Yema-Ya and Lol-Ha

Lol-Ha

Today was really great because we decided to drive to Chelem Puerto along the coast and attend the meet and greet hosted by Lol-Ha for Yema-Ya the organic farm run by local women. There were some treats, seeds, small trees, information about the organization and entertainment included a saxophone player.

Lol-Ha is an interesting sweet savoury café and gift store combined. It is along Calle 21 (between Calle 24 y 26) in the fishing village of Chelem. You can find really awesome artwork and crafts to decorate your home or buy jewellery for a friend back home. The coffee was great and the menu also features savoury breads, desserts, and light lunch and breakfast items. The hostess is super friendly and the creator of most of the artwork in the shop.

If you have a small business speak to Lol-Ha to host you. We will definitely be back for another visit. 

Yema-Ya

Yema-Ya is a local organic farm - non-profit - that was formed three years ago to empower the local women and has become quite famous for its innovative farming. They grow their own organic vegetables, are planning to start a seed bank and have regular market days. They will be hosting workshops later this year to teach people to start their own gardens.

They are located further down the road from Lol-Ha towards Chuburna, and is an awesome place to visit. Any volunteers are welcome to come help out with whatever skill you have and learn from the women about the medicinal values of the local herbs. They are open Monday to Friday from 4:30 to 7pm.

I also bought my first tree which I plan to plant in my first garden here in the Yucatan. It's a Moringa tree which has a lot of medicinal value and provides a lot of shade when it is large enough. 

Jenna, a young woman from California is helping the organization manage the funding they received from an organization in the US for women's agricultural projects. We had a nice chat with Jenna and her boyfriend Demitri. We will definitely volunteer a few times (until we move to our home) at Yema-Ya to learn some more about the local plants and practice our Spanish with locals.

The drive to Chelem Puerto was about 45 minutes from Mérida, but it was just great to get out of the city, talk to some people and smell the ocean!!

It is interesting how organic labels have become more popular since our last visit to Mexico. Recycling has also increased with organic and inorganic pickup from residences. Mexico is the world leader in plastic recycling. Seems like Mexico is really making an effort to go green and here is another example: The new electric police vehicles are used in Mérida.