AMA Estancia Update March 2018
We are excited to announce a forthcoming publication that has been in the works for quite some time - the AMA Estancia cookbook. "A Week at AMA Estancia" is not only driven by our incredible Chef Flavia and her team, but by our farmers and land conservation team, as well as dozens of interviews with our Panamanian staff about the history of farming and cooking in Panama. Not only is it full of all our favorite recipes enjoyed at AMA Estancia, but it is the kind of book you can curl up with in a hammock or by the pool for an entertaining dive into the history of Panamanian food, our onsite farms and our chefs. If you're the type who prefers to flip through books looking for photography, you will not be disappointed by our photographers approach, throwing back to old tropical still life photography in a modern minimalist style.
We received the first press run this December and will be publishing the book in 2018 so that it is available at AMA Estancia - find a sneak peak below:
Market Garden
Speaking of recipes - we've been happy to integrate more produce grown onsite into the kitchen at AMA Estancia this year. Our market garden is flourishing - so much so that we've begun collaborating with local restaurants to sell our extra produce to them so that it does not go to waste - the taste of Reserva Panamaes is making it onto plates across the Peninsula. Scroll through the gallery to see the garden and some of the exciting species we're growing, adding to our extensive seed bank with every harvest.
University of Pennsylvania at AMA Estancia
This month we had a group of U Penn graduate students visit AMA Estancia and Reserva Panamaes to study sustainable land management and entrepreneurship, using our programs as a model. Greg Ives, our Sustainability and Conservation Specialist - and a U Penn alumnus - served as a co-instructor of the course, which is titled, "Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development In Panama". Topics studied onsite included sustainable land management, farming, coastal management, economic viability, the Reserve as a living laboratory, social engagement, community programing, and ecotourism strategies.
The mayor of Pedasi, Miguel Batista, joined the class for dinner to discussed the sustainable development challenges in the region.
Another Successful Turtle Nesting Season
We couldn't part ways on our March update without congratulating our team on another successful turtle nesting season. This year, we had many local volunteers help us out and the occurrence of issues with the nests being hunted and disturbed has decreased. Our local community and neighbors are turning into turtle conservationists, and we are so happy to see the project flourishing thanks to their advocacy.
Let us know when you're ready for your next visit!
We will leave you all with some new images of the villa and Playa Panamaes and Puero Escondido - we are so grateful to be surrounded by these healthy coastal ecosystems that bring us so much joy. As always, thank you for being a part of our community - we look forward to seeing you soon!
We'd love to hear from you - please feel free to leave a comment below or email us with questions or inquiries: info@amaestancia.com