By Stefan Kistler | Executive Director
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Since we have launched this campaign, besides promoting it, we have been busy organizing our first Permaculture Design Course (PDC). It is unique in that it will be held primarily for local farmers, besides local staff of both the Chaikuni Institute and The Temple of the Way of Light, all of which are and will directly be involved in working with local communities to promote and implement regenerative agro-forestry systems, including the cultivation of the Ayahuasca vine and other medicinal plants.
But we don't just want to hold a PDC; we aspire to organize a world-class PDC. For this reason, we have been in touch with several of the most renown and experienced permaculture professionals from Latin America. We are extremely excited to let you know that we have reached an agreement with Tierra Martinez from the Na’Lu’um Permaculture Institute. Tierra has over fifteen years of experience in teaching PDC's. His Na´Lu’um Permaculture Institute in Argentina will be holding the next International Permaculture Convergence in 2020, an epic permaculture event happening only every two to three years.
Meanwhile, our permaculture staff has been busy with further developing our one-hectare demonstration plot of a chacra integral. Chacra integral -translated as an integral agricultural field- is a local concept, describing a permaculture like method based on successional poly-cropping and forest management techniques. Instead of slashing-and-burning the forest, forest plots are selectively cleared. Valuable species are thus preserved, while others are cleared to make space for desirable crops or for nurturing the existing plants. Cut vegetation is left on the ground, mimicking the natural cycles of the rainforest ecosystem. Species that can coexist on mutually beneficial terms are planted next to each other. A wide, diverse variety of staple crops are planted together with fruit and timber trees, as well as medicinal plants.
Most exciting, something historical happened in February: Between 2011 and 2018, we planted over 1.800 Ayahuasca vines on the land of the Temple of the Way of Light, some of which have now grown enough to be harvested. Under the lead of Shipibo maestro Segundo, the first ever harvest of the vines and the subsequent preparation of the sacred medicine took place at our site. We harvested 100 kilos of Ayahuasca and 35 kilos of Chacruna leaves (the other ingredient to prepare the medicine). Had it all been sold on the market, it would have reached a price of roughly 700 USD, which would mean a substantial additional income for any rural Amazonian family.
We are convinced that our approach of promoting healthy and regenerative agro-forestry practices and chacra integrales holds the key to:
Although our campaign so far hasn't raised the amount we had hoped for in order to organize our first key activity, the PDC, we are determined to go ahead with its organization and make it a reality. Any donation still makes a difference and will help to carry this project further.
We thank you for your reciprocity; your support to local communities in the Peruvian Amazon.
With gratitude and love from the Amazon,
The Chaikuni Institute Team
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