Growing Hope in Honduras: One Farmer’s Journey to Sustainable Agriculture

In the small Honduran community of Valle Verde, Oscar and his family have embraced new agricultural techniques through the ‘Produce Verde’ project, improving their harvests, securing their food supply and building a brighter future.

Sowing Seeds of Faith and Family

For Oscar Caballero Benitez, farming is more than just a livelihood—it’s an act of patience, faith and resilience, which all reaffirm his belief and commitment to God. “Being a farmer is an act of patience and faith. The most faithful person is the farmer: we plant, hoping that nature will give us its fruits. Sometimes, it takes up to a year. Like the land, our lives need time and care to bear a harvest.”

The day begins early at Oscar’s home, where he lives with his wife and children in Valle Verde, a small community of 110 families in western Honduras. Surrounded by mountains and a temperate climate, the area is ideal for local farmers, who have great productive potential to supply nearby markets like Copan and San Pedro Sula. 

By 6AM, Oscar’s family feed their chickens and check their produce. “What we enjoy most is harvesting as a family,” Oscar shares.  His 10-year-old son gets excited every time he collects eggs from the chicken coop.

Overcoming Challenges with Innovation and Community Support

For Oscar, his plot of land is a symbol of resilience and community collaboration. A few years ago, heavy rains and pests had severely reduced harvests. He cultivated corn as his parents had taught him, but traditional techniques were no longer enough. That’s when the Mennonite Social Action Commission (CASM), CWS’s local partner, came to the area with the ‘Produce Verde’ project, offering farmers technical training and resources.

Thanks to new planting techniques, Oscar learned to optimize his crops. He now understands that spacing between plants can influence corn quality, depending on what he aims to harvest. He also received support to build chicken coops, where he keeps 20 hens producing 10 to 12 eggs daily. This resource has improved his family’s diet and generates additional income.

CASM also helped modernize the community’s water system. With new pipelines and a developing irrigation system, Valle Verde is now better equipped to face climate challenges. Oscar also attended sustainability workshops, where he learned to produce organic fertilizers and insecticides to protect his crops.

With these tools and technical guidance, Oscar diversified his production. Today, he not only grows corn but also bananas, chili peppers, cassava, papaya and pineapple.

Heavy rains remain a challenge, but thanks to the strategic relocation of plots and a community drainage system, farmers have been able to mitigate damage. “Before, even a light rain would affect us a lot. Now, the way we get ready helps keep our harvests more secure.”

Dreaming Beyond the Fields: A Vision for the Future

Oscar and his family dream of opening a bakery to combine two passions: farming and preparing food. With a homemade oven, he and his wife have already started baking bread and selling it by order to their neighbors. They plan to expand the business to include tamales, ‘montucas’ and ‘tamalitos’ (traditional corn-based dishes).

“We believe in God and trust He will provide what we need. And we are also thankful for this project that’s helped us move forward.”

The ‘Produce Verde’ project is implemented by our local partner, Comisión de Acción Social Menonita (CASM), with the support of Growing Hope Globally. Click here to learn more about our work in Central America.