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Abraham, Betsy, Cat and I went on an agricultural field trip in Chiriqui a few weeks ago.  We learned quite a bit there.  Due to the average rainfall in this part of the world, open-air row-crops are not common practice.  Green houses and hydroponics dominate the scene.  Worm juice is the favorite organic fertilizer.

Originally we intended to visit some organic farms and discuss the business model with these farmers to give us a better sense of how we could build farming packages for potential Kalu Yala residences.  What we found however, was that true organic farming in the tropics is far from an exact science, rather a  constantly evolving lifestyle choice.  No one can simply pick up organic farming here in Panama and expect to run it like clockwork.  One has to fully embrace that they will be spending every day of their life walking in their green house, weeding, observing and adapting to light and rain conditions as well as insect migrations.

The worm process is simple and is practiced in temperate zones as well.  Using California Red Worms, you simply deposit your organic waste, i.e. compost into a bin with a drain and collect the liquid that seeps to the bottom.  Typically one would dilute the worm juice with water, but a concentrated batch will really revitalize a particular patch of earth or hyroponic bin.

Since our soil samples indicated that the Kalu Yala valley is rather acidic I was keen to see what we could do to improve soil quality.  Dolomite, a type of lime was the common response but some of the farmers we met employed other techniques.  While cow fertilizer is  also acidic, one can dry it out and mix it with burnt rice hulls to create a mixture rich in nitrogen.

One of the single most important lessons we took from our trip is that organic farming requires total commitment.  You can’t take a vacation or a long weekend if you are serious about farming organically.  It is a year round, seven day a week, 360 degree lifestyle decision, but if prepared for this it is a very fulfilling  one.  Inner peace radiated from the farmers we met.  They felt good knowing they were providing others with healthy, chemical-free foods, and despite there age seemed youthful in appearance. All together, the organic farming trip was an educational and inspirational experience for me and extremely useful for the future of Kalu Yala.