Bolivia: The ritual of potato planting
Before planting, Quechua farmers ask Pachamama (mother-earth) for permission. Pachamama is the fertility goddess who presides over planting and harvesting. Then the Ispallamama (spirits) are invoked. The sowing of the potato begins with the preparation of the land. Farmers select a fertile land, which has rested for two or three years; then they leave the …
