As lunch is being prepared, Luca, who works in the garden, tells me how important it is to prepare the food at Milpa. The garden at Milpa produces vegetables which are sold at the local market on Saturdays and used to cook for the people in the neighborhood on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Time and time again throughout my visit, I am reminded of the importance of avoiding processed, pre-packaged food.
On this same day, Cordelia is beginning her two-week long stay at Milpa. As I listen in on her introductory meeting, sipping on Mate for the first time, it occurs to me how quiet our surroundings are. I feel a sense of tranquility which I have not felt since arriving in Buenos Aires some three weeks before.
Later that evening, Luca gives Cordelia and me a tour of the garden. As Luca enthusiastically explains the different vegetables being grown, Cordelia and I rush to translate all the Spanish vegetable names. At the end of the tour, Luca lets Cordelia water the plants, a first taste of her work in Milpa.
Valeria lives within the confines of Milpa, and she kindly agrees to let me sleep over at her house. At nightfall, Valeria and I marvel at the transparent sky, illuminated by a beaming, full moon. The greenery and tranquility within the gates of milpa make it feel like an oasis, a label it fulfills most importantly through the work being done day in and day out.
