Finca Quarza in Bowdoinham, Maine
Alexandra Carmona-Arellano has been growing for nearly a decade and is currently focusing on growing/wild harvesting over a dozen medicinal herbs and dye plants.
“I want to always keep my heart and mind open. Open to learning new practices, techniques and ideas. I am continuing to learn how to grow organically, regeneratively and sustainably.
I love working with flora and materials that are already naturally present in my environments, and I opt to use/utilize these whenever I have access and ability. I incorporate organic matter that helps to enrich our living soil (leaf/branch matter, compost, hay/straw, ashes, seaweed, comfrey, nitrogen rich cover cropping, wood chips, etc.) I use homemade, potent teas that I make from organic fertilizers and local flora to feed our plants.
We have a small free-range flock of chickens and a few ducks, so we use their byproducts to enrich our soils/gardens. My focus over the last few years has been learning how to restore/build living organic soil. So, this has been a slow-moving, but fruitful journey in this facet of farming.
[Healing plants] support me, and they always show up at the right times. I consider myself a lifetime learner, and I am always diving deeper and looking to broaden my understanding of the gifts they offer us. I know them to be intelligent beings, and I cherish the knowledge they share with me and I feel honored to be their steward.”
Alexandra hopes to bring her magic, open heart, love and natural gifts to the MHF collaborative. She hopes to gain a fuller connection within her communities and learn more about being a good steward of the land. She is excited to join something that is so “beautiful and powerful."
