Traditional Wild Fruit Fair of Trovolhue, Chile celebrated its fourth edition

Wild food gatherers supported by CMPC displayed their products at the fair, 90% of which are harvested from farms belonging to the company in the area of Carahue, Araucanía Region, Chile, as non-wood forest products.

The fourth annual Trovolhue Wild Fruit Fair was held this past weekend on November 18 and 19, an event that had more than 40 stands with representatives from the world of gastronomy, crafts, plant-based products and local tourism, including a stand for the Carahue Navigable River Route.  The event, organized by the Municipality of Carahue with the support from the Social Action Department of the Temuco Bishopric and CMPC, welcomed one thousand visitors who were delighted by its flavors and colors.

The vast majority of the gatherers present at this fair collect fruits on CMPC properties. A partnership has been set up between the company and those dedicated to collecting wild products, a common trade in the area that is very important in that it preserves the identity and heritage of the residents of this rural sector of Carahue. Currently, 369 gatherers from Biobío and La Araucanía are associated into groups of collectors working here. They have the necessary authorizations to forage non-wood forest products on the company’s properties.

CMPC Head of Community Relations for the Carahue area Álvaro Espina expressed his satisfaction with the fair that highlights the value of non-wood forest products. “Trovolhue is part of the district of Carahue in the Araucanía Region of Chile, a town characterized by working with wild fruits. One women’s collective is dedicated to gathering these non-wood forest products.  As CPMC, we have a lot of property in this area, and 90% of the collection done by this group is done on the company’s land.” 

Meanwhile, the Trovolhue Collectors Group President Teresa Espinoz stressed the importance of the work done by various local entrepreneurs and said, “We’ve been working here since 2011. Every year we have a wild fruit fair with local products. We work through sustainable harvesting to support our families. Inviting more groups to join us was an excellent idea. Not only do we work to market these products, there are artisans as well. All of us are entrepreneurs who need to forge ahead and sell our goods. A lot of effort goes into this,” she said. 

For his part, Bernardo Huenumán with his venture “Trana Lafken Kimey” also joined the fair as an entrepreneur. He said he’s very grateful to be able to offer his sea products, such as cochayuyo, luche, and ulte [sea vegetables naturally growing in the southern Pacific]. “The business name means something. Trana is the product we collect from the sea, Lafken means the sea, and Kimey means delicious. I work with Cristina Llancapan. We sell food products collected from the sea, including packages of cochayuyo, flour, luche, and ulte. We’ve been in the business for years. Born and raised at the ocean’s edge. It’s great for us to participate in the fairs, so we always do whenever we can,” said the entrepreneur.

Local Artistic Groups

Within the framework of the fourth edition of the Trovolhue Wild Fruit Fair, there was also space for artistic groups from the community to perform at the event. On Saturday the 18th, the Municipal Folkloric Ballet of Carahue “Bafca” performed. Through dance, they seek to recover, promote and disseminate the customs and traditions of Chile and Latin America in general. Local band “Impacto Juvenil” played a range of musical styles including cumbia, ranchera, sound and tropical.

The Trovolhue Secondary School Collective got to perform on Sunday the 19th. The group is made up of first, third and fourth year students who presented a fusion of folkloric themes and cumbia ranchera music. Lastly, the “Llanero de Ñuble” musical group with singer Allan Milla performed.