Notes from the Field

Although it has not yet been used at my fieldsite, a community nearby developed its own currency (the "Tumin") several years ago as a way to stimulate their local economy in a way that didn't depend on money being injected from the outside. It helped to facilitate barter within the community by allowing people to sell products for Tumin, which in exchange could be used to buy other local products. Over time, established businesses in nearby towns also started accepting the currency. Businesses accepting Tumin display a sign that reads "Aceptamos Tumin" (We accept Tumin).  Within the community, people can use Tumin to buy anything from honey to a taxi ride.  Both Tumin and Pesos coexist, although prices in Tumin tend to be lower than prices in Pesos. In order to get Tumin, one must offer a product or service for sale in the community and accept Tumin as payment.  Roughly the size and texture of a business card, Tumin come in several denominations.  This is what...

Pepper is harvested in the area once a year.  Branches with pepper clusters are picked from the tree, and afterwards, people sit and pluck the pepper from the branches at home while they gossip and joke with each other.  After plucking the clusters from the branches, one's hands smell really good; sweet like cloves. Once the pepper is separated from the leaves and branches, it is dried and sold to middle-men.  When I asked about its ultimate destination, I was told it gets sent to Japan where it is used to make explosives.  I do not know if this is true, but here are some pictures of the process: A sack full of branches ready to have pepper plucked.  Pepper trees below.     Plucking the pepper from the branches.                      Pepper, ready to be dried and sold. 

In the past, farmers at my field site used to grow corn for consumption and sale of the kernels. Today, however, they grow it mainly for the corn husks which are worth nearly twice more than the corn itself.  Middle-men come around to the area to buy the corn husks from producers and then take them to facilities where they are bleached and exported to the United States.  I asked producers, "Do you know what the corn husks are used for?" Their answers included "they use them in the production of dollar bills" (I don't know if this is true) and "they are used to make tamales."   Here are some photographs of the corn-husk harvest and sale.