Working side-by-side with his son-in-law Felipe on a scant two acres of land the government granted them after state farms failed in the Special Period, Pucho grew everything from black beans and corn to tomatoes and onions for his family of six adults and four kids. Drastically reduced in quantity and quality, the “guaranteed” rations that provided most Cubans’ daily caloric intake also became and remained consistently incomplete. This meant that millions of Cubans had to grow their own food, barter it on the black market or simply go hungry.
