Via Organica

Help build solidarity between the US & Mexican Organic Movements at Via Organica

Seven-Day Tours Include:

• Organic Farming & Green Building Workshops with OCA Director Ronnie Cummins, Via Organica Staff & Mexican Organic Activists
• Fresh Organic Meals, Beautiful Accommodations, Thermal Swimming Pool
• Biking, Hiking, and Horse-Back Riding on Nearby Trails
• Visits to Organic Farms, Stores, Restaurants, Green Buildings, and Community Organizing Projects
• Visits to the World Heritage sites and other attractions in nearby San Miguel de Allende and Atotonilco

Situated on twenty acres of organic farmland with natural thermal springs, dotted with palm trees, fruit trees, agave, and mesquite, overlooking the beautiful Rio Laja River, just north of the world heritage Spanish colonial city of San Miguel de Allende, the Via Organica Farm was built in the early 1990s. A resort by design, Via Organica's buildings are made out of adobe and stone, with a number of the buildings featuring extra-thick, Huasteca-style palapa thatched roofs.

2009 Via Organica Seven-Day Tour Dates

• November 15-22
• January 24-31
• February 21-28
• March 12 - 19
• April 18-25
• May 9-16
• June 6- 13
• July 3-10
• August 15- 22

Download a Registration Form: PDF - Word

To find out more about an OCA/Via Organica tour or to plan a custom tour for your group, please call our office at 218-226-4164, or fill out the form below with your contact info and we will get back to you.

Seven day tours are open on a first come-first served basis.
Tours are limited to 20 people.

Cost of the Via Organica tour: $950 per person for a shared room (does not include roundtrip airfare to Leon/Guanajuato airport). Private rooms are available for an additional $300 per week. All days begin with an organic breakfast at Via Organica, and include afternoon and evening organic meals at various locations, as noted.

All proceeds from the farm and tours go to the Organic Consumers Association.

Tour Details

• Seven day tours are open on a first come-first served basis. Tours are limited to 20 people. (A minimum of 10 people, registered one month prior to tour date, required for each tour.)
• Cost of the Via Organica tour: $950 per person for a shared room (does not include roundtrip airfare to Leon/Guanajuato airport).  Includes transport to and from airport.
• Private rooms are available for an additional $300 per week.
• All days begin with an organic breakfast at Via Organica, and include afternoon and evening organic meals at various locations, as noted.
• All proceeds from the farm and tours go to the Organic Consumers Association.

Day One - Sunday

• Arrive at Leon/Guanajuato International Airport in North-Central Mexico.
• OCA van takes guests to OCA's Via Organica Farm and Conference Center, located near the historic village of Atotonilco (six miles north of the city of San Miguel de Allende - 1.5 hours by van from Leon airport).
• Introductory tour of the Via Organica greenhouse and fields.
• Dinner and welcoming party at the Via Organica dining room and poolside palapa

Day Two - Monday

• Morning organic farming workshop and hands on demonstration (see workshop descriptions) at the Via Organica Farm & Conference Center.
• Mid-day swim in Via Organica's thermal springs swimming pool followed by lunch.
• Afternoon workshop on "Organic Transitions: Survival & Revival in Catastrophic Times" by Ronnie Cummins
• Late afternoon options: bike-riding, hiking or visit to Atotonilco Folk Art Gallery.
• Evening Meal & Socializing, organic-related documentary film in the Conference Hall.

Day Three - Tuesday

• Organic farming workshop at Via Organica farm.
• Visit to nearby San Miguel de Allende a World Heritage Site fifteen minutes from the farm. Visit organic restaurants and stores including the Via Organica Tienda (organic food store), Las Tapas restaurant, and lunch at the Via Organica-affiliated Casa Angelitos Inn.
• Afternoon workshop on the state of the Mexican/US/Canada organic and green movements.
• Evening: Encuentro Organico: Dinner, meeting and party with local Mexican organic and green activists from Guanajuato and Queretero.

