A Dawn Journey into the Forest

That morning, Benito and his uncle took us toward El Carrizo to collect agave Valenciana seeds. Just before we entered the mountain, Benito walked up to us holding a soda bottle filled with raicilla in his right hand, and in his left, a bottle of water, a screwdriver, and a small device for measuring the agave’s sugar levels. With his characteristic smile, the first thing he said was, “Who wants raicilla?” And really… how could anyone refuse to share that spirit?

The path was such that we had to walk most of the way single file, like a small caravan. We hiked for about two and a half hours, passing oaks, live oaks, rocky landscapes of reddish soil, and clouds drifting between the hills. The deeper we went, the more we found immense agave Valenciana plants with leaves over two meters tall — majestic at first glance.

When we reached the spot, Benito climbed onto the agave’s leaves and, using a pole with a saw blade at the tip, cut the branch where the flowers and seed bulbs grow. With those, the goal is to rescue, propagate, and preserve the species.

In collaboration with Emanuel Cuenca, Benito created a small plot using this agave and planted around three thousand agave Valenciana. They are the first to propagate this species, and their efforts will keep alive the tradition and culture surrounding this majestic plant. We will have to wait thirteen years to see the first mature plants — and with them, continue a sustainable practice of preserving this endangered species.