A Part of Us

By Caroline Bittenbender

The Hacienda Guadalupe farm is one of few freshwater farms in all of the Galápagos Islands, with a 50-foot waterfall on the property. A remarkable place, the most special aspect of the farm is the family who works the land.

The Aguas family places a particular emphasis on the circular economy. All produce grown on Hacienda Guadalupe is sold, eaten or otherwise used, and all materials used for packaging products come back to the farm.

The family displays a similar relationship with the land that they nurture. Every plant, animal, drop of water, and person has an intricate role to fill. Living entirely off of the land in the San Cristóbal highlands is what they know. It may not be much, but it is enough.

“It is our way of being, our culture, our way of life,” said farmer Milton Aguas. “We are part of nature, and nature is a part of us.”

Aguas’ favorite part of being a farmer is the intense labor required.

Aguas’ favorite part of being a farmer is the intense labor required. "Agriculture is a very intense activity. It is hard work, but I enjoy it a lot because of course, I learned to handle all the tools, both the old ones that are basic, so much so that they are 100 percent manual," Aguas said.

Aguas is the co-producer of the first environmental law in Ecuador.

Aguas is the co-producer of the first environmental law in Ecuador. He is also the author of a proposal for the decentralization of the State and social participation in the processes of state management in the Galápagos Islands. “Nature requires that society have a conscience so that it can be maintained, and let's say eternally, for generations to come,” Aguas said.

A chicken wanders around the farm on the morning of Sunday, March 13, 2022. The white hostel, owned by the Aguas family, sits atop the hillside. Ecotourists who come to visit the farm often spend the night in the hostel to experience life in the highlands of San Cristóbal. Ecotourism is another vital component of stimulating the island’s economy.

Aguas saws down a large piece of wood which he will use to identify a tree in remembrance of a past volunteer, Felix.

Aguas saws down a large piece of wood which he will use to identify a tree in remembrance of a past volunteer, Felix. Every volunteer that works at Hacienda Guadalupe burns into the wooden sign their nationality and the dates they were on the farm. They then plant the stake with a seed for a guava tree, some of which have grown to be around five feet tall.

The Galápagos Islands lead in cases of diabetes, not only in Ecuador but in all of Latin America.

The Galápagos Islands lead in cases of diabetes, not only in Ecuador but in all of Latin America. Other health problems such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, digestive diseases, and lung diseases threaten the lives of many residents in San Cristóbal. “Living in paradise, we are, I think, the province with the sickest people,” said Aguas.

Both 64 years old, Aguas and Guadalupe have been married for 42 years.

Both 64 years old, Aguas and Guadalupe have been married for 42 years. They first met each other in Quito when Aguas became aware of “that pretty girl coming out of the house” in his neighborhood. "The river has many stones, but mostly love," Aguas said about the farm and his wife.

Aguas loads the back of a taxi with products to take into town and sell.

Aguas loads the back of a taxi with products to take into town and sell. He and his family have attempted to qualify to buy a car, but with no luck. There is a ban on bringing cars to the Galápagos Islands, and someone must be a verified farmer to purchase one. "I didn't have an invoice,” said Aguas. “Because of that, I did not meet the points to be qualified as a farmer, living as I do from the deed and doing all the work on the farm as I do.”

The Aguas family sells jams, composites, and coffee liquors on the main street in San Cristóbal.

The Aguas family sells jams, composites, and coffee liquors on the main street in San Cristóbal. All glass jars containing these products must be returned to the family once they are empty. “The circular economy model is one of the important components,” Aguas said, “to prevent more plastics or elements from entering pollutants to the islands.”

Aguas embraces his three-year-old granddaughter, Valentina Jhenovi Aguas, as Guadalupe plays with Catalina Milyen Aguas, 8, in his son’s house in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.

Aguas embraces his three-year-old granddaughter, Valentina Jhenovi Aguas, as Guadalupe plays with Catalina Milyen Aguas, 8, in his son’s house in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. “The whole family is an important and vital part of what is done on the farm. There are jobs and a lot of work to do, but we are enough,” said Aguas.

A herd of wild cows walks in front of a taxi as Milton Aguas heads back into the highlands from an evening spent in town.

A herd of wild cows walks in front of a taxi as Milton Aguas heads back into the highlands from an evening spent in town. Although animals such as cows, pigs, dogs, and chickens are invasive species to the Galápagos Islands, they are left to roam free and contribute to maintaining a balance in the ecosystems on the island. "Our goal is to work with nature, not against it," Jhosellin Verónica Aguas Flores said.

Mother Leydi de Nupis lifts her daughter Heidi Gismenia Nupis before washing her under a nearby pipe.

Mother Leydi de Nupis lifts her daughter Heidi Gismenia Nupis before washing her under a nearby pipe. Asael Nupis, the son of the Nupis family, leans out of a room used for tourists to learn about what it means to be a circular economy. The small family lives in the back of the home and helps with daily tasks on the farm.

Guadalupe cooks carne asada on an outdoor grill behind the Aguas house. She must cook the food on coal instead of fire because fire will burn the food while coal cooks meat thoroughly. “Everything is organic, everything is natural,” said Guadalupe about the ingredients that she uses.

Guadalupe cooks carne asada on an outdoor grill behind the Aguas house.

Guadalupe cooks carne asada on an outdoor grill behind the Aguas house. She must cook the food on coal instead of fire because fire will burn the food while coal cooks meat thoroughly. "Everything is organic, everything is natural," said Guadalupe about the ingredients that she uses.

As Aguas and Guadalupe work together to make tomato paste from scratch, Guadalupe smiles at 2-year-old Heidi as she plays in the kitchen.

As Aguas and Guadalupe work together to make tomato paste from scratch, Guadalupe smiles at 2-year-old Heidi as she plays in the kitchen. Heidi was born on the Hacienda Guadalupe farm during the heat of the pandemic in 2020. Thus, the family jokingly refers to her as “Gismenia Pandemia.”

Milton Aguas cleans the root of a taro plant in a freshwater puddle.

Milton Aguas cleans the root of a taro plant in a freshwater puddle. Taro is a nutritious, starchy vegetable that the Aguas family uses to make chips such as potato chips.

Aguas steps out into the Hacienda Guadalupe farm at sundown.

Aguas steps out into the Hacienda Guadalupe farm at sundown. A shirt tied around his face protects him from mosquito bites after a heavy rain. He looks around at the land he has nourished and takes a deep breath. “It is a sublime moment when you can see the plants blooming, especially the citruses, the limes, the lemons, the oranges,” Aguas said.

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