Our goal is to be self-sufficient at 100% respecting the nature and people. It is not an easy thing and we want to make it even more difficult: we do not want to use machines, or at least as little as possible, then all work must be hand made as many years ago.We try to keep alive the ancient traditions that are disappearing, maybe one day we will need them.Just think that we have'nt a chainsaw, a lawnmower, a energy generator , but even electric tools as a drill, a sander or a fan.The only exception is the 1986 Honda motorcycle used for emergencies, so that a full fuel lasts longer than 2 months.
Since 2004, we practice a type of organic agriculture called Permaculture.Permaculture is a generic term for the application of ethical and universal design principles in planning, development, maintenance, organization and preservation of habitat suitable to sustain life in the future.
Permaculture is also a movement and an international network of practitioners, designers and organizations, most of which have been developed and sustained without the support of corporations, institutions or governments.The backbones are permaculture food production, energy supply, landscape design and organization (Infra) social structures. It also integrates renewable energy and implementation of material cycles in the sense of sustainable use of resources by ecological, economic and social development. Since its inception in the late 70s, permaculture has been defined as a positive response to the environmental and social crisis we are experiencing.BONAFIDE farms here in Ometepe organizes annual courses (link), and for those living in the United States recommend visiting the farm of my teacher Douglas Bullok (link).
For us it is important to have an excellent relationship with our employees so we offer a fair salary much higher than the nicaraguan average and we give support in hard times.We believe that working well together give a very high quality to the work done.
We try to buy as much as possible from our community (eg cocoa, coffee, sesame, rice, chicken, pork, beans, timber, palm leaves etc ...) and we support the barter as a form of payment instead of money.This help the community and the products have 0 miles.In the case of foodstuffs we are offering more money of the real price for organic products that are not certified but personally verified cultivation during growth.
It 's important to have good relations with the whole community trying to fix the problems and improve the structures such as the watersystem, the school, playground and sportsgrund which are almost absent.
We do not like to give alms, or give the money to local people only because they are poor. We do not approve the many humanitarian organizations that give things instead of knowledge and the population is not pushed to make but to ask. We believe that there are many employment opportunities at Ometepe, for example, there is no mechanic , electrician , plumber but there are many unemployed people who could do this work.
We like to keep the prices low in the future without doing like many that open a new hostel and after being famous start to install fans, airconditions etc and after 10 years a room costs 5 times more.We would like to work with tourist interested in ecology, simple people, that maybe give up some comfort to live in contact with the nature.
We like the idea consume less and better ,so we buy only the things that we really need, payning more money then the cheaper stuff usually from China for high quality stuff. The problem is to find good-quality ......Check this storyofthestuff.com , i like it.
Check our video in youtube: Finca El Zopilote: Handmade
