Fast-growing nutritious crops for uncertain times The global COVID-19 crisis is highlighting many of the flaws of our current economic and social system. In a matter of weeks, many countries faced shortages of basic needs. This was due to actual production decline and transport restrictions, combined with erratic fear-driven consumer Read more…
Pineapple vinegar The Kadagaya campus is located in an agricultural region and is surrounded by pineapple plantations. There is often a lot of wasted produce as the fruit needs to be harvested quite ripe. If rain or transport problems delay harvesting, many pineapples are discarded on the side of the Read more…
Earthworm farm Earthworms are an important part of a healthy soil ecosystem. They have a positive effect on the fertility and structure of the soil. The earthworms digest organic matter in soil and produce excrement rich in mineral particles, decomposed organic matter, and beneficial microorganisms. In addition, they produce tunnels Read more…
The Amazon is burning Beautiful sunsets are the bittersweet result of being surrounded by smoke as our little part of the Amazon burns. This time of year is the dry season and there is always a lot of agricultural burning. With unusually hot weather and the rapid expansion of pineapple Read more…
Controlling leaf cutter ants in the tropics Leaf cutter ants are commonly found in tropical forests and are an important part of the ecosystem. Their large deep nests aerate the subsoil and the ants move large amounts of organic matter below the surface, most of which eventually decomposes and enriches Read more…
Building a permaculture banana circle Banana trees are very hungry plants, requiring lots of nutrients, light, and water. A banana circle provides optimal growing conditions for productive trees and is a beautiful addition to the garden. A deep hole is dug and the removed soil used to form a ring-shaped Read more…
Food forests “Food forests” or “edible forest gardens” are a special type of forest that uses biomimicry to replicate the the biodiversity of a natural forest. Integrating many different layers in the food forest e.g. canopy trees, vines, groundcovers, root crops and fungi, in a strategic way allows the natural symbiotic Read more…
Coconut oil is a tropical oil with myriad uses and proposed health benefits from improving cardiovascular health to repairing tooth cavities [1,2]. It is a highly stable oil with antifungal and antimicrobial properties and is suitable for frying. Coconut oil is highly saturated with a large proportion of medium-chain fatty Read more…
The Kadagaya campus is located in Chanchamayo, which is one of the most well known coffee-producing regions in Peru. Like many coffee regions, the market has been challenged by coffee rust, which is a fungus affecting coffee plantations worldwide. The growing conditions and coffee species typically grown in Latin America Read more…
Chocolate banana chia pudding This is a delicious dessert or snack made from jungle favourites like cacao, bananas and coconut that all grow well around Kadagaya. 5 tbsp chia seeds50 g cacao paste2 bananas1 tsp coconut oil or butter1 C water or milk1 tsp brown sugar or panela (optional)pinch of Read more…