June 27th 2010, a group of students from Los Altos, California's, Foothill College Anthropology Department, embarked upon an adventure in the small yet fascinating country of Belize.
With the generous help of Mic and Lucy Fleming and their land at Chaa Creek, the Students found themselves with the opportunity to work alongs side Ted and Linda Neff in their study of the agricultural practices of the ancient Maya.
As part of a larger Anthropology field school, the Foothill students were invited to work with the Neff's at Chaa Creek for a 1 week intensive on Maya farming, learning archaeological research methods, and participating in an experimental archaeology project.
In their gratitude for Mic and Lucy Fleming for so graciously welcoming them to work on their land, they have put together a small blog about their experiences.

we worked on moving compost into the designated bins, learning that compost can get incredibly hot (160 degrees F) and can be prone to igniting into flames if not properly monitored. --(Jonathan Schneider)

In order to dig a mountain, you must first dig a hole. Holes. Holes, holes, and more holes. Redundant? No way. As tedious and grueling the work was at Chaa Creek, I found the whole experience to be a completely rewarding one.
The most interesting part of the farm was the harvesting of the pitaya, commonly known as dragon fruit. This crop was especially peculiar because it grows from a cactus. The cacti take about two weeks to germinate and once it reaches maturity, it will begin to bear flowers. The flowers will then blossom and fall off to reveal a dragon fruit. Dragon fruit rely on external fertilization during the night and the cacti can flower up to six times a year. The meat of the fruit is bright magenta a bear a taste that is similar to a kiwi. --(Andrew Ignacio)