Inventive Irrigation: Not only has Morgan’s Rock created a partially self-sufficient grain and vegetable hacienda, but also fashioned a sophisticated irrigation system with its innovative wastewater treatment plant that ultimately produces clean water. Rice, corn and wheat are the primary grains harvested. These grains, as well as all the vegetables grown at the hacienda, such as tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini, are watered with this inventive system.

Cultivating Coffee: The owners of Morgan's Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge own coffee plantations in Matagalpa, located in northern Nicaragua. The coffee served at the hotel’s restaurant comes from the Matagalpa plantations. Morgan’s Rock’s owners are researching cultivating sea level coffee plants— a worldwide novelty for coffee-producing nations—in the vicinity of the hotel.

How Sweet It Is: Morgan’s Rock has a functioning antique trapiche or sugar mill, running in the hacienda. The hacienda’s trapiche produces a sweet, aromatic, intensely colored brown sugar and molasses. Inside the same trapiche home made rum is also distilled, which guests can sample.

Saving the Forests: Morgan’s Rock has planted more than 1.5 million tropical, hardwood trees in the past five years. Through its Tree Farming program, these trees will be harvested in the next 7 to 15 years and in their place, new ones will be planted. Many countries, including Nicaragua, continue cutting into valuable ecosystems and forests. However, planting and harvesting trees for commercial use will slow further destruction of invaluable tropical forests. The Ecolodge has also launched an aggressive Reforestation program, planting almost 100,000 native hardwood trees that will not be harvested, further enriching the local environment.

For more information about the innovative agro-tourism program at Morgan’s Rock Hacienda and Ecolodge visit http://www.morgansrock.com/agrotourism.html.

(Source: Morgan's Rock)

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