We spent a rainy afternoon at John Mood's Ninole Orchard, which features peach palm (
Bactris gasipaeas) for palmito (palm heart), seed, fruit , and timber, timber bamboo (
Guadua angustifolia var
bicolor and many other species), canarium nut (
Canarium ovalifolium), and diverse tropical fruit. Read more about Ninole Orchard
here (pdf file).
John Mood started the tour with a talk about the background of how the farm got started (see field tour handout pdf file).
One of the main farm products is palmito (palm heart), which is processed on-site and sold to hotels.
A newly introduced species of dragon fruit has been planted on trellises.
John has planted an orchard of canarium nut (Canarium ovalifolium), a delicious tropical nut.
Workshop participant smells a fragrant fruit (Garcinia sp.).
Timber bamboo (Guadua sp.).
A fallen guadua culm.
Windbreak consisting of a row of Eucalyptus torreliana (left) and a row of Podocarpus gracilior (right).
Diverse Artocarpus and Durio orchard.
A display of wood products made from peach palm stem.
John demonstrated how palmito is prepared from the stem.
All participants were greatly impressed with John Mood's tour, and agreed it was worth braving the rain.
