This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Harvesting tobacco leaves in San Juan y Martínez the news was about the new income record of Habanos S.A. the Cuban-Spanish corporation that internationally markets the most prestigious product on the island: its tobacco this figure surpassed the barrier of 800 million dollars for the first time 16% more than the income of the company in 2023 in an economically difficult context both internally and globally confirms the business soundness of Habanos S.A. the success of its commercial strategies and its ability to overcome difficulties and contingencies such achievements would not be possible without the land that produces the best tobacco in the world and the men and women who work it Tobacco farming in Cuba has a long and renowned reputation on the quality of the land where it is planted and harvested on the unique conditions that certain localities of the island have for obtaining the aromatic tobacco leaves in the municipalities of San Luis and San Juan y Martínez two sanctuaries of tobacco production that have a Designation of Origin for Habanos the rich soils and climatic conditions are perfect for harvesting the leaves of the cigars most appreciated by experts and smokers The people who bear the responsibility of the harvest on their shoulders are essential: the tobacco farmers They are the initial architects of the conversion of seeds and then of the plants that grow from them the men and women who dedicate their lives to planting from their parents and grandparents — who in turn learned it from their ancestors — and will then teach it to their children in a generational line that sustains tobacco culture and even more so if the leaves will give shape and aroma to a cigar From the preparation of the seedbeds to manual harvesting Depending on their destination — the brand and the part of the cigar — the plants will be grown outdoors or covered with translucent fabrics that protect them and partially filter the sun’s rays and from there they go to the sorting and destemming classified and destemmed according to their characteristics The process is so complex and selective that only 50% of the harvested leaves that reach this point are classified for use in the Habanos factories Growing tobacco under normal conditions is difficult Doing so in the midst of the deep crisis the island is experiencing is much more difficult Even with the priorities that this activity may have due to its economic value there are many difficulties that tobacco farmers must face on a daily basis and problems with payments and collections derived from banking Their work is also not exempt from other effects of the crisis and natural phenomena such as storms and hurricanes which damage houses and crops and force them to start over again and again tobacco farmers in Pinar del Río continue “struggling” with the land and with their work they keep alive a centuries-old heritage that distinguishes Cuba as the land of the best tobacco in the world The conversation here is moderated according to OnCuba News discussion guidelines. Please read the Comment Policy before joining the discussion Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" OnCuba and the OnCuba logo are registered® trademarks of Fuego Enterprises OnCuba and the OnCuba logo are registered® trademarks of Fuego Enterprises you can't help but notice the large San Juan del Rio Catholic Church building But what you might not see is the booming private school on the property said that in the five years she's been head of the accredited private school The growth led to the parish adding 11,000 square feet in a $1.6-million expansion "We just opened the new building this year," Brown said "We are trying to add another class to each grade every year." Brown said some of the school's growth can be attributed to the expansion of nearby developments But she also believes it's because the school instills core values "You can address the student as an entire person Teachers and students say they "love" the school because it's like a family The school begins with a 3-year-old pre-kindergarten class and goes to eighth grade "We have a really close class because we've all been together at the school for so long," she said "You feel special because before you even come to [a new] class the teachers know who you are." said with 34 students in the seventh grade "I've lived in several states and I came here from Durbin Creek Elementary [School]," he said I like being in class with everyone you know." Most of the teachers have children attending the school giving them a vested interest in the curriculum started coming to San Juan when she was in pre-kindergarten "I started here as a mom and volunteer and now I'm the guidance counselor," Bradley said also said the teachers at the school are held to a high standard no one can substitute at the school without a four-year degree such as Microsoft Excel and putting together a portfolio Her new room is part of the school's addition and the students' computer work stations have doubled to 34 "I get to see the progression and build on what they've learned," she said the new building also houses a library and rooms for art It also where the middle school classes are held "We sectioned them off to make it seem like a more traditional middle school setting," said Brown She said the parish "is alive with young