Wade was sent on an errand by the group and had a very successful time meeting with two Peace Corps Volunteers and their town members in Bolivar, Peru. Bolivar is a small mountain town in a sub-tropical climate in the north of the country. Wade found it to be simple, peaceful, and quite beautiful. The highlights of the trip included a 3-hour tour of some potential spots for a system with the town mayor and a very interested farmer named Manuel. In addition, Dave and Mike organized a town meeting, where Wade was able to pitch the idea of building a pilot system to 14 town leaders. After conducting a presentation (thanks for the translation Mike and Dave), running some focus group activities, and answering questions. The group gave unanimous support to going forward with a search for land, funds, and people dedicated to running the system. Wade, Dave, and Mike were all very pleased with the outcome of the meeting.
Next steps include connecting Bolivar with a Peruvian support team that understand construction and aquaponics, following up with the in-town research station of a local university to probe interest in supporting the system, and form a committee dedicated to writing the funding proposal and supervising construction. Dave and Mike will have their hands full, but they will have the full support and partnership of Organic Oasis.