Growing Knowledge & Building Partnerships

The completed drying house For nearly 3 weeks this past November, Matthias Reisen of Healing Spirits Herb Farm & Education Center in Avoca, NY, worked alongside staff and interns at Amazon World Ecological Park ( Parque Ecologico Mundo Amazonico)   in the municipality of Leticia, Colombia. Rafael Clavijo, owner of the 29-hectare park that is home to over 300 native plant species, requested training from Mr. Reisen in herb and fruit dehydration techniques for producing teas, as well as advice on tea packaging. Mr. Clavijo's goal is to produce dried teas and other herbal products from fruits and aromatic plants grown within the park grounds, and to sell them to park visitors who have expressed interest. After discussing various options for drying in such a humid, rainy environment and confirming an appropriate placement for a drying structure, the team sourced and purchased the necessary construction materials and got to work assembling the structure. The result: a 2-si...