Eco-tours with Vía Orgánica

NESTLED IN THE CENTRAL MEXICAN HIGHLANDS JUST OUTSIDE OF SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE

Join fellow adventurers, nature-enthusiasts, gardeners and organic activists for a 10-day eco-tour in the central highlands of Mexico. You’ll stay at Vía Orgánica’s teaching farm, where you’ll learn about the latest in organic regenerative farming and ranching. The trip also includes tours to San Miguel de Allende and other World Heritage sites, trail rides and nature walks, horseback riding, and organic farming and cooking workshops. It’s the perfect combination of international travel, adventure and learning.

*Proceeds from these tours will help fund our ongoing work*
*Help build solidarity between the US & Mexican Organic Movements*
*Click the tabs below to view the full details*

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFO

10 day tour:

$1250/person

Download a Registration Form:
Click Here

Via Organica
Tour Details
Custom Tours
Accomodations
Location
FAQ
Via Organica

 

Ten Day Tours Include:

• Visits to Organic Farms, Stores, Restaurants, Green Buildings, and Community Organizing Projects
• Fresh Organic Meals and Beautiful Natural Accommodations
• Hiking and Horseback Riding on Nearby Trails
• Learn About Regenerative Organic Farming with OCA Director Ronnie Cummins, Via Organica Staff & Mexican Organic Activists
• Visits to World Heritage sites and other attractions in nearby San Miguel de Allende

The Via Organica Ecological Ranch and Conference Center is located in the Jalpa Valley of Central Mexico, just 15 minutes outside of the beautiful World Heritage City, San Miguel de Allende. The Ecological Ranch serves as an educational farm and training center for farmers, students and activists in the organic food movement. The ranch includes a natural retreat center with adobe buildings, walking trails, solar power, rainwater catchment, and greywater and composting systems. Join OCA on this meaningful learning experience as you immerse yourself in nature while building solidarity with the international Organic Food movement.

 

2016 Via Organica Tour Dates

• March 19-28 (register by February 19)
• April 22- May 1 (register by March 22)

Download a Registration Form:

• Click Here
• Submit registration forms to: tour@organicconsumers.org
• 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 contact us at tour@organicconsumers.org.
• Tours are open on a first come-first served basis.
• Tours are limited to 20 people.
• Cost of the Eco-tour is $1250 per person for a shared room (does not include roundtrip airfare to Leon/Guanajuato airport). All days begin with an organic breakfast at the Via Organica Eco-Ranch, 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

• Nine 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.). Tour activities and times are subject to changes.

• Cost of the Via Organica tour: $1250 per person for a shared room (does not include roundtrip airfare to Leon/Guanajuato airport or QRO airport).  Includes transport to and from airport.

• Tours include three organic meals per day served at various locations.

• All proceeds from the farm and tours go to the Organic Consumers Association.
• Submit a Registration Form to: tour@organicconsumers.org 
• Deadline to register for the March 19-28 tour is February 19
• Deadline to register for the April 22- May 1, 2016 tour is March 22

Day One

• Arrive at Leon/Guanajuato or Queretaro International Airports in North-Central Mexico.

• Private shuttle service takes guests to OCA’s Via Organica Ecological Ranch located in the Jalpa Vally just 15 miles outside centro San Miguel de Allende (1.5 hours from the Leon and Queretaro airports).

• Welcome to the Via Organica Eco-Ranch, settle into accommodations, dinner and campfire.

Day Two

• Breakfast at the Via Organica Eco-Ranch

• Tour of the Via Organica Eco-Ranch and Educational Farm

• Workshop on Climate Change and Agriculture by OCA director Ronnie Cummings

• Lunch at the Via Organic Eco-Ranch

• Tour of the Via Organica Store, Restaurant and Urban Garden in Centro San Miguel de Allende

• Dinner at the Via Organica Restaurant

• Free time to explore the historical Centro San Miguel de Allende

• Return to Ecological Ranch

Day Three

• Breakfast at the Via Organica Eco-Ranch

• Horseback ride into the rural communities of the Japla Valley

• Lunch at a mexican homestead where you will enjoy an authentic mexican meal and taste a traditional fermented drink, pulque

