The Model Farm's yuca (a.k.a. "cassava") crop has been harvested. The profit from the sale was excellent and will help support the Chacraseca community.

On the Farm

On the Model Farm, a field has just been planted with yuca. No, not "yucca". Yuca! Also known as cassava. Find out more about this tropical staple.

The Pottery Lottery is back. Plus, the latest from our social media feed.

Last month around 1 billion people in nearly 192 countries participated in environmental activities to celebrate Earth Day. While we’ve seen incredible achievements in environmental conservation, education and activism, there is still much to be done. This holds true for our Nicaraguan partner communities as well. In this newsletter, we take a look at “green” JustHope programs.

Nicaragua is especially vulnerable to climate change due to its geographic position. Since the 1960s, Nicaragua’s mean annual temperature has increased about half a degree (F) each decade. This has resulted in a drastic decrease in total rainfall (5-6% each decade) yet heavy, monsoon-like rains during the traditional rainy season. Check out the World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal for more data on how Nicaragua has been impacted.

Ups and Downs of the Model Farm's First Year

By Kara Luebbering, Director of International Programs

To get a harvest, you first have to plant the seeds, and 2017 can be defined by the seeds that we planted, both in a metaphorical and actual sense. JustHope’s Model Farm weathered the ups and downs that so often define the agricultural experience in Nicaragua. When planting, you generally put two or more seeds in each hole knowing that some will sprout and some will not. On the Model Farm, we applied the same logic to our endeavors; some ideas flourished, some did not, and some were half-way on the right track. Yet with each harvest, yielding crops or not, knowledge and lessons learned were bountiful.