La Bendición: A Farm that Feeds the Rivera Family

Rogelio Rivera, his wife Suyapa Villeda and their family have transformed their small farm, La Bendición, into a thriving, sustainable homestead in La Sierra, Honduras. Through the Produce Verde project, they’ve embraced new farming techniques, diversified their crops and shared resources to strengthen both their livelihood and their community. 

Cultivating a Life Rooted in Gratitude and Hard Work 

“Thank God for a new day,” says Rogelio each morning before starting his work: he feeds his cow, waters the crops, cares for the chickens and oversees the grazing of the sheep. His wife Suyapa prepares fortified tortillas that she learned to make, along with green smoothies, before starting her own work with the vegetable garden and animals. 

Rogelio Rivera and Suyapa Villeda live with their three children in the community of La Sierra, Macuelizo, Santa Bárbara. This cool-climate area, surrounded by pine trees and made up of about 30 families, welcomed them more than four decades ago. 

Since joining the Produce Verde project, implemented by the Mennonite Social Action Commission (CASM), they have learned new farming techniques and built the chicken coop they needed. They also diversified their crops with plantains, cassava, beans, vegetables like radishes and mustard greens and fruit trees such as apple, papaya, pineapple and lemon. The family raises livestock, including pigs, chickens and sheep and have even started keeping native stingless bees, whose honey they use for medicinal purposes and to sell. 

Their farm, La Bendición (The Blessing), is now a source of pride. “We didn’t know how to make this compost,” says Rogelio, showing worms wriggling in the soil he holds in his hand. “We’re very grateful to God,” he adds, enthusiastically pointing to the sacks of compost that now represent self-sufficiency and healthy soil from which they harvest food for their family. 

Growing More Than Food: Skills, Knowledge and Community 

Suyapa proudly shares that she now knows how to better care for her garden. “I’ve learned how to care for my animals and so many other things about farming. I love my little hens,” she says. They are also part of a group that promotes sustainable practices, such as avoiding burning waste and using compost in terraced fields. 

As a sign of their commitment to the community—and as part of the project—they take part in the “pass-it-on” practice: a piglet is given to another family in a neighboring community so they can raise it, breed more and eventually sell them for an additional income. 

As César Soriano from CASM notes: “This project and the dedication of the participants reflect a natural commitment to the land and a willingness to try new practices.” 

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.