• Dinner at Casa Angelitos Inn in Centro San Miguel de Allende

Day Four

•  Breakfast at the Via Organica Eco-Ranch

• Tour of Cañda de la Virgen pyramids archeological site

• Lunch

• Swim at natural hot springs

• Dinner at the Via Organica Restaurant in Centro San Miguel

Day Five

• Breakfast at the Via Organica Eco-Ranch

• Day trip to La Sierra Gorda

• Picnic lunch

• Tour of the La Rustica Foundation Education Farm

• Return to Via Organica Eco-Ranch for dinner

Day Six

• Breakfast at the Via Organica Eco-Ranch

• Workshop: OCA National Director Ronnie Cummins will leading discussion on Regenerative Agriculture and Organic 3.0

• Lunch at VO Eco-Ranch

• Vitis to Queretaro World Heritage City

• Dinner at “Doña Beatrice’s” homestead restaurant

Day Seven

• Breakfast at the Via Organica Eco-Ranch

• Visit the San Miguel de Allende Organic Farmer Market

• Walking Tour of the El Charco Botanical Gardens

• Dinner at Via Organica Restaurant

Day Eight

• Breakfast at the Via Organica Eco-Ranch

• Day trip to Guanajuato – World Heritage City

• Tour of City Centro

• Lunch at Local Organic Restaurant

• Tour of the Diego Rivera Museum and House

• Dinner at Via Organica Restaurant

Day Nine

• Breakfast at the Via Organica Eco-Ranch

• Visit La Joya Retreat Center

• Tortilla and tamale making class at La Joya

• Visit local organic farm and have a meal prepared at Toyan

• Afternoon workshop on fermented foods or sprouts

• Dinner at VO Eco-Ranch

Day Ten

• Breakfast at the Via Organica Eco-Ranch
• Visit La Joya, a beautiful mountain eco park, for a hike and picinic

• Prepare for departure

• Private shuttle to airport

• To extend your stay in San Miguel de Allende we recommend you make reservations with Casa Angelitos Inn.

*The days and times of the activities are subject to change*

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.

Accomodations

Accommodation will be offered the at the beautiful Via Organica Ecological Ranch located in the Jalpa Valley, just 15 minutes outside of San Miguel de Allende city center. The Ecological ranch is peacefully set amongst the Picacho Mountain range. Tour guests will stay in shared rooms in the ranch’s comfortable, craftsman adobe cabins. The landscape of the ranch provides a peaceful retreat in contact with nature while providing guests with all natural and sustainable amenities. The ranch’s sustainable design includes adobe buildings, solar power, rainwater catchment, dry toilets, grey water systems and composting.

On site meals will be cooked using seasonal organic and local ingredients with handmade tortillas. A portion of the meals herbs and vegetables will be harvested daily from our organic, educational farm on site.

Location

Via Organica’s beautiful Ecological Ranch and Conference Center is located in the Jalpa Valley 15 minutes from San Miguel de Allende. San Miguel is a UNESCO World Heritage site 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.

FAQ

 

What is the process for joining a delegation?

• Submit a Registration Form to: tour@organicconsumers.org
  Deadline to register for the March 19-28 tour is February 19
  Deadline to register for the April 22-May 1, tour is March 22

• Once you receive confirmation of your application, pay the $200 deposit at least 1 month before the departure date to reserve your spot. Later applications will be accepted if space is available. Payments may be mailed to:

Organic Consumers Association

6771 South Silver Hill Drive

Finland MN 55603

• Full payment is due a month before departure.

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

• You are responsible for arranging your flights from the U.S. to one of two airports:Leon, Guanajuato (airport code BJX) or Queretaro (airport code QRO). Each airport is approximately 1.5 hour drive from San Miguel and pickup can be arranged from either airport.

• 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 or Queretaro, 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 or Queretaro 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.

If you have any questions please contact us at tour@organicconsumers.org