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We are the first flower farm in Ecuador that started producing organic flowers. We are also the first one to have obtained an internationally recognized organic certification. Also, we are the one and only growers of bio-dynamic calla lilies in the world with international sales. We are pioneers in many ways. What does this mean? In a pioneering field, more experience, better products, better service. Also: we are now having more fun at what we do. Our company was created in 2003 in the farm "Los Manantiales", a bio-dynamic operation 35 km northwest of Quito, Ecuador. Through a generous support from The Nature Conservancy's EcoEnterprises Fund, we were able to start implementing the current flower growing programm. The farm, a 840 acres (384 ha) large agricultural facility, with own excellent quality water sources, currently has some 15.000 calla lily plants (Zantedeschia Aethiopica) in production. The region where we grow our flowers is located in the cloud forest. Therefore, with a high relative humidity, this is the ideal geographical region to grow callas. We currently also grow some vegetables and have other flower varieties coming soon - Alstroemeria and Green Goddess Callas. 
Currently, 11 laborers work in the farm. Most come from the nearby community - Yunguilla - a small town of 50 families and about 300 inhabitants. Including the co-workers family members, some 40 to 50 people are supported by our farm. This provides a good incentive for the people in Yunguilla to remain with their families in Ecuador and avoid painful and often life threatening migration to developed countries. We offer healthy work places. Unlike conventional flower plantations, our employees are not exposed to toxic products. A direct bond between the worker and the environment is noticeable, and no extreme protection is needed against poisonous chemicals. If you visit the farm - which you are welcome to - you will get the impression of people having a trusting, open attitude towards the natural environment, not a defensive one. We are proud of offering this healthy environment in an industry where this is not the rule. We know that our co-workers value this fact very much. All co- workers receive a fair salary, are registered with the local work authorities, and receive benefits according to national legislation. All workers receive free lunch at the farm. A good relationship has developed between our farm and the local community of Yunguilla. Courses in organic agriculture and organic certification have been held occasionally and volunteering opportunities are managed together. Support for local projects - like a small cheese factory - has been facilitated with close cooperation with the local community. For more information about the community of Yunguilla and its activities, see: www.yunguilla.org.ec We are committed to:
Due to the growing worldwide demand for organic products, organic certification is a must. Most local organic farmers are well known by their regular customers. However, ensuring that products coming from distant farms are truly organic, is difficult to verify. Therefore, certification agencies are used to regularly monitor the farms adherence to national and international organic farming guidelines. These certification agencies are internationally recognized, and provide support for the consumer, by making sure the products that are sold by the organic farms follow strict organic guidelines approved by each country. We are certified according to the USDA National Organic Program. We also carry the Organic Certificate for the European Union. We have also carried the Bio-dynamic Demeter International certificate during the last 4 years. Our certification agency is BCS Oekogarantie, with main offices in Nuernberg, Germany. Organic & Bio-dynamic Agriculture 
While universal bio-dynamic agricultural principles are regularly applied at our farm, they are handled according to local conditions and our farmīs own "individuality". Thus, we try to practice those activities that are adequate to our particular geographic and agricultural circumstances. Bio-dynamic agriculture includes the same practices as "conventional" organic farming but adds its own group of special practices. Following is a description by Sherry Wildfeuer of some of the basic principles of bio-dynamic agriculture, which appeared in "An Introduction To Biodynamic Agriculture", originally published in "Stella Natura" 1995. What is Biodynamic agriculture? In seeking an answer let us pose the further question: Can the Earth heal itself, or has the waning of the Earths vitality gone too far for this? No matter where our land is located, if we are observant we will see sure signs of illness in trees, in our cultivated plants, in the water, even in the weather. Organic agriculture rightly wants to halt the devastation caused by humans; however, organic agriculture has no cure for the ailing Earth. From this the following question arises: What was the original source of vitality, and is it available now? Biodynamics is a science of life-forces, a recognition of the basic principles at work in nature, and an approach to agriculture which takes these principles into account to bring about balance and healing. In a very real way, then, Biodynamics is an ongoing path of knowledge rather than an assemblage of methods and techniques. Biodynamics is part of the work of Rudolf Steiner, known as anthroposophy - a new approach to science which integrates precise observation of natural phenomena, clear thinking, and knowledge of the spirit. It offers an account of the spiritual history of the Earth as a living being, and describes the evolution of the constitution of humanity and the kingdoms of nature. Some of the basic principles of Biodynamics are: Broaden Our Perspective Just as we need to look at the magnetic field of the whole earth to comprehend the compass, to understand plant life we must expand our view to include all that affects plant growth. No narrow microscopic view will suffice. Plants are utterly open to and formed by influences from the depths of the earth to the heights of the heavens. Therefore our considerations in agriculture must range more broadly than is generally assumed to be relevant. Reading the Book of Nature Everything in nature reveals something of its essential character in its form and gesture. Careful observations of nature -- in shade and full sun, in wet and dry areas, on different soils, will yield a more fluid grasp of the elements. So eventually one learns to read the language of nature. And then one can be creative, bringing new emphasis and balance through specific actions. Cosmic Rhythms The light of the sun, moon, planets and stars reaches the plants in regular rhythms. Each contributes to the life, growth and form of the plant. By understanding the gesture and effect of each rhythm, we can time our ground preparation, sowing, cultivating and harvesting to the advantage of the crops we are raising. Plant Life Is Intimately Bound Up With the Life of the Soil Bio-dynamic agriculture recognizes that soil itself can be alive, and this vitality supports and affects the quality and health of the plants that grow in it. Therefore, one of Bio-dynamic agriculture fundamental efforts is to build up stable humus in our soil through composting. A New View of Nutrition We gain our physical strength from the process of breaking down the food we eat. The more vital our food, the more it stimulates our own activity. Thus, Biodynamic farmers and gardeners aim for quality, and not only quantity. Bio-dynamic agriculture grows food with a strong connection to a healthy, living soil. Medicine for the Earth: Biodynamic Preparations Rudolf Steiner, the founder of bio-dynamic agriculture, pointed out that a new science of cosmic influences would have to replace old, instinctive wisdom and superstition. Out of his own insight, he introduced what are known as Biodynamic Preparations. Naturally occurring plant and animal materials are combined in specific recipes in certain seasons of the year and then placed in compost piles. These preparations bear concentrated forces within them and are used to organize the chaotic elements within the compost piles. When the process is complete, the resulting Preparations are medicines for the Earth which draw new life forces from the cosmos. Two of the Preparations are used directly in the field, one on the earth before planting, to stimulate soil life, and one on the leaves of growing plants to enhance their capacity to receive the light. The Farm as the Basic Unit of Agriculture 
In his Agriculture Course, Rudolf Steiner posed the ideal of the self-contained farm -- that there should be just the right number of animals to provide manure for fertility, and these animals should, in turn, be fed from the farm. We can seek the essential gesture of such a farm also under other circumstances. It has to do with the preservation and recycling of the life forces with which we are working. Vegetable waste, manure, leaves, food scraps, all contain precious vitality, which can be held and put to use for building up the soil if they are handled wisely. Thus, composting is a key activity in biodynamic work. The farm is also a teacher, and provides the educational opportunity to imitate natures wise self-sufficiency within a limited area. While most people would be satisfied with a brief introduction into Biodynamics, some might want to look deeper into the large amount of research, experience and relevant information available. You might eventually notice that the more you read about it, the more you practice it, the more you want to continue learning. An exciting journey! A thorough description of history, principles and practices of Bio-dynamic agriculture can be found in an excellent introduction to BD farming by the Oregon Biodynamics Group. |
