Our farm is more than just land and trees; it is a reflection of the values that shape it. This philosophy is built on a set of guiding principles: core beliefs that define how we work, what we prioritize, and why we farm the way we do. These principles serve as our foundation, helping us make decisions that are sustainable, true to our vision, and most importantly, maximally truth-seeking.
Maximally Truth-Seeking
At the heart of everything we do on this farm is the principle of maximally truth-seeking. So many farmers fall into the trap of following what’s always been done without ever questioning why. When you ask someone why they do something, the typical answer is, 'Well, that’s just the way it’s done.' Nobody really knows why they do what they do. We believe in questioning everything, understanding why we do what we do, and seeking the truth in every situation.
Take, for example, pest control. The conventional approach is to spray pesticides, an easy, quick fix. But when you dig deeper, the truth is that pests are a symptom of a larger issue. Pests thrive when there’s an overabundance of a certain type of plant, creating an imbalance. Spraying to kill pests without addressing the root cause just leads to a cycle of stronger, more resilient pests.
Instead, we ask why, and we dig deeper. We look for the truth: what is nature telling us? We don’t just treat symptoms; we address the underlying causes. Our approach is different. We focus on diversity, making sure we have a variety of trees that have mutually beneficial relationships. We also attract beneficial insects, natural predators of the pests. Our philosophy is about bringing balance into the system, not eliminating parts of it.
It’s one thing to prevent pest problems, and another to try to eliminate pests altogether. We still have pests, because they are a natural part of the ecology, helping to keep the system in balance. From nature’s perspective, there are no good or bad insects, everything plays its role. It’s humans who classify things for convenience. By attracting beneficial insects and keeping pests in balance, we identify the why behind the problem. By seeking the truth, we build a farm that is resilient, sustainable, and aligned with nature’s rhythms.
Building The Soil
Soil is not just the foundation beneath our feet, it is the source of all life. In our approach, everything begins with one thing: building the best soil possible. Whether it’s low yields, poor nutrition, or pests, the answer to all these problems lies in creating soil that is rich with life. When the soil is healthy and full of vitality, everything else falls into place.
The distinction between dirt and soil is significant. Dirt is lifeless, devoid of the complex web of life that soil sustains. Soil, on the other hand, is a living ecosystem. It is home to a vast array of organisms, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, earthworms, and more. These creatures work tirelessly to unlock the nutrients trapped in the soil and make them available to plants. Plants themselves cannot directly absorb nutrients from the earth; they rely on soil life to break down and process the nutrients in a form that they can take up.
To nourish and promote this living network, we must feed the soil’s organisms with carbon. When we do this, the soil becomes a vibrant, dynamic system capable of supporting not only the plants but the whole farm’s ecosystem. Healthy soil is the foundation of healthy plants, healthy plants are the foundation of a thriving ecosystem, and a thriving ecosystem leads to a farm that is resilient and balanced.
Our approach is simple: focus on the soil. Every decision, every action, is rooted in the understanding that by building the soil, we build everything else. When the soil thrives, so does everything that depends on it. It is a self-sustaining cycle of life, and the key to unlocking all the potential of the land.
A Natural Approach To Growing Food
We grow food that is completely natural, with minimal human intervention, just as it should be. We go beyond the organic label, which still often relies on chemicals and sprays, disguised under marketing terms. Our approach is different. We believe that industrial agriculture has prioritized size and weight over the true essence of food, its nutritional value. Over the years, the nutritional content of our food has declined, while processed foods, packed with chemicals linked to chronic diseases, have become increasingly common.
The need for a shift to a natural approach to growing food has never been more urgent. Our mission is to accelerate the transition to self-sustaining ecological systems, growing food that is optimized for health and nutritional density. This is food grown in harmony with nature, in a way that sustains the land and nourishes the body. We are the food we eat, if we don’t know the true nature of the food we consume, we lose touch with who we are.
By reconnecting with nature’s processes, we grow food that is not just a product, but a reflection of a balanced and thriving ecosystem. It is food in its purest form, full of life and nutrients, grown the way it was always meant to be.
Letting Nature Do What It Does The Best
One question that should trouble all of us is: why do our agricultural systems resemble factories more than they resemble natural forests, which are stable, resilient, and productive? If not in appearance, at least in design and function. Over time, economies have become increasingly specialized, making it harder for people to understand things in their entirety, to see the bigger picture.
A food forest is a system where many different components work together, producing more than the sum of their parts. In our food forest, we have different elements fulfilling their unique roles: nitrogen-fixing plants that enrich the soil, support species that create fast carbon pathways and generate mulch to feed the soil, and flowering trees that attract beneficial insects, among others. These parts form a whole that functions in harmony, each element contributing to the health and productivity of the system.
