“Sprayed by the firehose of wisdom at Fica Las Nubes”

   While living in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, Trevor Stine (owner/lead consultant of Pangea Proxima) was connected to Chris Robertson (owner of Finca las Nubes) through Austin Drill (mutual friend and the owner/operator of Casa de Tierra). After a couple hours of chatting with Trevor and Andruw Russell (a carpenter and organic farmer from Vermont), Chris invited them to his organic farm located in the hills above town, where there are protected valleys for farming and large open pastures for grazing animals surrounded by natural forest with creeks and waterfalls. Also, there is abundant wildlife including three types of monkeys, sloth, deer and many bird species that may be observed while walking around the farm’s property.

Panoramic view from Finca Las Nubes

   Finca Las Nubes (FLN) is an intentional community. The intent is to create a sustainable lifestyle through partnership with local community. Its goals are to preserve nature for future generations while creating a continually improving, sustainable, self-sufficient and low impact community. Emphasis on stewardship of the land while developing full range of farm products through various sustainable technologies. Everything is made on the farm. It is a certified organic farm, which employs organic permaculture principles to produce a large variety of fruit and vegetables. Partnership with their neighbors is key to the long-term success of the project.

Finca Las Nubes overlooks San Juan del Sur

   FLN strives to learn humility, graciousness and indigenous knowledge of plants and nature from its local neighbors. They hope to inspire and empower others with knowledge, experience and resources to create a better model of how to live on the planet together. Respect is the most important part of all, respect for people, respect for nature and a healthy respect for the rights of future generations. FLN goal is to leave this place a better place than they found it.

Hydroponic gardens

Using fish castings for compost

   FLN is against development that denudes the land, leaves the locals landless and provides no employment for them. It is a recipe for disaster. They are first and foremost dedicated to preserving the environment and helping others do the same, then, to producing all of its own food. They have built a store to bring our healthy organic produce to their neighbors. The people involved with its project are devoted to helping others. They support the development of sustainable farming techniques and the promotion thereof. This totally private farm features hundreds of acres of indigenous forest which are enhanced by their annual planting of thousands of precious hardwood trees. Preservation and reforestation are a priority to creating an abundant future. The wildlife is healthy and protected within it. They have planted fruit orchards with dozens of varieties of citrus, mango, avocado, cashew, banana, papaya, coconut and many other exotic local fruits along with coffee and cocoa. Organic vegetable gardens supply their needs. At the nursery they start from seed and cuttings all manner of fruit, and hardwood trees, ornamental plants and vegetables. FLN imitates nature, while most farmers fight nature. Nature always wins. FLN makes organic microbial soil from worm castings fed from the wood shop shavings, cow and chicken manure and other organic waste. Compost and soil regeneration are key to a healthy farm. FLN employs mulching, composting and water saving techniques through the use of companion plantings, live and dead barriers, nitrogen fixers, organic fertilizers, organic disease control, biological pest control and plants that attract beneficials. There are chicken and turkey pens for organic eggs and meat. FLN has herds of cows, pigs and pelibuey (goat/sheep cross) to provide organic milk and meat. They do not intend on dying from eating chemically tainted foods. FLN has bee hives for honey and pollination. Oxen pull carts to move produce around the farm. The FLN farm crew is like family.

Milled wood from FLN for wood-working projects

   FLN intends to provide for all of its needs. They process all of our their timber for construction and their furniture in its own wood shop. FLN carpenters can produce any imaginable design. They frame their buildings, roof them with incredible tile and make all the cabinets and furniture designs that can be dreamt up. All hardware and metalwork are fashioned onsite. Almost everything is hand-made onsite, butcher, baker, candlestick maker…FLN has a fantastic construction crew building some beautiful and very permanent, stained concrete buildings with gorgeous wood sliding glass doors and windows.

One of the spectacular views from Finca Las Nubes

  In addition to its organic sustainable concepts, FLN has expanded its social sustainable nature by building and staffing a clinic to serve the community without charge. It provides clinic monitoring, medications for the month, nutrition counseling, an exercise session and a visit with our doctor. FLN has  also established a new clinic in a community called Baston. We have done this through a partnership with the Puesto de Salud run by the Ministry of Health (MINSA) and began enrolling diabetics from the surrounding rural area. Finca Las Nubes is designed to provide a base of operations for these projects.

   Pangea Proxima is thankful for its personal invitation to the farm and was truly inspired by the sustainable concepts that Chris Robertson and the inhabitants of Finca Las Nubes have in place and are practicing on a daily basis.

Trevor and Andruw at Finca Las Nubes

Chris Robertson and his granddaughter

To learn more about Finca de las Nubes please visit www.fincalasnubes.com