Guayachinuma Farm clings to a mountainside in southern Ecuador. It rises up 400 meters from river valley to ridgetop. Like much of the country it was previously
deforested and converted to pasture, a recipe for erosion on such
steep slopes. Overtime the peaks grew rockier and
the rivers muddier. That was until 10
years ago when Victor purchased the land, and since then it has regenerated
significantly while supporting ecological farming methods.
Regeneration
The first step towards regeneration is also
the easiest and the most effective: remove the cause of degeneration, in this
case cattle. Without large herbivores
repressing plant growth, dense thickets have proliferated and pioneer trees
have reached up to 20 feet. And without
their hooves compressing and eroding topsoil, the black gold has
accumulated feet deep with organic matter and moisture. These days livestock is limited to two pigs, a dozen chickens and Blanquito the horse.
Notice the straight fencelines cut out of
nearby mountains which support mostly imported, exotic grasses like panicum (above). Click to enlarge. Compare that to the revegetated slopes of
Guyachinuma (below).
Aliso (alnus acuminata, pictured below) are the workhorses of nature's reclamation
project here in its early stages. They grow quickly—up to a meter (3ft) per year. They stabilize the soil with
their roots, and improve its fertility by fixing nitrogen and mulching with
leaves. They also provide timber for
cooking, building and, in the case of Julian and Clemence, sculpting. See Trees of the Andes
See list of arboles leguminosos used for reforestation in Colombia.
Food Forests
Avacados, papayas, bananas, lemons, granadillas, chirimoyas, ground cherries, cactus, dragonfruit… Food forests pack every spacial niche with
a diversity of food-bearing plants, from root crops to ground covers and shrubs
to vines and trees. They are mostly
perennials, meaning no need to re-till or re-sow each year, meaning less labor
and environmental disturbance compared to annual crops.
![]() |
Omar and Manuel in the new food forest. |
During my visit we planted 30 avocado trees
in a new section of food forest. The process
included clearing brush, digging holes 3ft wide, mixing in compost with
topsoil, and adding fertilizer (see recipe below). Then, from the previously cleared brush,
we added thick heaps of mulch around each seedling to retain moisture, block
weed growth, and eventually add humus to soil.
![]() |
Avacado sapling. |
Polycrops
Where broadscale annuals are necessary, like
the Andean staples of corn and beans, care is taken to minimize erosion. Only on flatter ridgetops are cultivated,
ideally less than 5% incline, where rainwater and gravity exert less downhill
force on the soil. Forming mounded rows
perpendicular to the slope also helps block erosion, as does the later addition
of mulch.
Growing multiple crops together is another
part of the strategy. It reduces the
area needed for cultivation (i.e. disturbance). Also,
plants assist each other: beans fix nitrogen which fertilizes the corn, and the
corn forms trellises for the beans to grow on.
Together they blanket the field, suppressing weed growth and
cooling/moisturizing the soil.
![]() |
3 corn and 2 bean seeds in each hole, two hands apart. |
Learnings both Random and Practical
-Each coconut comes with two free bowls.
-Horseshit can seal open wounds, according
to Victor's chin.
-Place a hard avocado in a bonfire for 30
minutes for deliciousness far exceeding that of baked potatoes.
-Flies and mosquitoes are less of a problem
where chickens roam.
-Seeds of the higuerilla plant (ricinuscommunis) excrete an oil when ground, which can coat and protect wood,
including sculptures.
-How to make organic fertilizer: mix
fermented weeds (¼), urine (¼) and water (½), ferment for 15 days, then pour about 2 liters in each
treehole.
-The stalks of sweetcorn can be sucked for sweet juice. Who knew?
-The stalks of sweetcorn can be sucked for sweet juice. Who knew?
-Stands of eucalyptus and Monterrey pines
are common yet artificial scenes on the otherwise deforested mountains of
Ecuador. They are foreign species
introduced for timber.
For more farm visits, check out
Altering Forest Composition in Wisconsin,
Top Four Cover Crops,
Green Goats with Kim Hunter, and
The Easiest Guide to Shiitake.
Altering Forest Composition in Wisconsin,
Top Four Cover Crops,
Green Goats with Kim Hunter, and
The Easiest Guide to Shiitake.
plants require a particular atmospheric climate to grow in plant growth chamber we are provide that environment to the plants to grow fast.
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