On day 2 of Plus3: Ecuador, I woke up early to catch a bus headed for El Quinche. There began our first agriculture sight visit- home to the roses of Casanto Miray. At this farm, 70,000 rose plants yield 100,000 stems per month. Believe it or not, this is considered a small family business. They operate on one hectare which is equal to 2.5 acres.
We weaved in and out of greenhouses which overlooked the Andes. One of eleven farm managers explained to us the processes of what it takes to manage the growth of a healthy and beautiful rose. These processes include managing all sorts of things from fungi and temperature.
One of my favorite parts of the rose tour was how the variety of colors come to be. They mainly grow white and light pink roses because those are the easiest to artificially dye. From the farm, we drove about 20 minutes to where they process the “bunches” of flowers. Price depends on the length of the stem and the distance between thorns. Different clients ask for different things, and Casanto Miray will never say no to any requests. The use of capillary action allows the flowers to absorb dye, enabling the ability to create any hue or gradient possible. Yes, they do make rainbow flowers for an additional 15 cents (más o menos) per stem. Here are some colors I was able to snap some photos of.
In the processing building, they have a storage cooler, similar to one in the kitchen of a restaurant, that keeps the roses at a cool temperature of 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit; which stays consistent through the entirety of shipment. For reference of the speed of shipment, it takes about 72 hours from the time the stem is cut to when it reaches the airport. That time can be reduced to 3 hours for high demand like during Valentine’s Day.
Aside from logistics, I have to mention the owners’ and employees’ hospitality. I walked away with a bouquet of roses and a lunch for free which was so kind. I have noticed the effect that foreigners had on locals from day 1, but this was the first time I realized what it meant for businesses. Before we left, they were eager to show us their hydrangea plants that they were experimenting on and was looking forward to any questions they had. This small business is trying so hard to grow, and us being there is an opportunity for them to do so. Before we left, the manager who showed us around the property made sure to take a picture with us to share on their social media. (Go follow @casanta_miray!)
Believe it or not, this was all before noon. So, we stopped at a small town for lunch and ended up staying there for hours because of a small transportation issue. This small hiccup allowed me to meet Rosita, an older corner shop keeper whom I bought a chocolate covered banana from. As the group filtered into this small shop to meet the sweetest woman in town, she greeted us all with a hug. I cannot help but think about what it means for us to give her business and company. After two years of COVID, our business meant similar for Rosita as did our visit to Casanta Miray. Our last stop of the day was to the Bios chocolate factory which was the very first one in Quito. I felt like I was experiencing Willy Wonka’s Factory; except this time nobody turned purple. After stuffing myself with chocolate and boggling the intricate process of chocolate making , the day came to an end. Kind of.
The bouquet I had received early in the day would sadly not make it home after two weeks of travel so I had to figure out what to do with it. After meeting and speaking (some very bad, but improving) Spanish to Rosita, and interacting with a couple other people from Quito, a couple of us decided to take a walk the next morning to give out our roses. One by one, a simple gesture with a rose and a “para tí” brought smiles to faces.
All in all, I am noticing the effect tourism has on Ecuador. Aside from the impact of COVID, Americans do not tend to visit the Ecuador mainland so when they do, it has an exaggerated effect. Like any place, there are good and bad people, but the smiles I have seen in Quito show that the good in Ecuador outweighs the bad.
Brooke Eyler
Current Location: Río Napo, Ecuador