Luum Ayni: Growing in Harmony with the Earth

Human compost pile - to the left is finished compost, already covered in plants

 Composting has been a recurring theme throughout the Mexican Heritage Garden project, so it seemed appropriate that Lisa began our tour with compost. Earlier that day Manuel, Jenny, and I drove from Nuevo Durango through Vallodolid to Chichimila, where Lisa and Cesar Hernandez manage their Luum Ayni project (LuumAyni.com). As soon as we arrived, we found ourselves in the presence of an impressively-sized heap, overlain with reused banners. Lisa explained that this was a mixture of food scraps from nearby restaurants and plant cuttings from the property. After a few months of microorganism magic, the compost would be ready for mixing with other types of compost, the red soil found on the property, or both, and put to use in the gardens, pastures, orchards, or managed forests at Luum Ayni. This was the first of several similar compost heaps we saw, and the start to an agricultural trek like no other.

Ceiba tree surrounded by the project's logo - the Southern Cross

Luum Ayni is a working demonstration farm (and yoga retreat) based on the ideals of sustainability, agroecology, and permaculture. Maybe the best way to explain what this means is to define "Luum Ayni". "Luum" is a Maya word for "earth" and for Lisa and Cesar it has connotations of living in harmony with the natural world and the cycles of life. "Ayni" is a Qechua word (Cesar has Incan ancestry) meaning harmony and balance, with both the natural and human world. So the project, put simply, is about developing systems that facilitate living in harmony with the Earth. As Lisa told us later in the tour, for every benefit derived from the land, a permacultural farm will in turn give something back, nourishing the Earth as well as its people. For every output, there is a renewable input.

Lisa with a healthy avocado tree

How is this achieved? Lisa emphasized that the most difficult and important work in permaculture is on the front end. Systems must be designed to ensure that each piece- plant, animal, or object- plays a role in the sustenance of the whole. Implemented correctly, this leads to largely self-regulating systems that in the long-term require far less maintenance and resources than conventional agriculture.

One of the most straightforward ways these systems are designed is through plant pairings. Taking a cue from the milpa, nitrogen-fixing legumes are distributed widely, near (and on) both trees and other vegetables, regenerating some nutrients taken by these other plants. Two of innumerable examples of these legumes at Luum Ayni are the Asian Lablab and an organic soy- Lisa tells us she spent a year searching Mexico for soy that was not transgenically modified before finally finding a strain that was not. Manuel also remembers where he finally found non-transgenic soy- obviously not an easy task in Mexico (and, we guess, maybe
even harder in Illinois).

Organic Soy 

A poster about the risk of introducing transgenic crops into Mexico

Non-nitrogen-fixers help with nutrient regeneration too- whatever parts of ornamental, medicinal (including arnica, a gift from Blat-ha), and edible plants are not used are transformed into compost. Intelligent use of plant systems clearly pays off: by doing something as simple as removing nutrient-sucking grasses from the bases of a mango trees planted by the previous land owner, and adding compost and mulch, the trees went from near-death to healthy in a single season.

Touring the project

In addition to compost from food and plant scraps, Luum Ayni uses animal waste (horse manure, mostly) and human waste. That's right- every bathroom at Luum Ayni, from Lisa and Cesar's home to the guest suites, has ecological toilets. For the uninitiated, these are dry toilets. After use, saw dust is thrown over human waste to absorb liquids and smells (Lisa assures us that the toilets do not smell). When full or when regular use stops, the toilet basin is taken to another site where further composting occurs, bringing the temperature to a level that makes the human compost (obviously dramatically changed from its original form) a valuable fertilizer to use in fields.

State-of-the-art Coop - removable nests

A rooster in the chicken coop

  After viewing the compost, we make our way to the chicken coop.  The chickens at Luum Ayni are housed in a coop that we all agreed was nice by human standards. It has room for 50 chickens- according to Lisa the maximum number that research has shown chickens can keep track of socially. The interior has space for all hens to roost, drink water, feed on grains, and enjoy a clean environment free from the elements. Most of the chickens at this time, however, are grazing in a field outside of the coop. In a few days, Lisa tells us that the gate to this field will be closed to lay fallow, and another of the three available fields will open up. The chickens will graze there for some weeks, and then rotate to the next field. In addition to this fallow-grazing rotation system, there are separate fields (as well as sections of the coop) for maternity (both mother hen and chicks) and infirmary. Eggs are harvested periodically, and of course no part goes to waste, with cooked and ground shells used for feed and other uses.

Entrance to the bio-intensive beds

A Comfrey Plant

In the vegetable garden at Luum Ayni, Lisa explains that just two of the raised beds can produce over 70 kilograms of produce annually. This is possible due to the bio-intensive system that includes using compost and natural fertilizers, as well as strategically planting deep-rooted plants to bring underlying nutrients to the surface. Lisa says that this system mimics the ecological processes that occur in the surrounding jungle, but with nutrient cycling and soil production happening at much higher rates. Plants growing in the boxes as well as on trellises certainly appear to be thriving. These include beans, squash, peppers, onion, sweet potato, potato, corn, and much, much more. One memorable plant we were told is known as the spinach tree (and no, this was not chaya). Both the leaves, and, later, the flowers are edible, and apparently delicious when eaten with cheese.

Jenny checks out a flying potato

Mais Mantel - one of several corn varieties on the farm 

A patch of English onions

There is more to permaculture than creating interlinked biological systems comprising plants, microorganisms, animals, and humans. Physical resources, including water, energy, and materials must be used in such a way that minimizes waste, negative impact on ecosystems (agro- and otherwise), and depletion of natural resources. At Luum Ayni, this is done in ways both technologically advanced (with a solar and bio-powered energy system) and ancient (excavation of a large retention pond and structures designed to maximize water capture). Water retention tanks can be found all over the property, with plans for more- Lisa and Cesar seem to be as concerned about changing precipitation patterns as every other grower in the area we've talked to. Water is not the only conserved resource here- there is also an ethic of reusing materials, like thatch for roofs, beautiful old wooden doors from Vallodolid for doors, and old grain bags, for hip messenger bags sold in the store.

I've left quite a lot about Luum Ayni out here, from the seed banking practices and jungle conservation program to the traditional honey production and yoga classes. If you want to learn more, please visit LuumAyni.com, or, better yet, the next time you're in the Yucatan, pay Lisa and Cesar a visit (see website for reservations, etc.).

Lisa and Cesar - Luum Ayni Directors