people" and she hopes the school will be a big part of the community 'I feel like I've found my home here,'" she said Take a visual tour of Mexico — from a mass wedding in Veracruz to a Wixárika ceremony in Zacatecas — with this selection of pictures from the week ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC The San Juan del Río facility currently employs more than 700 people a well-known German company specialized in the production of transmission systems and the aftermarket has announced an important investment in the region of San Juan del Río With an investment of approximately US$85.3 million the company seeks to strengthen its presence in the automotive industry and generate a significant impact on the local economy with the projection of creating 250 direct jobs by 2027 Optibelt will allocate US$23 million and will start operations with an initial workforce of 85 people this initial investment is only the beginning of a long-term growth plan The company plans to gradually increase its investment in the region to US$85.3 million It is estimated to invest US$10 million in 2024 US$23 million in 2025 and again US$23 million in 2026 finally reaching the projected US$85.3 million in 2027 Optibelt's investment in San Juan del Río represents an exciting opportunity for economic growth and the strengthening of the automotive industry in the region This investment is expected to have a positive impact on job creation and contribute to the sustainable development of Querétaro and the surrounding area We’re in the business of providing relevant information through print and electronic media organizing events to bring industrial value chain actors together and services to create new business relationships Our goal is to improve our clients’ competitiveness All sixth through eighth grade students at San Juan del Rio gave a three to five minute speech in their classroom and then the top 10 speeches were presented to the middle school student body in the church auditorium on Feb This year’s topic was Hunger in America with Sara Edgar Thomas Howland and Marta Miles earning the top three placements Marta Miles and Kaley Bless participated in the Woodmen Speech Contest Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative Very Rev. Thomas Samuel Willis, former pastor/rector of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine is on a new assignment for the Diocese of St Estevez has appointed him pastor to lead St Mark the Evangelist Mission to full parish status Mark’s will be an exciting challenge,” Willis said of his new parish in northwest St ‘This will take a different skill set for me but I hope I’m up for the challenge.’” completed 13 years as pastor of the cathedral June 30 former pastor of San Juan del Rio Catholic Church Historical homes combat homelessness: St. Augustine church reaches out to help homeless families Coming soon to St. Augustine: Reverb 'megachurch' looks to move into St. Johns County's World Golf Village “Knowing Father Tom and the success he has had he has the right background to build a parish from the ground up,” said Msgr chairman of the diocese’s priest personnel committee “He works well with people and has a lot of experience.” Willis has 25 years pastoring two churches where he expanded parish programs and activities At Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Jacksonville his partnership with the congregation and the diocese resulted in a new church and the repurposing of another building Willis was appointed pastor/rector in 2008 by then Diocesan Bishop Victor Galeone Willis said it “shocked” him because it is “rare" in the Catholic church to be appointed to lead your hometown parish Willis said he was “humbled.” He learned other priests had recommended him to Galeone “They thought I could get things moving in the right direction," he said. "I hope I didn’t disappoint them.” two years after Willis arrived at the cathedral the city and parish were planning their dual 450th anniversary for 2015 Willis headed the parish and diocesan plans for the celebration and major renovations of the cathedral “The renovations for the cathedral were prompted first by a real need to address maintenance and preservation issues that had been deferred for a very long time,” Willis said the more we realized that now was the time to do a slightly larger project to enhance what had been accomplished in the 1960s.” “He was the point person for the diocese and Bishop Estevez,” Boles said “Father Tom kept the Catholic church and its involvement front and center at our committee meetings ‘You cannot celebrate the founding of the city without the involvement of the Catholic church.” “That’s a high calling the bishop has given him to trust him to start a new parish to bring more people to the church a good representative of the power of God almighty in faith and everything else.” Willis’ last 16 months at the cathedral were dominated by the pandemic. The cathedral was closed, and Mass was live-streamed. Cathedral Parish School students attended classes remotely The cathedral launched an emergency appeal online it was money and how long the parish could survive with no offertory income,” Willis said “I was really worried about how I would pay the parish staff as well as the faculty and staff at Cathedral Parish School we never had to face that issue because of the generosity of the people in the parish.” my biggest concern came to be the spiritual lives of the people of the parish,” he said “There’s no replacement for that person-to-person touch we were able to get back to that much sooner than I expected.” Those early pandemic months left him “heartbroken.” “I was unable to get into a hospital or nursing facility to care for the sick and dying,” he said “There were a number of days like that between March and August of last year.” who taught him at CPS and Saint Joseph Academy remain a part of Willis’ life.  “I am forever grateful to God for the Sisters of St … Their example and prayerful support are key parts of my vocation to the priesthood Being able to minister to them these past years has been a great grace in my life.” Joseph Renewal Center and a former general superior “I carry wonderful memories of Father Tom as a student He was tall and slim; no problem; well-behaved as I recall he was pastor of the Cathedral Parish … always loving and kind to the sisters It is so obvious that we are and always have been a close watch on the operation of Cathedral Parish School through the appointment of three principals in his tenure: Janet Morton “They provided a clear vision for CPS true heroes for what they do day in and day out in the school “I may not have been as hands-on and present at the school as a pastor should be but I knew that the school was in great hands.” is among Willis’ longtime supporters has been impressive and heartwarming to watch,” he said “When he needed support for the cathedral or the cathedral festival (annual CPS benefit) has a big smile and great positive energy,” he said I will miss him here but I’m sure we will see him often.” chairman of the Board of Directors of University of Florida Historic St “He is a valuable member of our board and we count on his continuing involvement Willis’ tenure was marked by moments that made him proud of the parish community and how members stepped up in times of need and celebration “It would be easy to point to the planning and all the events for the 450th the Mass with Cardinal Sean O’Malley (archbishop of Boston) my proudest moment was how we were able to get through so many huge challenges two hurricanes (Matthew in 2016 and Irma in 2017) and the accompanying floods and a worldwide pandemic that shook so many to their core There’s a reason that a city like St Augustine has been around for all these years Jim Heslin was the priest who got me thinking about entering the seminary I asked him to be the priest who vested me for my ordination in May 1984 He was kind enough to preach to preach a Mass of Thanksgiving for my 10th anniversary.” “The pastors I served as assistant pastor (now called parochial vicar) who had the most influence were Msgr so I was able to get a lot from both.” Hobby: Formerly played golf but gave it up after complications with his knee I love history so that tends to be where my interests will be.” Little known facts: Willis delivered The St Joseph Academy sports for Radio Station WFOY and worked at the family-owned store The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has approved a project to restore a historic bridge in San Juan del Río is a 110-meter-long bridge built in the early 1700s across the San Juan river It marks the entrance to the Bajío region of the country for northbound travelers and was also part of the 2,560-kilometer Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (Royal Road of the Interior Land) a trade route between Mexico City and San Juan Pueblo The Camino Real route was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2010 but the bridge has significant structural damage that is exacerbated by vehicular traffic Work to restore it will be carried out by the Querétaro Secretariat of Urban Development and Public Works The department’s chief said that authorities at all three levels of government have given the green light for the project “The project was approved and has permits from different federal authorities: INAH [as well as] state authorities and the municipality of San Juan del Río To allow the extensive restoration work to occur a new vehicle bridge will be built next to the existing one explaining that it will allow the restoration and subsequent preservation of “one of the oldest and most important and monuments in the country” and also “provide a solution to San Juan del Río’s transportation problems.” Land surrounding the bridge will be beautified and turned into public space is one of 35 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Mexico Among the others are the historic centers of Mexico City Teotihuacán and Chichén Itzá archaeological sites the monarch butterfly biosphere reserve and the agave landscape and ancient industrial facilities of Tequila Source: El Universal (sp) AM (sp)  SAN JUAN DEL RIO – Pinturas Berel announced the installation of its second production plant in Mexico a project in which it invests US$38 million and will involve the generation of 250 direct jobs (operational and administrative personnel) will be installed in the Nuevo San Juan park generating 400 indirect jobs in the construction of the plant explained the general director of Pinturas Berel The investment will be made in three stages The investment project plans the construction of a new plant for the manufacture of paints The production will be under automated processes that guarantee quality low costs and