The Farm
When the Panamanian government halted deforestation in the upper Rio Colorado valley in the 1960’s, the chainsaws were just arriving to the land that today comprises Mount Totumas Cloud Forest. The fortuitous freeze at that time by the government saved our remaining forests, which is why the site today maintains such a high degree of ecological integrity. With the agreement of Panama and Costa Rica to form La Amistad National Park in the 1980’s the land bordering Mount Totumas Cloud Forest was granted national park status. For 20 years before we acquired the property, the site was a cattle farm that had the pasturage to support up to 80 cattle at a time. This history helps explain the unique mosaic of habitats found today on the site; cleared pastures, second growth forest with individual old growth trees and, in the upper end of the property, still-intact virgin cloud forest.
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Grinding Home-Grown Coffee
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Roasting the Beans
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Organic Garden |
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Guests and residents at Mount Totumas can enjoy the operation and benefits of a farm practicing low impact agriculture in this wilderness setting, and experience the life of the Panamanian outback. Click pictures to enlarge. |
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Fresh Milk
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Cows with Bells |
Harvesting Coffee |
| As we move forward to preserve Mount Totumas Cloud Forest, we plan to reforest at least two thirds of the remaining pastures (see our research page), but at the same time keep a low-impact sustainable agricultural operation integrated within the greater vision of preservation. A small herd of cattle will help maintain cleared pastures, provide yoghurt and cheese for guests and residents and provide manure for the organic gardens and coffee groves. The current small grove of shade grown coffee near the entrance of the property will be expanded to a few additional acres, where conditions are ideal for premium high elevation coffee varieties.
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181 34th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112-4913 || info@mounttotumas.com
Webmaster
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