While I dig into design and installation of gardens and low impact organic 'scapes here in California, EcoLoco and Diamante Organico continue to grow. Our Casa Gaia Center almost complete for volunteers, students and visitors who will soon be gracing the farm with their energy and enthusiasm. We're all so excited about this year's programs and continued enhancement of our community school and neighborhood with the help of residents and guests... stay tuned for our program and workshop schedule -- soon to be announced!
Marjorie and Bolivar have been planting new mixes of lettuces and greens for our health-conscious customers who have been asking for tender sweet greens and familiar Mediterranean crops (broccoli, cauliflower, okra) that bring joy to a simple, healthy meal, or stand alone with a nice fruity tropical dressing or dash of homemade chile sauce! We'll announce new additions to What's Growin' On in February, as the rains gave us a strong start to some longer-maturing crops -- thanks to all of you for your patience during the more difficult growing season!
We had an inventory of our fruit trees and locations done by our guests from France, and we're excited to know we have over 200 varieties of fruit from all over the world that will be maturing between this moment and 25 years from now! I'll be adding more fruit to the list as time goes on -- if you hear of a rare or exotic fruit that you'd like to see grown and cared for organically, please bring us seeds or starts, or let us know the botanical name and lat/longitude from which it originates. We'll do our utmost to procure good seed or stock with our newly acquired phytolicenses as we expand our orchards and gardens into the upper farm/ residential area during the next rainy season.
Some of you have asked about recipes and nutrition information, and as I continue to develop this blog, watch for recipes from professional chefs and nutritionists local and abroad who love to share their secrets with me and support our customers to explore new ways to prepare and preserve Diamante Organico's hard-won organic greens and veggies. I know Chef Dave of La Cusinga is eager for me to share some of his tips and tricks for his "self garnishing" menu offerings!
Our vegetables and fruit aren't the only thing growin' on...
* A wider and smoother road is being created in the Diamante Valley that will make access to EcoLoco Organic Farm and Education Center more accessible, and serve up cleaner air for our crops! Noisy and obnoxious, but worth the long-term benefits!
* New bathrooms are underway which are located close to the spiral gardens and Gardenhouse for visitors and farmers...
* Our improved production area in the back of the Gardenhouse is making Marjorie very happy; with more orders to fill almost weekly, she's able to harvest, process and refrigerate your yummy greens more quickly so they maintain their out-in-the field freshness and last for a week to 10 days with proper and continued care in your fridge -- a feat in the hot days of summer!
If you'd like to receive the menu for this month's product offerings, please email me at diamanteorganico@gmail.com so I may add you to our monthly mail list. Thanks to the coolness of the Talamanca Mountains, and early bus schedules going South, we're able to ship all the way to the Panamanian border, Golfito, and San Jose while maintaining our guarantee of freshness and long-lasting quality in exquisite flavor and vibrant color and texture for our customers. So if you're not local to the Dominical area, don't hesitate to inquire about how we may help you access this amazing organic food! Because of our rapid growth, we might need some time to get the extra seeds in the ground for you, so please be patient with us and Mama Nature! The good news is, you can make requests for your favorite greens and vegetables -- over the past 5 years we've literally trialed 1000s of different varieties of vegetables and greens and will be able to answer most of your questions regarding possibility and availability. We also continue to trial more varieties (heirloom and open pollinated) from all over the world each month, so don't give up if you don't see it now - let us know your desires so we can let you know when we have successfully grown an item on your wish list!
Gratitude to all who are committed to their health and are enthusiastic about organics. Your support of DO supports Bolivar and Marjorie (now with the farm for 6 years!) as they continue to grow, learn and share their wisdom in organic agriculture with locals and farmers in Costa Rica who come to learn how they can convert from conventional growing to organic methods. It means the world to me that I am able to offer this service as a contribution to this lovely land I call home. I'm committed to continue to educate kids, teachers and producers who will in turn inspire change in their families, classrooms and businesses, and reap the benefits for generations to come with improved nutritional awareness, vibrant soil and clean water. I know those are the reasons why most of us were attracted to living in Costa Rica to begin with! Thank you all milliones!
Happy, Healthy, Expansive 2010! Blissings to all!
In Joy and Light,
Linn Aosjia
Master Organic Gardener, Designer, Permaculture Educator