a more efficient distribution system The process for choosing the installation site was derived from studying various places in the country detecting in the state a strategic location for distributors by being close to their raw material suppliers The new Berel production center is a benchmark in the company's expansion plans which concentrated 100% of its production in the first plant "You’re going to love it." Their first stateside offering is an ancestral mezcal produced in San Juan del Rio made by master mezcaleros with 100 percent espadin (cultivated agave) 7Gallery7 Images When I received an invitation to tour the distilleries of Mezcal Amores in Oaxaca I jumped at the opportunity because I already knew the brand and had been ordering it at dinners around Mexico. Amarás is produced in the famous mezcal village of San Juan del Rio by five master mezcaleros led by Don Roberto who brings generations of experience to the craft of making mezcal. It’s a careful process of pit-roasting alongside hissing and popping red oak covered by river stones Uniform-cut agaves are placed in the pit and covered with earth then crushed by a tahona (stone wheel) before open-air fermentation brings in all the local bacteria that give Amarás its clean citrus flavors and mild sweetness It’s brought down to 41 percent ABV for a smooth and pure beverage that make this a perfect mezcal for both beginners and enthusiasts Amarás is now available in Los Angeles, thanks to importer Anchor Distilling Co distributing Mezcal Amarás Joven (un-aged) through Southern Wine and Spirits getting another mezcal that can count itself among only a handful in Los Angeles that are established Mexican brands both straight-to-the-U.S.-market and established Mexican brands but Mezcal Amarás will give you a real taste of Mexican restaurant and bar culture as it is in Oaxaca Thelma Golden will celebrate Lauren Halsey and U.K.-based singer Griff will take the stage featured A-list designers and Otis College standouts who earned scholarships for innovation in Fashion Design lawyers say Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe showed injuries consistent with a dog attack and plan to present a case against Chloe a German Shepherd who was re-homed by the owner's of the house where the cop's body was found in a snowbank Magazine’s takeaways on five notable topics from President Donald Trump’s first 100 days of his second term consumers are stocking up on household items and bites from THEBlvd and Hinoki & the Bird Hidalgo — Jubilation turned to horror when a massive fireball engulfed townsfolk scooping up fuel gushing from a ruptured pipeline on Friday The pipeline had been tapped by thieves in central Mexico The fireball killed 21 people and badly burned 71 others It came just three weeks after President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador launched an offensive against fuel theft gangs that drilled dangerous illegal taps into pipelines an astounding 12,581 times in the first 10 months of 2018 in Spanish: “I am very sorry for the serious situation in Tlahuelilpan due to the explosion of a pipeline. I am in Aguascalientes and since the director of Pemex and the Secretary of Defense informed me I gave instructions so that the fire is controlled and the victims are taken care of.” The leak was caused by an illegal pipeline tap in the small town of Tlahuelilpan about 62 miles/100 kilometers north of Mexico City { Related: AMLO claims oil rig was sabotaged } Video footage showed dozens of residents in an almost festive atmosphere as whole families gathered in a field as a geyser of fuel spouted dozens of feet into the air from the tap Some villagers were covered in gasoline as it spewed into the air Footage then showed flames shooting high into the air against a night sky and the pipeline ablaze some themselves burning and waving their arms Omar Fayad said 21 people were killed immediately and 71 suffered burns in the blast at the duct that carries fuel — apparently gasoline — from the Gulf coast to Tula Pemex attributed the blaze to “the manipulation of an illegal tap.” Hidalgo state police said the leak was first reported at about 5 p.m “There was a report that residents were on the scene trying to obtain fuel,” according to a police report And another pipeline burst into flames in the neighboring state of Queretaro on Friday Pemex said the fire near the city of San Juan del Rio was “in an unpopulated area and there is no risk to human beings.” when authorities blamed oil thieves for a pipeline explosion near the capital that killed 28 people That blast burned people and scorched homes affecting 5,000 residents in an area six miles (10 kilometers) wide in San Martin Texmelucan The blast will further focus attention on Lopez Obrador’s fight against the $3 billion per-year illegal fuel theft industry He launched the offensive after taking office Dec deploying 3,200 marines to guard pipelines and refineries His administration also shut down pipelines to detect and deter illegal taps relying more on delivering fuel by tanker truck and long lines at gas stations have plagued several states But Lopez Obrador faces resistance in his battle against fuel theft Gangs have been able to win the loyalty of whole neighborhoods using free gasoline and getting locals to act as lookouts and confront military patrols carrying out raids against the thefts It is unclear