Hosting our 1st syntropic workshop
In late January 2023, we hosted our very first syntropic agroforestry workshop for local farmers in Ricaurte, Manabi. Since planting our first tree seeds in January 2022, we have been hopeful for a day where we could showcase our successfully growing syntropic system for local farmers to learn from. The workshop was led by Mauro Rosito, a Brazilian farmer and consultant specialized in Syntropic Agriculture. At his farm in Southern Brazil, Arvor(e)Ser Farm, he grows organic vegetables, herbs, fruits and trees. Mauro hosts workshops and courses in syntropic agroforestry and is passionate about building living soils, increasing fertility and biodiversity while also growing high quality food during the process. We learned so much from his visit and workshop at Los Arboleros Farm.
grassy fields to diverse systems of 25+ species
With 17 farmer attendees, we planted around 500 tree seeds with Mauro’s guidance. Our 1 year old syntropic system was used as a living classroom, but farmers were also able to put into practice what they had learned in a small plot of grassy land that is now transformed into a diverse productive system featuring coconut, mango, eucalyptus, amarillo, yuca, pigeon pea, mexican sunflower, rambutan, avocado, guava, jack bean, jackfruit, samango, algorrobo, guachepeli, mombasa grass, cacao and more.
Mauro teaching in action with 17 farmer attendees. In attendance were our own farm managers who have been working on the systems we implemented for the past 1 year. It was so helpful for them to ask questions, present challenges and her from Mauro’s experience.
We are so grateful to have had his expertise to give feedback, suggestions and guidance on how to improve our current syntropic systems and start new syntropic systems in the region!
There were many different people, farmers, and leaders that joined the workshop. Like staff from Third Millennium Alliance project at Jama Coaque Ecological Reserve. As we continue to learn and improve our syntropic agroforestry systems, next year, we hope to support the implementation of these systems on other farmland.
There so much to learn about syntropic agroforestry and agriculture systems that regenerate ecosystems and environments. Learn with us by joining on of our workshops or programs (see Courses). You can also seek more information from Agenda Gotsch (https://agendagotsch.com/en/), the organization created by the founder of syntropic agroforestry.
Here is another video of our teacher, Mauro. This time at his own farm in southern Brazil harvesting bananas from his syntropic agroforestry system.