Apart from our reforestation efforts, TFI is becoming a place where sustainable agriculture and energy practices are being tested, displayed, and shared. We are pursuing a goal of self-sufficiency for our crew here and to provide as much of the food for visitors and students as we can. For food that we must purchase as supplement, we buy from local residents and farmers whenever possible. All of our cultivated food is fertilized through prepared compost and biochar material produced from onsite or local materials. Our food production projects reflect a philosophy of balancing conservation and self sufficiency. In addition to sustainable agriculture, we are trying to shift our energy usage away from non-renewables by using wood as cooking fuel, and by harvesting methane through a biodigester system. These efforts have only been possible through the hard work of the staff, volunteers, students, and local community.

At the main cabin we have a variety of medicinal and culinary herbs growing in our front veranda concrete beds, in addition to a few vegetables and greens. Around all four of our cabins are an assortment of fruiting plants including starfruit, manzana de agua (water apple), papaya, noni, guayabana, guava, breadfruit, avacado, citrus, coconut in addition to the plentiful banana and plantain plants around the property.

Our covered garden (protected from the incessant rains of the wet season) is a short walk from the main cabin. We have been successfully growing a variety of greens, sweet potatos, peppers, squash, zuccini, cucumbers, radishes, and spinach. Outside of the garden are rain tolerant crops such as yuca, taro (a starchy tuber), frijol de palo (a type of pea), and pineapple are also being grown around the property. A cycling crop of dried bean production is planted and harvested annually from arrested succession fern and vine tangle areas far up the hillside in our preserve.

We rely on our compost production to fertilize the nutrient-poor, clay-heavy tropicals soils we have to work with. We have a constant rotation of five, cubic meter piles with a turnover time from fresh material to use in soil of about one month. All of our garden beds, newly planted fruit trees, and anything else requiring fertile soil uses this prepared compost. Our compost generally consists of sheep manure and sawdust from local sources, as well as food scraps, and leaves from the property. In addition to the compost, we've most recently built a biochar system, turning wood shavings into fine-textured charcoal which helps to retain soil nutrients, as well as fix carbon in a stable form. The wood chips are sourced from a lumber mill just down the road.


Animal Husbandry

We raise several different kind animals at TFI to provide our staff and students with local and responsibly produced meat. We raise our animals efficiently and effectively to reduce feed expenses, as well as provide for the health and comfort of the animals. We let our animals forage free-range when possible, and provide them food primarily from fruits, tubers, or foliage grown on our land. All animal waste is reused either in compost, our biodigester, or for those that forage the property, it is left simply to fertilize our trees and gardens.

Chickens - We have between fifteen and twenty laying chickens, along with a rotation of "meat" chickens. All of our laying chickens are "free-range" and roam the property during the day gleaning the vast majority of their own food. They return to their open coop at night.

Pigs - We are raising two confined pigs at a time, who are fed on a variety of locally available fruits and tubers, along with a fermented corn and mulberry soup.

Rabbits - We have a rabbit hutch behind the main cabin with a buck, two does, and at any time litters of up to 15 kittens up to two months of age intended as fryers. A fenced run is attatched to the hutch and the rabbits are let out during the day to graze much of their own food, supplemented by bananas and tree leaves cut from our property.

Tilapia - Near the main and lower cabins are four production tilapia ponds. The diet of the tilapia is supplemented heavily with mulberry leaves. All ponds are constantly airated by hoses connected to our water supply, which is gravity fed by the steam running down the property into the guabo river.

Ducks - Of all our animals the least maintenance is required for our three muscovy ducks, which are completely self sufficient for food. The ducks provide us with meat, occasional eggs, and most importantly, constant entertainment.