whether Friday’s tragedy will turn the tide of opinion against the gangs in the impoverished villages that lie above the underground pipelines “I am calling on the entire population not to be accomplices to fuel theft,” Fayad wrote “What happened today in Tlahuelilpan must never happen again.” With information from the Associated Press Yucatán Magazine has the inside scoop on living here. Sign up to get our top headlines delivered to your inbox every week stuck in what seems like forever at the orange traffic signal That’s the message from the region’s employer associations a surge in coronavirus infections has yet to be detected If new infections and hospitalizations remain stable in today’s health bulletin Updated to correct the number of accumulated deaths in Yucatan: Yucatan state health officials on Wednesday announced 200 more coronavirus cases and 28 deaths as the pandemic shows no sign of easing in Mexico Over half of the 1,092 COVID-related deaths in Yucatan have taken place in July alone Yucatan is the only Mexican state in the Peninsula that has not approved marriage between people of the same sex Municipal authorities in Cozumel have decided to temporarily close several streets in an attempt to slow down the spread of COVID-19 the population will grow 42.7% in 18 municipalities around the Yucatán Peninsula and Southeast Over 3,000 new coronavirus infections were reported this week in Yucatán and that’s likely an undercount due to the state’s limited testing resources But while the new coronavirus variant has had infections breaking records daily in Yucatán Advertise With Us Nine people are dead after a transit bus driver in Querétaro attempted to race a train to a level crossing and lost Another 13 people were injured in the accident that occurred Friday morning in La Valla A state police official said the 21-year-old driver of the bus made a “reckless” attempt to reach the crossing before the train “He will have to answer for this terrible incident,” he said of the driver The bus was left lying on its roof after the train swept it off the tracks Source: Reforma (sp), El Financiero (sp) NPS map from El Camino Real de la Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail Courtesy Palace of the Governors PhotoArchives (NMHM/DCA) Discover our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Program Frequently Asked Questions ^TOP Download the NPS app to navigate the parks on the go Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker) we are relying on revenues from our banners So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.Thanks Finka officially inaugurated its newest 22-hectare greenhouse that was built in collaboration with Prins Group Hoogendoorn Americas and various equipment suppliers This project marks the first phase of Finka’s ambitious plans for its Finka San Antonio operations which will see 160 hectares of high-tech greenhouses built over the coming decade The greenhouse’s inauguration was attended by the Board of Directors of Finka companies as well as the Governor of the State of Queretaro Mauricio Kuri Gonzalez and the Major of San Juan del Rio Governor Kuri and Finka’s CEO Jorge Del Toro spoke at the event after which attendees were given a tour of the new facility with the incorporation of Equilibrium Capital Finka announced that the 22-hectare greenhouse was the first phase in the plan to build 80 hectares of high-tech greenhouses in San Juan del Río Finka acquired another land reserve spanning 80 hectares and has added this area to the expansion project This will bring the total planned production area from 80 hectares to a whopping 160 hectares After completing its 22-hectare first phase Finka plans to build another 7 hectares in 2023 then add 14 hectares per year until the 160-hectare target is reached State of Queretaro ideal for greenhouse productionAs Finka CEO Jorge Del Toro explains the state of Queretaro is ideal for greenhouse production for many reasons the region is 2.000 m above sea level which results in an environment with moderated temperatures and high natural light levels the outdoor temperature peaks around 32°C and has a minimum of 13°C making it easier for both plants and workers to thrive Another advantage is the region’s proximity to Laredo Texas which is considered a food distribution hub and allows Finka to market high-quality produce to a wide consumer base Queretaro is in the Bajío region of Central Mexico is home to many thriving companies and is one of the fastest growing regains in the country Success as a combination of technology and human ingenuitySince inaugurated its first 5-hectare greenhouse in AgroPark in 2009 Finka has consistently expanded its operations and improved its greenhouse design Now with 30 hectares in AgroPark and its ongoing expansion in San Juan del Río Finka has landed on a winning formula: diffused glass Combined with advanced control systems by Hoogendoorn and various other systems in the greenhouse Finka successfully grows high-quality produce year-round technology alone cannot explain the company’s success “our workers are responsible for 90% of our success.” Bringing 22 hectares online meant training 400 team members in less than two months a challenge that Jorge describes as “not easy but beautiful – with results that we are really happy with.” Using the 30-hectare greenhouse complex in AgroPark as a training ground