How to Grow Cacao from Seed and When to Plant Saplings скачать в хорошем качестве

How to Grow Cacao from Seed and When to Plant Saplings

Five years ago, my partner Juan and I were in a pretty sad state with the food forest we wanted to plant in Ecuador. We were surrounded by monoculture plantations of hybrid cacao, palm heart, banana, citrus etc. But we couldn't find seeds for the more unusual and potent rainforest foods. We wanted to plant old heirloom varieties of cacao and more nutrient rich tree crops like breadnut, Sacha inchi, borojó. But we needed seeds. Then we visited a private reserve and "bean to bar" chocolate maker and toured their Agroforestry farm. What an inspiration! And we left with a handful of fresh seeds from an Aroma Nacional cacao pod, one of the most rare and valuable cacao varieties in the world. I germinated those seeds and they grew into healthy plants that started producing fruit at 3.5 years old. From those fruits, I extracted many more seeds and germinated them. Now, two years after those first fruits, I've cultivated just over 1000 heirloom Nacionál cacao saplings, which I now sell as a small but not insignificant revenue stream. If you are fortunate enough to grow food, no matter where you are in the world, SAVE and start your own SEEDS. Along with good soil and clean water, seeds are a keystone of resilience. They are true wealth and sovereignty right in your hand.