Day Four - Wednesday

• Organic farming workshop at Via Organica farm.
• Visit to nearby city of Dolores Hidalgo, to the headquarters of CEDESA (Center for Economic Development & Sustainable Agriculture), a grassroots community organizing project, teaching local small farmers organic agriculture and permaculture practices.
• After a discussion and slideshow, we will visit one of CEDESA 250 family subsistence organic farms. Picnic lunch provided.
• Evening: Organic meal highlighting local and regional cuisine.
• Concert with local musicians.

Day Five - Thursday

• Via Organica workshop at greenhouse and fields.
• Visit to several organic farms in the area: La Trinidad, Toyan, Peno de Los Banos, and others.
• Picnic Lunch provided.
• Early evening: hike or bike or ride to the nearby village of Atotonilco, location of one of the oldest churches in Mexico, El Santuario de Atotonilco.
• Evening meal, swimming, socializing and talk at the Via Organica center.

Day Six - Friday

• Hands on morning workshop at Via Organica.
• Visit to local alternative energy and green building projects in San Miguel area.
• Picnic Lunch provided.
• Late-afternoon panel and discussion with the San Miguel's Center for Global Justice on Globalization and Its Impact on Mexico's Economy & Rural Communities.
• Evening: Organic Meal and socializing at the Via Organica.

Day Seven:

• Free morning. Travel to the Leon Airport via OCA van.

For those desiring to stay longer than seven days OCA/Via Organica will be happy to arrange lodging, food, and additional activities at the Via Organica Center or in San Miguel.

Custom Tours

Via Organica offers a wide variety of customized education packages to fit you or your group's needs. Our experienced bilingual staff of organic farmers, educators and activists will help you design an educational tour that give you and your group the experience of a lifetime.

Via Organica offers a number of specific courses and specialty topics, including:

• Organic Farming and Gardening
• Biodynamic Farming
• Healthy Nutrition and Cooking
• Family-scale dairy
• Food preservation
• Alternative & renewable energy
• Homeopathy
• Modern Homesteading
• Renewable Housing and Construction
• Beekeeping
• Alternative healthcare
• Mexican Culture & History
• Spanish Language Instruction
• Community Organizing 101
• Fully Staffed Retreat Center

For more information, including availability, potential costs and details, please contact tour@organicconsumers.org for more details.

Accommodation

Main Building

The beautiful main dining and meeting sala is built out of adobe and has a vast ceiling with a Huasteca palm roof.

Set in a botanical garden it has indoor and outdoor seating.

This building also houses the library and Wi-Fi users can connect to the internet in and around this building

Room #1, 2, 4

1 BR with full bath and deck
One Queen bed , one single bed

The most modern of our rooms, these three rooms share thick adobe walls and face northwest, giving a stunning view of the Rio Laja valley.

All have a cozy fireplaces, coffee pots and a small refrigerator. Each room has purified, potable water throughout, including in the bathrooms.

Room #3

1 BR suite: one king bed and two single beds or four single beds

Thick adobe walls and faces northwest, giving a stunning view of the Rio Laja valley.

Has a cozy fireplace, coffee pot and a small refrigerator.

Offers has purified, potable water throughout, including in the bathrooms.

Room #5

1 BR suite with half bath (shower only)
Two single or One King

On the main level, a detached stone building on the same ground level is guest suite.

The furnishings are beautiful examples of mexican design and artisan wood carvers.

These stone walls were specially selected from ancient livestock corrals, utilizing stones called "piedras de flor", a reference to the rich and colorful variety of lichens growing on them.

Room #6

1BR with full bath; Queen bed, one single

This adobe structure has sweet smelling palm roof with two circular rooms: the main room has a Queen and single bed.

A beautifully tiled bathroom, with tub and shower.

The floors and furniture are of Laja, a granite like local stone, and the woven wool bedspreads and rugs are made by Oaxacan weavers.

Tucked away into the cliff, the room sports a thick Palapa roofs, and the bathroom has a large circular bathtub that also commands a Western view of the river, through windows framed by a forest of Organo cactus.

The Palapa room is the quietest and most private of all the rooms, and one of the best for viewing sunsets and birds.

Room #7

One double, one single with half bath
(have to walk to shared shower)

Secluded and built into the cliff, this room is full of light and has a lovely porch and green area.