Finka assigned trainers to small groups of people to teach them how to work with plants and improve their efficiency By tracking employees’ progress and overall efficiency Finka is able put more attention on certain employees to elevate their productivity and help the entire team function on harmony In the first 2.4 hectares of the new greenhouse seven trainers were each assigned 6-10 employees and taught them how to work with a cucumber crop before moving on to a larger greenhouse and liberating that section for new trainees Finka San Antonio: integrated from seeding to marketingToday Finka produces greenhouse vegetables over 52 hectares (30 ha in AgroPark and 22 ha in San Antonio) When Finka San Antonio hits its 160-hectare project Finka will span roughly 200 hectares and have generated 3.000 direct jobs Finka San Antonio will provide centralized propagation and packing for both Finka locations and 40 hectares of external producers establishing its own propagation operation is crucial to ensuring the company and resilience to external shocks With rugose running rampant throughout the world and demonstrating the need for strict biosecurity measures in a globalized industry Finka plans to integrate as many operations as possible to prevent the transmission of pathogens into its facilities Although building propagation facilities is a top priority Finka will first focus on its impending 7-hectare expansion For more information: Jorge Del Toro, Chief Executive Officer[email protected] Finka FreshPublishers © 2005-2025 HortiDaily.com COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER Nicaragua — As soon as I saw the big white statue on a cliff overlooking this town I asked a waiter how to get there and he said you can climb up from the left but “there are lots of thieves.” He gave me complicated directions for getting there from the right I saw on TripAdvisor that a couple of visitors complained that crooks at the top were charging for parking and admission when they had no authority to do so walking on the beach from the southernmost part of town A frisky little dog ran up to me wanting to play and his sharp little claw left an inch-long scratch on my arm that immediately started bleeding Fortunately it was my worst injury all day A couple of German women walking toward me asked if I knew how to get to Jesus They said they had found a path to the left of the statue I asked a couple of young women who looked like locals if they knew the way The German women and I walked on in opposite directions He pointed back in the direction I had come and said the entrance was way back there I could keep going and climb over a wall next to the cliff I walked on and climbed over the little wall deserted walkway between the hotel and the mountain I wondered if I would encounter dogs of a more vicious variety But soon I came to a very steep brick road leading up A couple of trucks and motorcycles passed me and it occurred to me that this would be a good place to rob someone walking alone I came to an uniformed officer opening gates for vehicles and showing people where to park He didn’t look like the crooks that TripAdvisor was talking about A sign advised that entrance was $2 for foreigners 20 cordobas for nationals (about 70 cents) I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to pay here but you’ve have to be an elite athlete to run up this incline Finally I came to a gate where a nice older man said it would be $2 I asked if he had change for either $20 or 500 cordobas I felt like I had reached the pearly gates only to be turned away by Peter because I didn’t have the correct change “I can give you change from my own money.” Great then I gave him 100 and he gave me 50 back and the Jesus towering overhead made me want to genuflect There is a little chapel under the statue with informational displays on Christ statues around the world known as Cristo de la Misericordia or Christ of Mercy was built in 2009 and is 15 meters high in addition to its 9-meter pedestal the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro And the Christ the King statue in Poland is 33 meters but counting the mound it’s 52.5 meters A circular walkway leads up to the very base of the statue I spent a long time just taking in the sights I had the place all to myself except for a man and a woman sitting up on top I was reminded of something Jesus said in Matthew: “Enter through the narrow gate For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life Contact Karl Kahler at kkahler@ticotimes.net A woman was severely injured in Querétaro after being hit by a freight train while trying to take a selfie on Thursday The woman was struck in the head by the train at around 9 a.m The state of her health has not been reported but her injuries appear to have been life-threatening from Tequisquiapan and known in the area as a keen runner and sportswoman the woman went close to the tracks to pose and take a photo without weighing the risk The train whistled to warn her to move away she fell to the ground and was bleeding severely Station staff attended to her until municipal police and paramedics arrived and took her to the hospital in San Juan del Río With reports from El Sol de San Juan del Río and Noticias de Querétaro Each week, Roads & Kingdoms and Slate publish a new dispatch from around the globe. For more foreign correspondence mixed with food, war, travel, and