Don Adolfo Project: Pasture to Agroforestry

In January 2019, Contour Lines began planting its pilot site for the Livingston area: the Don Adolfo Project (DAP). Don Adolfo is a local landowner who committed two acres to the project, removing the land from his dairy operation in the hopes of a future agroforestry system.

Meeting with Don Adolfo to plan the project. Oct., 2018.

An avid birder and tree-lover, he dreams of restoring his pastures to forest, eventually phasing out the dairy operation… while still generating a livelihood however, to support his family and maintain the land. Meanwhile, Sean (Contour Lines founder) was looking for land to plant an agroreforestation model, designed to restore soil fertility, generate income, and employ and train local campesinos. Through the common goals of regenerative land use, the DAP was born.

A Timeline of our work. From installing to planting to harvesting, the DAP demonstration site employs and trains locals on all stages of the agroforestry conversion:

  • First we cleared the site, chopping most of the existing vegetation, a mix of pasture weeds and pioneer trees. (Endangered native trees like San Juan and Santa Maria were not cut).
  • Then we market the lines, using an A-level and marking with stakes of madre de cacao (which will resprout and help form the “living” terrace walls.
  • The cut trunks and brush we piled along the contour lines to reinforce their erosion-control function.
  • For shorter term production, we planted between the lines yuca, chaya, banana, pineapple, sugarcane and others.
  • To restore soil fertility in more degraded areas, we seeded “fertilizer bean” (Mucuna pruriens) and left the land fallow.
  • [Update, Dec., 2019: after the beans have improved the soil (through fixing nitrogen, building rapid biomass, and changing the vegetation structure), we are now re-clearing restored areas to plant more annuals.]
Higinio preparing cassava cutting for transplant.
Don Carlos prepares the “fertilizer beans.”
  • For longer term production, we planted the contour lines with 200 fruit trees: mango, avacado, lime, orange and rambutan.
  • Coconut, breadfruit, jackfruit and others we planted in the corners and along the roads.

The original trainees plus more workers from Tatin Village have been employed over the months to maintain the pilot project site, while learning skills such as pruning, organic pest control, and maintenance of contour lines/support trees.

Higino, Cergio and Don Carlos prune an orange tree.
Sean harvesting yuca.

The main goal of the DAP is a demonstration site, that educates and promotes regenerative agriculture models throughout the Livingston region.

Specific objectives span the economic-environmental-social trifecta:

Economic

  • Organic produce. Worker/community sustenance as well as income from sales. Produce includes both short-term (cassava, banana, taro) and long-term crops (fruit trees), all with value-adding potential such as chips, flours and ferments.
  • Employment. For three local campesinos, as well as training, and then ownership of own projects. [See Tatin Village Project]
  • Tourism. Hiking, camping, bird-watching eco-tourism and agro-tourism.
Selling DAP yuca to local restaurant (Nov. 2019)

Environmental

  • Using agroecological methods, such as erosion control lines, cover-crops and mulching, polycultures and organic pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers:.
  • Ecosystem restoration. From eroding cow pastures to (agro)forests.
  • Ecosystem services. Carbon sequestration, air and water purification, soil building and wildlife habitat.

Social

  • Health. Supplying local, organic food should improve diets and reduce malnutrition. Improved ecosystems should reduce stress, micro-climate extremes, air pollution, etc.
  • Cultural. Improved food-autonomy, less dependence on foreign imports. Furthermore, locals may develop greater appreciation for their native ecosystem, and possibly by extension for their Mayan ancestry, through the common principles of farming ecologically.
  • Education. In sustainable agriculture practices (contour lines, organic fertilizers and pest control, mulching, composting etc.) through training employees, hosting workshops and guiding tours. The DAP site is perfectly situated along the main road for demonstration purposes.
Family of Don Carlos, the original DAP trainee and current project owner.
Outcomes. A one-year update.
  • Education/training – The original 3 trainees, Don Carlos, Higinio and Victor, learned skills here such as pruning, organic pest control, and marking contour lines. They have since applied them to their own project on their own land in Tatin Village. Six other workers from local communities have worked on the site at various times, becoming introduced to these methods.
  • Tree planting – 200 fruit trees planted. survival rates 90%, establishing, happy
  • Annuals production – 400 lbs of yuca harvested. only trial portion of site was planted with production annuals (the rest in “fertilizer bean”). Good thing, as much of that was eaten by invading cows, which entered because of fence-cutting humans [see firewood theft below].
  • Land regeneration – 2 acres of former pasture have improved soil fertility. frijol beans, 1-yr of cattle exclusion/fallow

A valuable lesson learned: Loss of the contour walls. About 70% of the wood piled along the contour lines has been stolen. The wood, from weed trees cut during the initial installation, were intended as erosion control barriers, which appear very effective at accumulating soil and forming terraces in areas where wood remains. Sadly, where wood has been removed the erosion control function of the contour lines is severely reduced.

The reason for theft of the wood is for use/sale as firewood, the main source of cooking throughout the Livingston Area. Don Adolfo and I have determined several solutions:
1. Greater presence to deter theft, including the building of a residence overlooking the site.
2. Planting species with no firewood value, such as jobo (Spondias mombin) or chino (Bursera simaruba), and using the trunks of banana or papaya to build the contour walls.
3. Improving neighbor relations, including offering firewood from other parts of the property.
4. Locating projects where there is less need for firewood. Don Adolfo’s lies on the outskirts of the Livingston population center; In the distant Tatin Village, by contrast, firewood theft is non-existent because all community members have their own land and their own supply.

The Tatín Village Projects are underway

Please donate to help plant these agroforestry systems.   Only $20 covers five rambutan, eight mango or ten citrus trees.  Contour Lines is registered as a 501(c)(3) for tax-deductible donations. Click here to Donate to the campaign.

See more on these projects:
Tatín Village Project – Round 1
Tatín Village Project – Round 2

Special Thanks to
-Don Adolfo of Livingston, Guatemala
-Don Carlos Caal Romero, Higinio Chub Ax, Victor Chun Caal Sr. & Jr. and Ernesto Ax Chun, campesinos of Tatin
-Arnoldo Ax Chun and Samuel Coc of Apro-Sarstun
-Dwight Carter of Fruta del Mundo
-Thomas Leonard of Contour Lines Corp
-Juan Pablo Martinez and the rest of the Wübu Team