This is one of the most delicious applications of large scale permaculture I can think of. Just the idea of chocolate, cardamom and coffee makes my mouth water. In this episode Neal Hegarty of Abundant Edge interviews Lorenzo Maniet, the owner and director of El Porvenir cacao finca in Guatemala. El Porvenir is the most impressive agroforestry system you'll ever find in which large scale cacao, cardamom, and coffee production are grown in the shade of larger hardwood trees for the best health of each species. Lorenzo has taken great care to save “criollo” or indigenous species of cacao from extinxion and as a result is producing the highest quality and most deliscious chocolate in the world, all on a regenerative farm model that's building soil with agroforestry and silvopasture practices. What's more is this unparalleled farm will be the site for the new Permaculture Design Certification course run by the instructors from Abundant Edge where students will get to learn all about the succesive models of planting that got this place up and running, and will help to design a zone 1 and 2 space for intensive food production for the finca. Go to abundantedge.com to learn more about the courses.

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Resources:

Jungle Wisdom PDC with Abundant Edge

Dalileo Chocolate

El Porvenir Finca