photography, visit its online magazine or follow @roadskingdoms on Twitter Mexico—“They say that people in America like mezcal a lot,” says Fortunato Angeles leaning on a wooden tank of fermenting agave “I like the work because it puts food on the table.” Four generations of his ancestors have distilled the smoky spirit from ripe maguey toiling under the Oaxacan sun in southern Mexico to provide the fuel for festivals and family celebrations in the village of San Juan del Rio Angeles rubs a drop of his juice on his palms cupping them around his nose to check the quality of his product The first whiff of the potent spirit is pure alcohol Toribio Hernandez walks through is agave fields in San Juan del Rio “It’s the work I learned when I was a little boy,” says Angeles steep slopes breaking in every direction around Angeles’ hometown divvied up by a town council into small plots where residents practice traditional milpa subsistence agriculture rotating maize The terrain has kept the Zapotec-speaking community relatively isolated since it was founded in 1417 Rough roads out of town eventually reach the highway Though many of the town’s residents spend at least a few years in America to increase their income But there’s a growing interest in Angeles’ product The global economy has suddenly started showing up at the doorstep of tiny San Juan del Rio Mezcal has landed on hip cocktail lists and mezcal-focused bars across the United States putting international price tags up to $70 or more per bottle on what was traditionally a village drink sold in recycled Coke bottles for about five bucks Only 2.4 million liters of mezcal were produced in 2015 compared with tequila’s 228.5 million liters But mezcal production has more than doubled since 2011 Thirst for the drink is pushing well-funded entrepreneurs to work with subsistence farmers offering incredible opportunity for some of Mexico’s poorest regions but putting their traditions in the path of the global market machine the industry has the potential to build a sustainable future that supports all of the links in the chain But the process could easily be coopted by big brands dominating undercapitalized traditional producers At an overgrown villa in a posh Mexico City neighborhood I make my way past private security guards into a cinematically lit swirl of chic capitalenos The house played host to a who’s who of 20th century art in its day but years of abuse had left it ready for a makeover where a representative from Mezcal Amores was handing out drinks Amores got its start when Santiago Suarez started working in Oaxaca in 2010 grew up with cosmopolitan tastes and tended toward international standards like beer and whiskey He remembered mezcal from high school as a cheap addition to sugary punches Tourists from Guadalajara sample mezcals at Mezcalilira in Oaxaca City But while working with poor communities in southern Mexico he discovered the richness of the spirit and realized that it could appeal to an international palate A successful mezcal company would need to harness skilled practitioners of ancient distilling techniques as well as modern marketing strategies connecting segments of society with little trust for each other Suarez saw Amores as a company that could broach this divide “It’s very easy for me to build a big palenque and produce everything ourselves but that’s not the philosophy,” he explains Amores works with 15 producers in 11 different sites around the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero Suarez traveled to San Juan del Rio after hearing about a palenque that made excellent mezcal and were impressed by their quality standards Amores would buy everything they could produce at 20 percent over cost and offered a microloan to expand the palenque so that it could produce a target 2,000 liters of mezcal per month this meant a guarantee of cash paid upfront for his hard work rather than piecemeal profits earned by the bottle or party and helped him grow his sales from 30,000–50,000 pesos per year to 150,000–200,000 pesos per year He also takes pride in the fact that that his liquor is suddenly being enjoyed outside his home valley The palenque isn’t hitting production targets Angeles went to America to earn extra money but came home because he preferred the pace of life in the village He’s content living in a small house with his wife and niece: a perfectly normal life in a subsistence-farming town Suarez can’t understand why Angeles and his fellow producers aren’t jumping at the chance to expand He sees his offer as representing a nearly limitless flow of cash into the small town Roasting agave and milling it takes three to four days so why not have both those processes going continuously And why not add a night shift to speed things along and then build an extra oven to roast two batches at once are not thinking along the lines of international branding but instead wondering about more tangible benefits investments he’s made in palenques have instead been used to buy washing machines and make other household improvements Even when some mezcaleros start to think big they often lack the knowledge and support structure to launch a successful venture Angeles thinks that he might someday be able to have his own mezcal brand but he worries that the cost of running an internationally distributed business might run to astronomical heights so he’s more