In contrast, industrial agriculture reduces the system to just one layer, the target crop. It is the result of stripping away all the components of a natural ecosystem, leaving only the crop and its immediate needs. When we remove the nitrogen-fixing plants, for example, we must resort to unsustainable, toxic methods to add nitrogen back into the soil. Without the diversity of species, we lose the beneficial insects and need to spray chemicals. The soil is left bare, requiring herbicides to control weeds.
A food forest is a system that mimics nature itself, a design that has evolved over millions of years, perfected to function in the most energy-efficient way. By working with nature, rather than against it, we grow food in a way that is sustainable, balanced, and harmonious. We partner with nature, allowing it to do what it does best, and in doing so, we create a resilient, thriving ecosystem that nourishes both the land and us.
Long-Term Sustenance Over Short-Term Gains
It is the natural tendency of any system to move towards a stable equilibrium, where everything is balanced, and energy flows in harmony. In tropical or subtropical regions, if left undisturbed, any piece of land will eventually become a forest over time. A forest represents this equilibrium, an ecosystem where everything is optimized and in balance.
The journey from barren land to thriving forest is not immediate. It progresses through stages, each playing its role in the evolution of the system. In the beginning, weeds emerge, loosening the soil and preparing it for the next phase. As they die, they leave behind a layer of organic matter, enriching the soil. Then come pioneering species like nitrogen-fixers, which create fast carbon pathways and improve the soil conditions, making it possible for more sophisticated species to take root. Each stage sacrifices for the next, contributing to the eventual formation of a stable forest.
We understand the purpose and process of each stage, and we have learned how to accelerate it. By planting support species and using methods like chopping and dropping for mulch, we speed up the natural succession. It’s a manual process that requires significant effort upfront. But once the system is established, it reaches a point of stability, almost like the sun, constant and unwavering.
After reaching that equilibrium, the system becomes self-sustaining. Once the food forest is mature, we could leave it alone for years and return to find it flourishing. This is the power of patience and long-term thinking. The work we put in now is not for immediate rewards but for a lasting, stable system that can thrive on neglect.
Patience is essential in any natural system. It teaches us that true sustainability is not about quick fixes or immediate results but about taking the time to nurture the land and let it reach its natural potential. By working in harmony with the land’s natural rhythms, we allow the system to build itself up over time.
Diversity And Resilience
Diversity is the foundation of resilience in any natural system. A thriving ecosystem is not made up of isolated parts but of countless interwoven relationships, plants, insects, bacteria, fungi, birds, and animals, all working together in harmony. It is not diversity alone that creates resilience, but the exchanges between these components, the way they support and balance each other.
In a monoculture, a single disturbance, a pest, a disease, a drought, can bring the entire system to collapse. But in a diverse ecosystem, when one species suffers, others step in to restore balance. Some plants fix nitrogen, while others provide shade. Some attract beneficial insects, while others suppress weeds. The system is always adapting, shifting, and correcting itself. By increasing diversity, we make the system more prepared for any challenge, without needing constant human intervention.
This is nature’s way, resilience through abundance, stability through connection. When we work with nature, we do not need to impose control. Instead, we set the conditions for diversity to flourish, and the system takes care of itself.
Closed Loop Systems
The ideal system is one where energy flows continuously within, never being lost. Nutrients are recycled naturally or added in ways that do not require human intervention. In a thriving natural ecosystem, nothing is wasted, everything that falls to the ground eventually returns to the soil, nourishing new life. By mimicking this principle, we can create a self-sustaining system that requires minimal external input while increasing fertility over time.
Instead of importing materials, we grow everything we need in place. Rather than hauling in wood for mulch, we cultivate fast-growing support species that are periodically pruned and dropped to feed the soil. These plants act as living mulch factories, ensuring a continuous supply of organic matter without external dependence. Instead of gathering and transporting compost, we ensure that decomposition happens directly in the soil, right where it is needed. By maintaining ground cover and allowing plant residues to break down naturally, we build rich, fertile soil without unnecessary labor.
Water, too, follows this principle. Rather than allowing rainwater to drain away, we design the land to capture and hold it. Swales, ponds, and deep-rooted plants help store moisture, reducing the need for irrigation. Even the air contributes, certain plants fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and deposit it into the soil, making nutrients available without synthetic fertilizers.
To account for the small nutrient loss through harvest, we introduce cow manure, not as a mere fertilizer, but as a way to inoculate the soil with beneficial microorganisms, enriching life beneath the surface. The key is to ensure that whatever is taken from the system is replenished in a natural and sustainable way.
By closing the loops, we eliminate waste, reduce dependency on external inputs, and create an ecosystem that thrives on its own. A well-designed system, once established, becomes increasingly fertile with time. The longer it runs, the more abundant it becomes, just like a forest that grows richer with each passing year.
