mary lee, Author at Homa Organic Farming

Satsang Farm Curacaví, Chile: Highlighting the Reforestation of Native Species using MicroBiHoma and Agnihotra Ash

By Karina Ohme

In 2025, the Reforestation program “Honey-Producing Flora to Improve the Sustainability of the Beekeeping Business in the Metropolitan Region” began in Chile. The project was implemented by the Chilean Forestry Institute (INFOR), a private-law corporation under the Ministry of Agriculture, and funded by the Regional Government of the Metropolitan Region. As a member of the Curacaví Organic Producers and owner of the Satsang farm in Curacaví, I was selected as one of the 32 beneficiaries of this reforestation program using native honey-producing species.

In general, the reforestation carried out by INFOR on all selected properties involved planting native trees using Basacote Plus (chemical fertilizer) as fertilizer and gel beads to retain water.

In the case of Satsang, I requested NOT to use these chemical products, but only Homa Efficient Microbiology for Native Forest (MicroBiHoma), which we produce on the farm, and Agnihotra Ash, to help restore the memory and vitality of the soil.

Planting Timeline

The planting holes, approximately 60 cm deep, were dug in June 2025 using the Miyawaki method. This method, developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, creates dense, biodiverse native forests by mimicking natural ecosystems. In small spaces, various native species are planted, promoting rapid growth with minimal maintenance after the first two years.

Photo 1: The planting holes, dug using the Miyawaki method.

Photo 2: The first application of Agnihotra ash inside the holes took place on June 21, 2025, with approximately one handful of Agnihotra Ash applied to each hole.

Photo 3: The second application of Agnihotra Ash inside the holes took place on July 27, 2025. To ensure that all holes contained Agnihotra ash, a handful was applied to each one again.

On August 8 and the following days, the native honey-producing trees were planted. The saplings brought by the INFOR team were very small, bare-rooted—they had grown in nurseries—and generally did not exceed 20 cm in height. The first ones planted were some that had been left over from another planting and had had their roots exposed for many days.

The holes they had previously dug had to be refilled because the seedlings were so small. When refilling the holes, we added solid MicroBiHoma—an Homa-based native forest microbial bio-stimulant that we produce here on the Satsang farm—to the soil at a rate of approximately 1 tablespoon per hole.

In addition, before planting the seedlings, they covered their roots with Agnihotra Ash.

I am deeply grateful to the professionals on the team assigned by the Chilean Forestry Institute, who were very flexible and respectful in following all the instructions I provided.

Photo 4: Planting the native honey-producing saplings.

Photo 5: Once planted, the saplings were protected with plastic netting and coligüe sticks, specifically to keep rabbits away. In total, 340 native honey-producing species from Chile’s sclerophyllous forest were planted.

Photo 6: On October 27, as summer and the heat were already setting in in Chile, the drip irrigation system was installed. In the central region, we can experience extremely dry summers, with 7 to 8 months without rain.

On October 29, the directors of the Chilean Forestry Institute’s reforestation program paid a technical visit to the plot. During the visit, the forestry engineers were surprised by the existing forest at Satsang, the size of the leaves on some Boldos (an endemic medicinal tree of Chile), and the Tata, a century-old Quillay tree. In addition, they saw firsthand how we produce MicroBiHoma and apply Homa agricultural technology. The director of the reforestation program attributed the remarkable condition of the forest on the farm to the practices we employ and expressed interest in conducting further research.

Photo 7: With the team of the Chilean Forestry Institute at Satsang farm.

On November 5, 2025, we performed the first drip irrigation, and starting on November 17, we began watering twice a week. On November 21, we applied liquid MicroBiHoma to 50 saplings located in the driest part of the plot.

On December 7 and again on January 5, we added a handful of Agnihotra Ash around the saplings. In addition, in January and February, we placed layers of grass, weeds, and vegetable leaves that we removed from the garden to protect the soil around the saplings and to ensure that the rabbits ate those leaves instead of the saplings.

On the afternoon of March 2, we buried one tablespoon of solid MicroBiHoma per sapling, near each dripper.

Given the excellent results that the forestry engineers observed in the reforestation project using Homa technology in Satsang, they asked us to organize a demonstration field day on the site, which took place on April 7.

On this occasion, in addition to executives and professionals from the Forestry Institute, other program beneficiaries participated, and they were surprised by the height of the native species planted in Satsang.

Photo 9: Demonstration field day at Satsang, April 7, 2026.

Following this event, invitations have emerged to continue research and participate in conferences to present the reforestation experience in Satsang, using MicroBiHoma and Agnihotra Ash.

An experience that I hope will help people understand the importance of caring for and restoring the life and memory of the soil, promoting agroecological agricultural and forestry practices that include, among other things, the incorporation of locally produced Homa Efficient Microbiology from Native Forests, tailored to the original forest of each area.

