Nature thrives thanks to an ingenious equilibrium between the animal kingdom and the plant world. Every single being has its place, and this logic, whether it is perceived as competition or as complementary, gives birth to an abundance that one must witness to understand fully.
At the Fazenda, we farm primarily vegetables, but we live with the animals. Around the house, a few geese play the role of watchmen and announce visitors, while peacocks display their sumptuous feathers. Cats and dogs honor each guest with their discreet and benevolent presence. The hens are so at home they seem to be the true inhabitants of the place. A flock of curious guinea fowls sometimes runs across the hallway. Some sheep in the orchard just next to the house bless everyone with their peaceful energy.
We are immersed in rediscovering what we really need to live. Food, of course, and the primary experience of getting it in nature ourselves, and being in constant contact with animals. This process triggers a natural delight particularly in the young ones – because this awareness of the source is a return to our childhood state: milking a cow, pulling carrots from the soil, finding eggs hidden in the shrubs. These simple actions inspire essential emotions that connect us to our ancestors and our condition as human beings on Earth. Catching a fish, grilling it, eating it. Picking fruit off the tree.
To learn to feed oneself is to remember we are self-sufficient. This is true at the community level, but is also a powerful realization on the personal level. Feet and hands in the soil, we realize that we do not take from Nature, but that she gives to us.