Farming for life

Farming for Life is about living with nature. It's about providing a habitat for all the bacterias, funguses, 'weeds,' insects, and other pests.  Its about using everything available on the farm property to create a rich soil, and amazing fruit that nourishes the mind, body, and soul of people. Below are a list of Leonel's Farming For Life principles. 

1.  Land dedicated to 30-70% of native forest conservation and restoration (i.e. biological corridor).
    
2.  Intercropping dozens of varieties of native grasses and plants between avocado trees in order to attract the greatest diversity of insects to the farm. 
    
3.  Using plant-based inputs from the farm to create insect repellent formulas. One example includes growing hot pepper onions, and garlic on the farm to be fermented and fumigated on the avocado leaves.
    
4.  Beekeeping on the farms.
    
5.  Providing the tree access to the most diverse and intense variety of natural micro-nutrients possible to create the richest soil and therefore final fruit product.
    
6.  Building retention lakes at the bottom of the native forests to conserve water and for permaculture purposes. When it rains all the microorganisms, mushrooms, and compost from the forest floor flows into the retention lake. Fish are added to the lake. This formula ferments in the lake and creates a super nutrient rich water formula which is used to irrigate during the dry months.
    
7.  Biodynamic and other permaculture preparations on site. One example includes 6-month fermentation tanks with ingredients such as squash and cow stomach inoculated with mushroom spores from the forest, and then spraying the formula around the trees during certain key points during the year, and at 4am when the ground is "inhaling".
    
8.  Development of higher altitude farms (1500-2400in which the fruit takes longer to ripen and thus has a higher antioxidant and nutrient source.