Our beautiful 17+ hectare organic finca on the Rio Gariché is offered for sale to interested parties. We are motivated sellers and financing is available for the right buyer. Contact the agent of record or Ron Miller for more information Click on the link for more information and to view dozens of photos.
A Memorable Lunch November 13, 2013
Tours are being offered for groups to come to the farm to tour of our facilities. The tour includes our many greenhouses, chicken houses, compost piles, our overflowing nursery, and around to the outdoor gardens. We will share ideas and answer questions.
After the tour, refreshing herbal tea and a tranquil breeze await you when you return to the shady terrace.
A nutritious, live-giving lunch is available upon request. All of the dishes are prepared fresh for you using our organic vegetables, spices, chicken and eggs grown and raised on the farm. Menu included: Mixed Green Salad with Sunflower Sprouts, Kale Salad with Asian Dressing and Toasted Almond Slices, Collard Wraps with Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce, Deviled Eggs, Chicken Salad with Dates, Pecans and Maple Syrup, and dessert was Almond Joys and Seeds Delight, both made with healthy coconut oil. It’s a always a pleasure to prepare and share our love of food.
A mouth-water desert tops off the experience and lets you leave satisfied and uplifted, having visited the farm.
Study claims fr… July 29, 2012
Study claims free range chicken is healthier
//27 Jul 2012
Meat and eggs from birds reared in higher welfare systems are also better nutritionally, claims Compassion in World Farming in a new report.
Based on an extensive literature review, the study says that free-range and organic chicken typically have between 8% and 49% less fat than intensively-farmed birds. “Fat content of chicken meat is also lower for slower-growing genotypes compared with fast-growing genotypes,” it adds.
CIWF also looked at the proportion of omega-3 fatty acid in poultry and concluded that it “tends to be higher in chicken meat from free-range systems compared with indoor systems”.
The report also shows that male birds from layer breeds also have significantly higher levels of long-chain omega-3 in their meat.
“It is standard practice to kill these male chicks post hatching,” it says. “Creating a premium market for these birds based on the nutritional qualities of the meat would be highly desirable from an ethical point of view.”
But the CIWF report also concedes that differences in fat content and omega-3 levels “are not consistent across all studies”, while there may be shortcomings arising from differences in methodology between studies.
“In many cases, it is difficult to determine whether differences in nutritional content are a result of the system per se, or a result of the differing ages of the animal being compared.” It also adds that “the actual level of welfare attained in any production system is dependent on the level of management skill applied.
The report also covers eggs and, while there was no difference in fat content between free-range and cage egg, there was a clear elevation of omega-3 in free-range eggs, ranging from 26% to 170%. The report also suggests that free-range eggs can have up to 100% more Vitamin E, and 280% more beta-carotene – antioxidants that are thought to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Source: Poultry World
Preparing Our Greens for Market May 31, 2012
One of our specialties here at Finca Santa Marta is our flavorful greens.
Hellen is busy washing and drying our greens shortly after they have been harvested. This process is to hydrate, clean and cool the tender leaves and get the produce ready for sale on market day.
By giving the fresh leaves a cool, quick swim and then a good spinning to dry them, we can ensure maximum crispness and freshness for market and a longer storage life throughout the week for our customers as well.
This large salad spinner makes processing the large amount of greens we harvest and prepare for market each week a much easier job.
Our team at Finca Santa Marta take great pride in bringing you fresh, flavorful and nutritious organic produce.
Greens grown are: arugula, bok choy, dandelion, lettuces, kale, collards, tatsoi, salad mix, chinese cabbage, mustard, beet greens, swiss chard and more.
It is a good practice to include different greens in your diet. Each one has different nutrient profiles, so variety is good and we do offer a variety.
What other greens would you like to see us grow?
Collard Greens January 15, 2012
Collard Greens are a very nutritious green. They are in the same family as kale and cabbage, contain high levels of Vit A, C & K, calcium and anti-cancer agents. The good news is that they taste great too. This variety has a very mild flavor.
Use the leaves as wraps to save carbs. These wraps are still raw even though they seem slightly cooked. Very tasty and high in nutrition.
Remove the large stem down the center of each leaf and separate it into 2 pieces. In a pie plate or lasagne pan, combine 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1 tsp sea salt. Stir to dissolve. Dip both sides of each collard leaf in the lemon juice liquid and lay them in a casserole dish stacking as you go. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. This is to soften the leaves so that they roll easily and chew and also the leaves take on a different texture that is very appealing. Nutritious and satisfying.
Lather on some of your favorite sauce or filling across the center on each leaf. Julienne some vegetables making them long enough to hang out both sides of the wrap. Zucchini, yellow squash, cucumber, jicama, sweet pepper, celery, and scallions are good choices for this. Adding shredded carrots and beets to add texture and flavor to your creation. A variety of sprouts such as alfalfa, red clover, broccoli, mung bean, sunflower or others add nice crunch. Herbs such as cilantro, parsley, garlic chives, or your favorite round out the creation. When you have the wrap full enough, roll them up. Serve with additional sauce and enjoy!
A wonderful sauce to use is Raw Cashew Lime Ginger Coconut Dip! Cover 2 cups raw shelled cashews with water and soak for 2-4 hours. Drain the cashews. In a blender, add the cashews, 1 lime, peeled, 1 inch ginger (Cut into smaller pieces before adding to the blender.), 1 Tbsp Nama Shoyu (raw soy sauce) or soy sauce, 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted. Blend together well and use. Scrap the blender good as you’ll want every drop.
