The Farm
Bee Project
We have two species of the Genus Melipona of which about seventy species are known worldwide. Both varieties are stingless. The smaller of the two varieties was worshipped by the Mayans for their medicinal honey.
We have two groups of bee hives in different parts of the Initiative and have planted specific species of medicinal/sacred plants around their hives so they feed on their pollen which they are traditionally believed to alchemically transmute into a very special, highly concentrated, medicinal honey which keeps its properties for an untold amount of time.
One of the properties is believed, by the indigenous curanderos (healing shaman), to prevent/reduce and even, if used early enough, fully cure cataracts. We would like to cooperate with a PhD researcher who would make this their thesis. If you are interested, please click here.
Chicken Project
A primary aim of the Initiative is self sufficiency, and the Chicken Project is very much a part of this.
There are two spacious hen houses next door to each other in an enclosed compound. The larger one is home to about 36 commercial hens, bred for egg laying, and needing a specialist diet, which has to be bought in and is becoming increasingly expensive.
They have a nice life with plenty of room and only one bossy Rooster! He is a wild chicken and seriously tough compared to commercial roosters. They have a decent sized protected outdoor area to peck around and do their thing in.They are a happy lot and some will sit on your lap if you sit quietly and wait for them to come to you. If that happens and you give them a bit of a stroke or just give out a nice vibe they will often go and lay an egg straight after leaving your lap!
They produce a lot of fertilizer for the farms - especially good for the vegetables which are hard to grow organically in the Amazon .
There are two reasons for their being two huts; one is to allow us to produce a supply of unfertilized eggs so visitors who do not like taking the life of a potential chicken can eat one of the best sources of first class protein (with the perfect mix of essential amino acids) with a clear conscience.
The second reason is so that we can use the fertilized eggs to breed chickens with a genetic mix of the commercial and the wild varieties in order to engineer a strain which, hopefully, produces a reasonable amount of eggs whilst being better able to fend off predators and live off the land, thus reducing the need for specialist shop bought feed. Their ability to survive ‘in the wild’ allows them to forage round the medicinal gardens, dealing with insects and thus keeping themselves and the plants naturally healthier since we do not use any pesticides/insecticides.
In the evening, they return to the safety of their coop
Fish Farms (Piscigranja)
The Initiative has a long waterfront on a tributary of the Amazon which, of course, has fish in it. Unfortunately, the tributary, like the Amazon itself, carries a lot of silt as it flows, and as a result, the fish can taste quite ‘muddy’, particularly to visitors unaccustomed to eating them. The fish from the farms taste better and are more consistently available, providing a resource for the local village as well as for the Initiative. The species are also less bony than many of the
Amazon caught fish.
There are two fish farms; the first is on the side of the project which has the main Medicinal Gardens, chicken houses, Kambo(medicinal frogs), citrus plantations etc.
It is about 60 metres long with an average width of about 10 metres and a variable depth. It can support about a thousand fish of 1Kg (2.2 lb) and is mainly stocked with a fish called Sabalo locally, though this name is used to describe a different species in Spanish speaking countries.
Sabalo is good to eat, has few bones, and grows to about 1 - 1/12 kilos in less than a year if it is fed well. The downside is that it requires fast flowing water in order to reproduce, making it necessary to restock each year with small fish caught from the river, a time consuming occupation.
In addition to the sabalo, there are several other species, the most interesting of which is a very ancient, bony, flatfish with a series of serrated triangular plates either side, known locally as the Tunushika, (Sawfish). Tunushika is a bottom feeder, so it helps to keep the bottom of the lake clean.
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The second farm, which is the larger, is on the other side along with the visitors’ village (La Semilla), my house, and the solar farm.
This is quite big; around 100 metres long with an average width of about 30 metres and a depth of up to 1½ metres. It was completed in 2024, just before a major drought but, fortunately, it is fed by an underground aquifer supply. The intention is to stock it with a local species of Cichlid as they form a durable ecosystem. Unfortunately, the aforementioned drought has significantly reduced the availability of these and we are actively seeking supplies.
As it is sourced by an aquifer, we have taken the opportunity to dig a well at the edge of this farm and the water this produces is being used for many purposes, including irrigation in the dry season; a use for which it is particularly suited being sweet and mineral rich.
As a supplement to other sources of food for the fish, the perimeters of both ponds have been planted with many berry plants, notably those known locally as Nispero, Renaco and Ayrambo, and these, together with an unusual species of water tolerant banana, provide additional nutrition. The fish are also treated to termites sourced from the many mounds around the Initiative.
As with any part of the project we welcome anyone with specialist expertise, or simply an interest, to come and have a look or help out.
