At first glance, the farm we call “La Granja Rosario” might seem like any farm you would pass in the Panamanian countryside in the state of Veraguas.
There you will notice horses grazing, roosters crowing, dogs barking and a friendly wave from a local farmer hailing you with a hearty greeting of “Buenas!”
However, don´t let the bucolic atmosphere fool you. Rosario is a moderately large farm of about 150 hectares, that has been reorganized to grow organic, pesticide free, healthy, produce for LJL and the local community and serve as an area to conduct agroforestry and sustainable agriculture research for tropical climates.
Rosario is dedicated to experimental agricultural and biological research that requires a tropical farming environment.
Periodically onsite seminars and workshops in collaboration with NGOs and the government of Panama are held at Rosario to integrate and share new methods of sustainable organic farming.
Farmers from the greater Bahia Honda and Pixvae communities manage the
planting, cultivation, and harvest of produce throughout the year which provides for about 60% of the food needs of the onsite staff, residents and visitors to the Liquid Jungle Lab.
A drip irrigation system is used during the dry season.The organic farm contains multiple seedling nurseries, an orchard with various types of fruit trees, a banana and plantain plot, an apiary with a couple dozen beehives for honey production, and a significant area dedicated to vegetable and grain cultivation.
