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Finca Morpho

November 2014

FINCA MORPHO WITH ALL OUR POWERS COMBINE IN THIS ISSUE

Finca Morpho is a progressive farm in which we are so progressive we have simply started back at the basics. We start at the soil and then begin to move from there. By starting at the soil and planting different plants with different outputs, we are able to replenish the healthy bacteria and fungi within the soil to produce more healthy and natural plants. We devote our time to developing different environmentally conscious practices. We are a simple farm with extraordinary people.

There are 6 key players on the farm all with very different personalities and talents. Ticon Storay, Devon Storay, Colton Lindeman, Stephanie Burrell-Lindeman, Joshua Reed, and Maria Sarina.

help out.

Each of the farm members share a common goal, taking care of our Mother Earth. Here at Finca Morpho every week we are all challenged with the opportunity to change the world around us. We are challenged by each other (the co-founders) and our different ideas to make a better change for today. Although our methods here may seem strange we live the life every

No Trash Left Behind A new farm project started this past month. In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint Finca Morpho has gone trashy!

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Maria gets a Cabina!

Maria before her new home. Farm group activity helping Maria build raised beds.

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Just a bit about the Finca by Stephanie Burrell-Lindeman

FINCA MORPHO | Issue #1 2

Every week we all go to the grocery store.

wrapping for toilet paper, Plastic around the cheese, a box of crackers, togo containers from restaurants, lids, snack wrappers, food waste. All of these things are put into trash containers and carried off to dumpsites. Here at Finca Morpho this was a very big concern for us for many reasons.

Joshua Reed one of the co-founders for Finca Morpho decided enough was enough. Joshua then set into motion the Environmental Resource Plan. This plan was simple but created a solution to many other ideas we dreamed of for the farm. From the start the project was hot, stinky, and sticky. He dove in head first. Ticon found him cotton gloves, an old metal rod, and a plastic bottle in the materials bodega. Joshua then laid a plastic tarp across the ground; he dumped all the trash from their bags and began to sort: Plastics, Metals, Glass, and Bio Materials.

After the trash was sorted, anything we could not recycle or compost Joshua began stuffing into old plastic soda bottles. He would use the metal rod to pack the trash

each household on the farm to pack their

this mindset of consuming but no mindset as to where the trash goes after it has been put

project just a few weeks ago we have already seen great improvement. The trash cans in the houses are always empty, we simply pack as we go. This is a really exciting project for the farm. We have gained new creativity towards the trash or as we call it the

project. We reuse all containers whether it be for planters, dog bowls, seed collection, or storing other food products.

sustainable farm and to use the trash bricks for our building projects. As we all started this project, the more the project morphed, the more excited we all became. We have gathered many ideas for building our new earth ship sanctuary. We will use the trash bricks as foundation and furniture

throughout our new earth ship and Finca Morpho. This project will help us make another step forward in reducing our carbon

the way for a better today. Stay inspired Finca Morpho the earth is proud of you.

JOSHUA REED NO TRASH LEFT BEHIND

JOSH BECAME INSPIRED TO DO THIS PROJECT THROUGH ONE OF HIS FAVORITE ARTIST, THE POLISH AMBASSADOR. ALSO THROUGH DIFFERENT VIDEOS INC

JOSHUA REED

Josh.reed0@gmail.com

As you walk around the property you begin to realize it is ever changing and growing. Maria Sarina one of the Finca Morpho members is on cloud 9. Maria now has a new home. She has been working hard on her new raised beds. The trails all around her area and the horses look amazing. She also has her very own space to stretch out in and now she can get rid of her suitcases. Wish her a congratulations if you see her.

By Stephanie Burrell-Lindeman

Maria Gets a Cabina!

Maria showing off her new raised beds and enjoying her new space (right)

FINCA MORPHO | Issue #1 3

Finca Morpho follows basic principles from different ideas we take from readings and videos. Some of the principles we have come to adopt are from the book Holmgren

by David Holmgren. Below is a principle out of his book that goes along with our Environmental Resource Plan.