Furthermore, I believe it is essential to add a factor that is often forgotten or overlooked, because modern agriculture lacks the answers on how to achieve it: the importance of restoring and nourishing the atmosphere. To quote Bruce Johnson, approximately 70% of plant nutrition comes from the atmosphere. Therefore, nourishing and restoring it is essential for trees and plants to grow strong and healthy. That is why I believe it is so important to include the daily practice of Agnihotra in reforestation and ecosystem restoration programs; so that, in addition to reviving the soil, we can restore life as a whole.

From HOMA HEALTH Newsletter #241, 13th May 2026 — www.terapiahoma.com · www.homa1.com · www.homatherapy.info

It’s a sad state of affairs when more than three billion people around the world suffer from malnourishment – including in the U.S. – and yet most ‘improvements’ to increase food production is simply making our food less nourishing, rather than more so.

But more and more people are getting wise to this problem and are inciting change through their shopping habits and pocketbooks.

A 2007 study published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics found that shoppers were willing to pay more for locally grown food, and those shopping at farmers’ markets were willing to spend the most for food grown close to home.

Small local farms are cropping up as a result, and many of them use organic, sustainable farming practices even though they may not have been certified as such.

The top reasons people cite for wanting organic, locally-grown food?
• Better food quality
• Better taste
• Freshness

And no wonder, considering the fact that studies, such as the one above, is finding that conventionally grown produce simply isn’t what it used to be.

Many “health” experts continue to state that there is little difference between organic and conventionally raised produce, but if they review this and other evidence, they will likely have to change their tune.

Organic Foods – a Far More Nutritious Choice
The simplest way back toward health is to focus on whole, organic foods, grown or raised as nature intended. Meaning, it’s grown using sustainable farming practices, and without the use of chemical additives, pesticides and fertilizers.

Food grown in healthier soil, with natural fertilizers and no chemicals, simply has to be more nutritious. It is common knowledge — though knowledge that is greatly suppressed in the United States.
A 2003 study in the Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry, for example, found that organic foods are better for fighting cancer. And in 2005, scientists found that, compared to rats that ate conventional diets, organically fed rats experienced various health benefits. Rats that ate organic or minimally fertilized diets had:

Improved immune system status
Better sleeping habits

Less weight and were slimmer than rats fed other diets
Higher vitamin E content in their blood (for organically fed rats)

But perhaps one of the best studies out there on the benefits of organic versus conventionally-grown foods is the 2007 QualityLowInputFood Project — a $25-million study into organic food — the largest of its kind to date.

The researchers grew fruit and vegetables, and raised cattle, on adjacent organic and non-organic sites, and discovered that:

Organic fruit and vegetables contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants
Organic produce had higher levels of beneficial minerals like iron and zinc
Milk from organic herds contained up to 90 percent more antioxidants

The results were so impressive they stated that eating organic foods can even help to increase the nutrient intake of people who don’t eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

As illustrated in the two charts below, this four-year, European-Union-funded study also found marked differences between dry matter, mineral, vitamin, protein, and amino acid concentrations between organic and conventional crops.

And, Don’t Forget About the Chemical Toxins!
In addition to simply being depleted of many essential nutrients — for all the reasons mentioned in the article above — conventionally grown food is also typically tainted with a multitude of chemical residues, including chemical fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides.

These chemical concoctions can cause a wide variety of health problems, including:
Neurotoxicity
Disruption of your endocrine system
Cancer
Immune system suppression
Male infertility and miscarriages in women

Traditional, Local Farming on the Rise

Unfortunately, whereas organic foods were once truly raised naturally, on small farms with great integrity, big business has now stepped in and tainted many of the principles upon which the organic label was founded. You are, in fact, being ripped off by much of the organic food you are buying, so buyers beware…
However, increasing numbers of people are now reverting back to the ways of our ancestors, choosing to purchase food directly from local farmers – who generally apply organic farming practices — and cooking it using slow, traditional methods.

Proof of this trend can be seen in the rise of small farms. After declining for more than a century, the number of U.S. small farms has increased 20 percent in the past six years.
But there is still a long way to go. Organic food represents less than 2 percent of the food economy, and local food makes up well under 1 percent. There is some debate on the issue of which is better: organic or locally-grown. Ideally you’ll want both.

But keep in mind that even if your local farmer is not certified as organic, by speaking with them and establishing a rapport you will truly know how your food is raised and grown. Many small farmers grow their crops according to organic standards, yet are unable to afford the federal certification progress to legally call them so.

But in the end, it’s not really the certification itself – which big food manufacturers can afford – that matters, but whether or not your food has been grown in a manner that is compatible with nature and will sustain your good health.

Author: mary lee

Homa Farming — The Solution for the Future of Our Planet!

Satsang Farm Curacaví, Chile: Highlighting the Reforestation of Native Species using MicroBiHoma and Agnihotra Ash

Planting Timeline

Organic Foods vs. Conventional Food