2.4. Community history
The community of Banhado do Colégio started during the first
Brazilian land reform in 1959. The community was founded in
the early sixties on the dry land reclaimed from the marshes and
approximately 200 families started farming. The lots (10–25 ha
each) were gradually distributed among landless family farmers.
These families were mainly descendants of German and Polish settlers
who emigrated to Brazil at the end of the 19th century [32,33].
Research by Fernandes [34] involving small farmers (‘peasants’)
revealed reasons why they are an important feature of Brazilian
agriculture, especially in the rural reality of the state of Rio Grande
do Sul. According to this author, small farmers generally are able
to achieve high land productivity despite having less support and
resources than large farmers.
Belonging to a land reform settlement the farmers are accustomed
to being subject of study. This type of settlement generally
consists of small farmers who are open to changes and are willing
to exchange experiences in order to achieve better living (or even
survival) conditions.
During the time of settlement the soil in the region was classified
as one of richest in organic matter in Brazil. The predominant soil
types are Albaqualfs and Humaquepts [35]. The main difference
between these soil types is the clay content in the topsoil [36]. Some
topsoil (0–10 cm) properties for these two soil types are listed in