than happy to work with Amores for now The town bills itself as “The World Capital of Mezcal,” with more distilleries than I could count hawking their liquor from tasting rooms But it took me a while to find the one I was looking for I had to ask for directions three times and was pulled over by the police while going the wrong way down a one-way street before I found the home of El Cortijo tucked behind the town’s cathedral was walking into the unmarked hacienda as I pulled up El Cortijo is the world’s oldest mezcal brand Méndez’s grandmother grew up in Jalisco and watched the tequila industry take off She made sure her husband pulled together the paperwork to formalize and bottle the moonshine he was becoming famous for at the time the company is pursuing the same business model as Amores buying from six palenques and selling bottles decorated with stunning artwork This has helped the family grow their brand and brought their mezcaleros’ products to audiences they never could have reached alone “Lots of producers don’t have the capacity to meet the standards and certify their products,” Méndez explains as we sip from El Cortijo’s Maestros Mezcaleros collection at a dusty bar in his family’s courtyard the mezcal industry has moved from a bootlegging business to an industry with strict rules and regulations The guidelines are structured as a denomination of origin law much like those that govern wines from Burgundy or Champagne a new version of the law passed at the end of 2015 has added more requirements adding to the already high startup costs involved in launching and sustaining a mezcal brand all distilled liquor must now be submitted to laboratory testing at the expense of the distiller This aims to reduce the risk of methanol poisoning but the extra cost is discouraging to lone mezcaleros who are looking at startup costs that already exceed their annual income While this hasn’t stopped less affluent mezcaleros from producing and selling their liquor to their neighbors it makes it difficult for them to even dream of accessing a more lucrative market alone “It seems to me that it will evolve bit by bit,” says Méndez He believes that such laws are necessary—a lack of testing in the ’70s led to a string of methanol poisonings that crashed the market—even if they aren’t yet perfect One concern is that these laws give an advantage to massive brands that can lobby to shift legislation in their favor There is fear among many in the industry that a corporate behemoth entering the competition would immediately end the broader wealth distribution that companies like Amores and El Cortijo champion “It’s tough to keep up with the market without industrializing,” says Méndez Mezcal Amores is working on applying technology to the future of mezcal at a new center they’re building in Tlacolula The facility will have all of the pieces of a traditional palenque: ovens cut into the ground to roast agave tahonas where mules pull massive stones to grind the roasted pinas and then copper stills to finish the mezcal But there will also be an on-site lab that will work to quantify the process mezcal is made like your grandmother’s ragù: a pinch of this and some of that until it looks right Mezcal Amores want to start studying the process more precisely to understand the impact of different oven temperatures and other variables on the finished product Centuries of trial-and-error have resulted in a diversity of excellent mezcals Teresa Raymundo walks to a funeral with a bundle of flowers in San Juan del Rio looking over blueprints for the new palenque He describes touring a Scotch factory where distillers knew the optimal distilling temperature to one-tenth of a degree Mezcal’s marketing relies on its rustic roots but if it’s going to compete with other global craft spirits and fend off incursions from industrial brands the next generation of mezcaleros is going to need a different mindset Amores is also investing in more diverse agave cultivation There are more than 100 varieties of the plant tens of which are used in mescal production only the espadin variety is farmed because it is the fastest to mature whereas other varietals might need 35 years before they’re ready to harvest Suarez wants to explore other cultivation options before the demand for more exotic mezcals drains the supply of wild plants “Some people are marketing their mezcals like ‘Drink this before it goes extinct,’ but that’s bullshit,” he says there are beds of baby agaves sewn for the business’ future Suarez describes a vibrant center for mezcal preservation and innovation This project will employ young mezcaleros rather than buying from established palenques This will allow Amores to distribute a cheaper line of mezcal with the target of selling it for around $30 per bottle as opposed to the spirits they distribute for master mezcaleros like Angeles The goal is to simultaneously educate the next generation and prepare them to compete as the sector expands the industry will go like tequila,” explains Suarez worrying that individual masters will be replaced with mechanical processes Jose Cuervo has made offers to buy the business His investors have so far put in $1 million every year but Suarez sees the growing number of palenque partners and plants as signs of a bright future “We plan to be here for a long time,” he says Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.