daughter Melany was very upset to see us.
We figured out, through her tears, that she thought that we were there to give her a shot. The last time people visited, they gave her a vaccine. So now she was sure we were there to hurt her. Her mom gave her the phone to make her feel better.
Later on, when we visited another family in the city, their guest just happened to be the teacher from Las Moras where Patrocinio and Osiris Yecibet live. In conversation, she told us that she stays with a family during the weeks when she is in the community. It was Patrocinio and Yecibet! That makes sense, given their community spirit.
In writing news, I had the week off of work and put out a string of stories on Medium. There was one about the connection between slavery in the United States and emigration from Germany in the early 1800s. There was a nature prompt memoir about the Mississippi River. There was a Climate Minute about the Wisconsin spring elections. And a rant about people who clap but don’t read on Medium.
Also, I did not win another Vocal contest. This is frustrating because my Vocal story had exactly zero views until my RaWBC book club partner Laura gave me a mercy view this week. How can they judge if they don’t read the story? I’m not saying that the winners didn’t deserve to win, just that I put effort into that story and it seemed like no one read it.
Other coffee farm family stories:
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