Have you been wondering what the heck we are up to here in Granada? Well, turns out, lots! We are now the proud owners of a 15 acre finca (Spanish for farm) with giant trees, fruit orchards, two houses (rustic but nice), infrastructure such as an 85 meter deep well (needs a pump), rainwater catchment system (needs work), city water and electricity, previous animal structures in various states of disrepair that will be perfect for developing volunteer housing/hangout areas, and many birds, butterflies, and a climate cooler than Granada proper. We are only 2 miles from Granada, 20 minutes by bicycle.
After much research and many trips visiting properties with our local realtor, Carlos (who speaks very good English and “got” what we were looking for), and much deliberation, we tried very hard to “not leave our brains behind when buying property in a foreign county.” We all believe this property was just waiting for us and will be perfect for our project. The previous owner, Yvan, who now resides in France, purchased the property twenty years ago when in his early twenties, and he planted hundreds of trees with the idea of developing a place for people to retreat in a delightful rural environment. We had the pleasure of getting to know him, while he was visiting his mother here, as he helped us identify trees, discussing water systems, sharing his story and his love for the property.
It is a beautiful place. There is much to do and if you know us, you know we love fix-it-up projects, and we can now do them in the shade and beauty of all those trees.
Brett traveled to Costa Rica in June where she took a two-week permaculture design certification (PDC) at renowned Rancho Mastatal. One of her instructors, Chris Shanks, is a permaculture specialist from Project Bona Fide on the island of Ometepe in the middle of Lake Nicaragua (formed by two volcanoes). We hired Chris to visit and assess our property, give us advice on how to tackle things like rebuilding the perimeter fence, revitalizing the orchards, and clearing so we can plant new fruit trees, shrubs and vegetables to meet our needs. We got a good report card (tons of organic matter, lots to work with) and advice that will save us “mucho” time and money. Brett is working on a permaculture plan for our place under his ongoing guidance. We have two teams working on rebuilding our living fence.
We had some “milpa” beds dug with serious swales, they have been mulched, manure added (it comes from the dairy farm next door), vetiver grass planted to retain soil and water. One of our first tasks in June was planting forty banana trees and they grow fast! We have a nursery now with trees and shrubs and plants we bought, started from cuttings, and grew from seed.
Much, much to do to get this place ready, but we cannot wait.
