Fermentation - Planting

Day 2 –

Fermentation - we had a blue peter moment of 'here's some fermented beans we prepared earlier', we couldn't use our harvest as the fermentation process takes 4-6 days.

We collected the fermented beans - you could really smell the fermentation and see the heat given off by the process as we removed the banana leaves from the top of the heap - watching the steam rise off. The means are then taken (carried by us) to the roof to be dried in the sun, the open air and UV rays are important to help remove the moisture but also minimize any fungus. The beans are tipped and spread out in a flat layer.

The blew team tasting the dried beans - bitter but you can start to taste the cocoa

We then headed out to make our very own (small) compost heap! This is one of the ways farmers can help keep the soil as nutritious as possible and cut down the cost of expensive fertilizer by using whats available around them.

Planting:

We headed back into the fields to get our hands dirty again, this time ot plant some Cocoa trees like most visitors, using a post holler to dig out the soil, let's hope for yearly update on how our crops are doing, as well as planting a shade tree (that can grow for hundred of years!

I even managed (with help from the other ambassadors) to track down the Cocoa trees planted by our very own mars associates from the UK that where fortunate enough to be ambassadors last year, Alison Berry and Jane Newton!

So here are your plants!