Trash bricks being used to form furniture.

Principle 6: PRODUCE NO WASTE

This principle brings together traditional values of frugality and care for material goods, the modern concern about pollution, and the more radical perspective that sees wastes as resources and opportunities. The earthworm is a suitable icon for this principle because it lives by consuming plant litter

improves the soil environment for itself, for soil micro-organisms, and for the plants. Thus the earthworm, like all living things, is a part of a web where the outputs of one are the inputs for another.

THESE USEFUL THINGS THAT END UP A

AS SIMPLY CONSUMERS AND EXCRETERS MIGHT BE BIOLOGICAL, BUT IT IS NOT

The industrial processes that support modern life can be characterized by and input-output model, in which the inputs are natural materials and energy, while the outputs are useful things and services. However when we step back from this process and take a long term view, we can see all these useful things end up as wastes (Mostly in rubbish tips) and that even the most ethereal of services required the degradation of energy and resources to wastes. This model might therefore be better characterized as

simply consumers and excreters might be biological, but it is not ecological.

The proverb waste not, want not reminds us that it is easy to be wasteful when there is an abundance, but that this waste can be the cause of later hardship. This is highly relevant in a context of energy descent. The opportunities to reduce waste, and in fact live from waste, are historically unprecedented. In the past only the most destitute made a living from waste. Today we should acknowledge those who creatively reuse waste as the very essence of living lightly on the earth. Apart from household and industrial wastes, modernity has created new classes of living wastes (unwanted pest, plants, and animals) which proliferate in our minds as much as across the landscape of the affluent nations.

Bill Mollison defined a pollutant as

component that is not being used productively by any other component

definition encourages us to look for ways to minimize p pollution and waste through designing systems to make use of all outputs. In response to a question

about plagues of snails in gardens dominated by perennials, Mollison was in the habit of replying that there was not an excess of snails but a deficiency of ducks. Similarly plagues of grass and forest tress lead to devastation by bushfire of some regions, while plagues of herbivores overgraze others. Innovative ad creative ways to sue these upwelling of abundance is one of the characteristics of permaculture design.

A stitch in time saves nine, reminds us of the value of timely maintenance in preventing waste ad work involved in major repair and restoration efforts. Although far less exciting than creative ways to use unwannted abundance, maintenance of what we already have is set to be a huge and ongoing issue in and energy descent world. All structures and systems depreciate in value ad all ecological and sustainable human systems devote resources to timely maintenance.

Maria, Ticon, and Colton using a cobb mix we created to pack over the trash bricks and rocks to begin to form a bench.

Maria using cardboard to help pad her garden and provide a layer of compost.

Recycled glass bottles that made a pretty border for a flower bed.

FINCA MORPHO | Issue #1 4

NURSERY PROJECTS

The Nursery before we screened it in. We are now finishing up last minute touches inside. This is where our germinator is and where most of our delicate plants can grow safely before transplant.

The Nursery is looking great. Ticon, Colton, and Joshua have been really working hard to make the nursery beautiful. They terra formed around the Nursery to better direct the rainwater and utilize it for other plants. Colton built bridges out of scrap wood.

PERMACULTURE FUN INFO

30% Of what we plant on the farm we expect 30% to go back to nature. Either as compost or food for the animals of our ecosystems.

Activities:

Finca Morpho Team loves activities. Ticon

the farm likes to participate in: Volleyball, Surfing, Mixed Martial Arts, Skateboarding, Painting, Swimming, Snorkeling, Kayaking, Spa Day at the River, Costume Parties, Talisman, Horseback Riding, Horse Training, Biking, Riding the Quad, Card games. The list could go on and on. If you are ever around our neck of the jungle stop by for some fun in the sun.

E SUMMER CAMP AY

We also like to have FUN!

Ariel and Addie sharing the love!

Finca Moprho

14 km South of Bomba de

Osa, Puerto Jimenez, Costa

Rica.

FincaMorpho@gmail.com

Colton with the chickens.