Room #9

1 BR, queen bed and single bed

On the lower level of the ranch, adjacent to the fields, and built with piedra de flor, It has a beautiful private patio, with a weight machine for a private workout while enjoying a view of the horse corrals along the rio Laja.

Rooms #10, 11, 12, 13

One double bed

The main salon is enclosed above by a vast ceiling with awe-inspiring cedar trunks which are used as support systems.

In the sala, the custom designed curved kitchen contains carrizo ceilings with two loft sleeping areas on either side with two double beds.

The mini bedrooms are surrounded by curtain walls to give privacy from the main room. The bath and shower are shared on the main floor.

Location

Via Organica's beautiful organic farm and conference center is located in the Rio Laja Valley of Atotonilco - 11 km. from San Miguel de Allende. Atotonilco and San Miguel are both UNESCO World Heritage sites set in the mountainous region of Central Mexico, in the state of Guanajuato. It is a four hour drive to Mexico City and an hour and half trip to the Leon airport.

San Miguel de Allende

Founded by Fray Juan de San Miguel over 450 years ago. San Miguel de Allende besides enjoying one of the best climates in the world, is a fascinating city, bright, seducing, and full of artistic and cultural riches. It only takes one walk through San Miguel to realize that it is a great example of conservation. San Miguel's historic zone, is a very placid, quiet area, filled with precious colonial buildings.
In the center of the city is the Parroquia of San Miguel Arcángel, and has become a very important landmark in this beautiful and mystical city. San Miguel de Allende is considered to be not only one of the most beautiful cities in the whole country of Mexico, but all around the world. It is also known as the ''Ciudad de las Fiestas'' for it's calendar full of cultural and religious festivities, as well as various international festivals.
Miguel's marvels don't stop there, San Miguel also offers it's visitors with an endless amount of restaurants, cafes, night clubs, art galleries, decorative gift shops, art schools, museums, etc. Some of the most typical handicrafts here in San Miguel are blown glass, wrought iron, tin, silver, leather articles, and more.

Via Organica Study Tours FAQ:

What is the process for joining a delegation?

• Send in an application form and $200 deposit at least 1 month before the departure date to reserve your spot. Later applications will be accepted if space is available.
• Full payment is due a month before departure.
• Applications can be submitted online, by regular mail, email, or fax.

When do I need to arrive? How do I arrange my flight?

• You are responsible for arranging your flights from the U.S. to Leon, Guanajuato.
• The first date of the tour is the arrival day and the last date of the tour is the departure date.
• Program activities usually do not start until the evening of the first day and end the morning of the last day.
• Most major U.S airlines fly to Leon, but you can also try some Latin American airlines like Mexicana and Aeromexico, or try a local travel agent specializing in Latin America. Online travel agencies like travelocity.com or expedia.com are good choices as well.
• You should arrive in Leon by 3:00 pm on the day the trip begins and book your flight out of Leon on the final day after 11:30 am.
• We encourage anyone who can to arrive early or stay longer and spend time near the centro of San Miguel de Allende. We have agreements with a local organic activist to stay in their beautiful B&B at special rates.

Do I need a visa?

• You will be issued a Mexico tourist card (also sometimes called an FMT) upon arrival in Leon. The FMT is a government form declaring that you have stated the purpose of your visit to Mexico to be tourism, and which must be carried while you are visiting Mexico.
• Although more than one kind of Mexico visa exists, a Mexico tourist card is a simple declaration of your intention to vacation in Mexico for not more than 180 days.

What does the price of the study tour include?

• The cost of the trip includes all accommodations, transportation in country, guide/translator and trip leader, honorariums, and three meals per day.
• Organic wine and home brewed beers will be available at cost.
• Tour price includes airport pickup and drop off only on the first day and last day of tour dates.

Who are the study tour leaders?

• The study tour leaders are Organic Consumers Association and Via Organica staff.

What is the process once I register?

Once you register for a tour, you will receive further detailed information, including;

• an Orientation Packet with detailed info on currency, climate, health requirements, clothes to pack, electricity, group process, etc.,
• a tentative itinerary and a complete list of dates and contact information for you to give to family & friends and emergency contact numbers for the Organic Consumers Association.

Contact us for more info: