Today we headed to our farm. About 40 minutes outside of Guayaquil, Ecuador, the farm is about 2000 acres in Chongon. At this farm we grow Ylang Ylang, Palo Santo, Eucalyptus Blue, Oregano, Lemongrass, Cacao and a few more in the works. This is 100% organic and utilizes worm castings, goat manure and the leftover plant compost from the distillers for fertilizers.
The manager of the farm, Nicolas, knows precisely the right time to harvest the plants for optimal distillation. We have a chromogrpaher on site that allows testing of the first yield to ensure the crop is ready. The farmers here know even the right time of day for harvesting because this makes a huge difference in the potency of the end product. Did you know this? And, if you are buying essential oils from the supermarket, do they guarantee such a precise timing and process as this?
We had so much fun tasting raw cacao! It is super slimey on the outside of the seed and crunchy inside. The seeds are pulled out and roasted to make the cacao into chocolate as we know it.
After touring the farm with the main group, Matt and I grabbed a side by side and went exploring. We saw wild flamingos playing in a pond and relaxed while cruising the beautiful land and breathing in the essence.
