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Welcome,
please navigate through our site to find out more information about the Selva Negra Estate. There are many different aspects to our estate, but it can be divided into three primary sections, the mountain resort, coffee plantation and flowers and agriculture. Our estate is self-sustainable, meaning the farm produces everything to maintain itself, from methane gas to various meats and vegetables. The weather in our region is tropical year-round and it allows the cattle to roam freely within the pasture. Vegetables and flowers are grown on the property year round. A trip to the Selva Negra Resort must include a tour of the cattle, horticulture and greenhouses.
Read our write-up on farm tours given by one of the co-owner's, Mausi Kühl. |
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Farm Animals - The animals growing at the farms are used for meat at the restaurant and at the workers kitchen. From the cattle we obtain meat, milk, cream and variety of cheeses.  The pigs are used for ham, sausages, smoked pork chops, meat. Chickens provide broilers and eggs, as well as the turkeys, quails and geese. The animal by-products are used as fertilizer for the coffee industry. You may obtain more information on the sustainability page.
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Horticulture - The vegetable field grows all kind of produce of which we can get seed in the country. They are mainly consumed at the restaurant and partly at the workers kitchen.  They are grown organic with no kind of pesticides. The fertilizer used on the vegetables are all manufactured at the farm with seeds, leaves, barks, as well as insect repellent plants, the fertilizer used are also made at the farm. Trees are used for reforestation and for shading.
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Cut Flowers - The flower business section of the farm started with potted plants used for decoration at the hotel, and then increased into local sales. Cut flowers were our next step, used for the hotel rooms and in the cabins. Mums were planted in the field, later came the greenhouse which started the local business which has its ups and downs, but is very rewarding to see plants grow.  We are trying to make this part of the farm also organic, but it is much harder. So far we have used only organic fertilizer, but sometimes there is a plague, which we cannot control with all our organic products, so use chemical. We are looking forward to technical assistance from organic places to have organic control here as well. If you have any information to help us, please contact us.
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Organic Materials - At Selva Negra we pride ourselves in our ecological projects, one of these projects is the making or organic fertilizer. In the sustainability section of the site, you can obtain more information. There are seven compost bins, each of them capable of making between 25 to 30 tons of fertilizer every two to two and half months. Most of the materials that go inside these fertilizer bins are coffee and rice husk, mulch, algae from the lakes, coffee pulp, garbage from the hotel and workers houses, cow manure, pruning and weeding materials.  There is also the making of humus from cows and pigs manure with Californian worms. Pest control is also done organically. At the lab we make experiments with seeds, trees, leaves of herbs and plants and use them for insecticide, herbicide and other controls. There is still much to be learned on this subject and we are constantly going to seminars and conferences on this mater. We enjoying learning new ways to recycle, preserve the mountain life and helping the environment.
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