Experiment with other sauces, nut and seed pates, other fillings and different vegetables and herbs. Find out your favorite and share it with us.
An update from Finca Santa Marta January 1, 2012
Good morning from chilly Virginia. Currently it is 30 degrees here in the Northern Shenandoah Valley, headed to a high of 59. While it has been much milder here on the east coast so far this winter, (I have been here since Dec. 9th) Kim and I are anxious to return to our tropical, organic farm, Finca Santa Marta where we are entering a new era.
We have been on this project for over 5 years. From our original starting place of searching for the right farm, to purchasing a mediocre cattle grazing farm, to developing a productive, sustainable organic vegetable and fruit farm, we have come a long way. And we are just getting started.
We are very excited about our newly arrived co-managers at the farm, Justin and Jenny. They bring to us some youthful exuberance and an ever increasing knowledge of organic farming along with additional ideas about future sustainability. What we learn at FSM will be taught to locals and expats so that we all can have safe, healthy food now and in the future. We are working hard to increase the varieties grown and also to increase production. Every time you purchase something from FSM you are supporting the future of healthy eating in Chiriqui.
This picture is of our new almasigo or plant nursery during it’s construction last Sept. Kim will be working on getting it set up and into full production as soon as she arrives next week.
We have again been asked to give a program on organic farming at the Tuesday Morning Meeting in Boquete sometime in Feb. Watch for that up coming announcement.
In the mean time you can check out our web site at http://fincasantamarta.biz/ to pre-order for the Tuesday Market in Boquete or the Friday Market in Volcan. Residents between Boquete and Concepcion can negotiate with us a delivery/dropoff point for Tuesday afternoon.
Or check out our blog (which we promise to start updating at least weekly) https://fincasantamarta.wordpress.com/
We invite anyone interested in arranging a tour of our farm to contact us for details.
Here is very good video I ran across earlier this morning about a doctor who reversed the effects of her own MS with a diet rich in leafy greens.
http://tinyurl.com/789vus7
Please fell free to contact me via the email address attached to this update.
Hasta luego,
Ron and Kim Miller
Cisco – Our New Male Colt December 28, 2011
This little guy was born Sunday, November 27th. What a cute face. Ron named him Cisco as in the Cisco Kid western show. Cisco is Elizabeth’s second colt. Her first colt was named Spirit and he’s now 2 years old.
Sweet Potatoes November 16, 2011
Chu Harvesting Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are very high in beta-carotene which is converted in the body to Vitamin A. Since this is a fat-soluble vitamin, a small amount of fat, such as butter, helps the body absorb this vitamin.
Potassium is very high in sweet potatoes and it’s the third most abundant mineral in the body. Used in maintaining good health in the heart, muscles, kidneys, brain and more. Stress uses this mineral up so continued replacement is very important.
Be sure and eat the skins, when possible. Most of the healing properties are in the skin and just under the skin.
The glycemic index (how quickly the body converts the food to glucose) is almost half of white potatoes. It is 17 as opposed to 29. This makes it a much better choice for diabetics.
So the bottom line is, eat more sweet potatoes. They taste great and are really good for you! Baked or boiled, they are a great addition to your diet.
Lemon Dijon Mustard Kale Salad June 19, 2011
This salad has become one of my favorites because it tastes great and it allows me to eat kale raw, which retains many of it’s nutrients. The dressing for this salad is very flavorful and can also be used as a salad dressing on lettuce salads. For this reason, when I make this dressing, I have started tripling the quantities and keeping the extra in the refrigerator. Other greens, such as spinach can be added or substituted and some shredded carrots or diced red pepper would be an attractive addition to this salad as well. Enjoy eating your greens!
1 Bunch Kale – Dinasour or other 1 1/2 Tbsp pine nuts
Mustard Lemongrette
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp light miso
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tsp minced red onion or scallion
2 tsp agave syrup 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Combine all of these ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Remove the stem that runs down the center of the kale stem. Then tear the kale into pieces in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over and massage it into the kale with your hands for a few minutes. After a short time, the kale will take on a “cooked” appearance and will reduce in volume.
To serve, mound each serving onto a plate and garnish with pine nuts.
This recipe comes from the book “The Raw Food Revolution Diet” by Cherie Soria, Brenda Davis, and Vesanto Melina.
Sprouting at the Farm December 6, 2010
Kim proudly displaying the 4 different varieties of seed she has sprouted to sell at the “Tuesday Market” in Boquete, Panama. Happy customers grabbed them all up and the sprout division of Finca Santa Marta was born. Look forward to growing other varieties like sunflower seed and bigger quantities.
The blend on the platter I’m holding is red clover, fenugreek and radish sptouts (It’s my favorite, the seeds are larger and I just enjoy watching it grow); then there are 2 plates of alfalfa, radish and broccoli blend; 1 plate of spicy mustard sprouts; and 2 platters of mung bean sprouts.
I enjoy growing sprouts. Soaking them and then watching them grow day by day and you can even watch them grow from morning to night and night to the next morning. And they grow inside the house with you.
Ron and I are back in the states for the month of Dec. to spend the holidays with our children and grandchildren. We return to Panama the first part of January and let the sprouting begin.
Starting the 2nd week of January, fresh sprouts will be available on a weekly basis at the “Tuesday Market” in Boquete and also in Volcan on Saturday morning.
What is your favorite sprout? What other types would you recommend that we grow?
Any comments from customers that purchased sprouts from the farm in December?
Finca Santa Marta - An Organic Finca in Panama 
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