The changing fortunes of Quesada's organic farm Finca Burgambilia -- named after the vibrant purple flowers that bedeck the entrance -- follow those of communist Cuba's relations with the United States over the past decade.Quesada, 52, looks back fondly on what he refers to as the "Obama years" a decade ago, when a historic detente with Washington helped spur a tourist influx.As visitors began pouring off cruise ships into Havana, restaurant owners began beating a path to Finca Burgambilia, once a local dump, for gourmet greens like salad rocket that were virtually unheard of on the island.
In the past, tourism helped some Cuban farms prosper © Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP
The restaurant revenue acted as a cash cow for the eight-hectare (20-acre) farm, allowing Quesada to expand and invest in new ventures, such as organic honey."We would sell a kilo of rocket and with that subsidize maybe 100 kilos of lettuce and therefore maintain a balance and continue developing," said the energetic father of two who buzzes with ideas for how to get ahead.He pulled up the rocks that studded the farm, used them to make paths, built raised vegetable beds and dug an irrigation channel.But since US President Donald Trump imposed a fuel blockade in January, which put a nail in the coffin of the already sputtering tourist industry, Quesada has struggled to remain afloat.No giving upThe blockade intensified the worst energy crisis in Cuba's post-revolutionary history, plunging homes and businesses into darkness for up to 70 hours at a time.
