Food Farm & Medicinal Gardens
The RA Initiative is home to one of the few significant medicinal gardens in the region featuring over a hundred different shrubs, vines, bushes, and trees, and we are always on the lookout for new species to add. We also collect rare and unusual plants—especially those used for food.
Manzano bananas offer a range of medicinal benefits, including potassium for heart health fiber for digestive support, vitamin B6 for energy metabolism, tryptophan for mood improvement, and phenolics like quercetin for antioxidant properties. Its stem sap is traditionally used as a tonic for both healthy and sick individuals and is utilized in Ayurvedic medicine. Other varieties range from the savory Platano (delicious when fried) to Bellaco, Capirona, Seda, Brazilian Red, Water Banana and the very sweet and tiny Pildora. We will show you how banana trees are grown and harvested.
Fruit Trees
Papaya trees - between one to two hundred. The flavour of a perfectly ripe Papaya straight off the tree is superior to anything you will have tasted from a supermarket.
Mango trees,
Pineapple bushes - many
Aguaje, Ungurahui, Coconut, Caimito, Lemon, Guava, Icecream Bean, Cacao, Guava (Guayaba), Sugar cane -yellow and black varieties, Copoazu,Soursop (Guanabana)
Medicinals - Herbs - Spices- Vines
Ayahuasca ( 3 types - Cielo, Thunder, Jaguar), Chacruna, Ajo Sacha, Chiric Sanango, Ginger, Cuisador, Spiked Pepper (Cordoncillo), Achiote ( Annato ), Kion, Hierba Luisa (Lemon Grass), Malva Roja, Malva Verde, Hoja Santa, Caguena, Mint, Diente de Jaguar, Achira (edible cana), Murcura, Una de Gato, Ojo de Gato, Toe, Chanca Piedra, Aire Sacha (Flor del Aire), Bijao, Sensitive Plant (Sensitiva Tantito), Ucho Sanango, Pusanga, Shimi Panpana, Rosasisa, Cordoncillo, Tobacco.
Trees
Tahuare (The Master Tree), Murure, Azucar Huayo, Huayruro (The Wizard Tree), Copal (Resin tree), Itauva (For healing women), Cedro (Cedar), Boa Huasca (Hard Tree), Murure, Ubos, Oje (Medicinal teacher, antiparasitic), Palo Sangre, Palo Violeta, Machin Mango, Chontaquiro, Aguaje, Ungurahui, Quilosisa (Yellow flower tree), Acai/Palm, Sacha Mango, Araza, Tagarana, Mariri (Powerful protective of trees song ), Cumaceba, Shambuquiro (casitas part made of this - to construct malocas).
The Soil
Amazonian soil is generally of poor quality so we make every effort to improve it. No petro/agrichemicals are used . We use chicken manure, powdered Andean rock salt, side bank soil , kitchen waste either directly or after composting, humanure from the dry toilets and composted water plants, leaves and rotted softwood.
There are many acres of farmland, mainly spread along the river but also going inland. The whole site is about 300 acres and approximately 60 acres will eventually be used for food production. The older rainforest is sacrosanct and will be left to develop naturally.
