June 16, 2026 — Jaxon
”We were given one Earth… it’s our job to work with it not against it. Yes it’s annoying cause we want the picture perfect Pinterest photo of our garden etc, but that’s not realistic, sustainable or healthy for our planet and its inhabitants. When you finally figure out the symbiotic relationship between you and nature it’ll be worth it. Never put anything man made (chemicals) into the Earth.”
June 17, 2026 — Fred Hunter
”Thanks for all the comments! It looks like the consensus and passionate belief is that we should stand on the principle of no RoundUp in the Finca Alazan.
I did not want to influence the discussion by stating my opinion first, but I am completely in agreement!
I honestly feel that the grasses in question, which are native to Central America and abundant in our zone, will never be completely eliminated and, rather than being a horrible problem, are an expression of the natural ecosystem engaged in the process of succession, repairing itself and building soil carbon and fertility. Grasslands evolve into forests. This process occurs at lightning speed in the tropics. We are building a Syntropic permacultural agroforestry system that will ultimately be a forest of sorts. A diverse multi species, multilayered, well organized collection of high value trees and plants. The system will evolve to the point where the grasses will simply not grow because the available sunlight will be captured by the multiple layers of trees and shrubs. In the mean time, the grass provides food for herbivores, who mow it for free whilst creating a bounty of fertilizer. This cycling dramatically increases the rate of soil carbon accumulation. Control of the grasses for aesthetic purposes in the non production areas of the farm will require more creative approaches, but this is more of a management problem than a call for herbicide. Fortunately we have tools like the moveable pen and electric fence to help focus the herbivores where we want them. Battling nature is never successful. Working with and steering natural processes should be the hallmark of our approach!”