Macadamia -For a Brighter Future

Due to many people supporting our efforts to help small landholders in San Martin Jilotepeque commercialize growing Macadamia trees we exceeded our goal and distributed 1420 seedlings in 2024.

For 2025 we expect to distribute 1000-2000 seedlings. We are also working with the first grower with commercial harvest providing the design of a husking machine.

These are signs of success.

If you know others who might be interested in donating please share this site with others. Help us meet our increased goal.

Have a great day,

Ben and Lalo

Help us plant Macadamia trees in rural Guatemala

Our new 2025 Goal is 1500 -2000 seedlings, $4,000

Macadamia orchards can raise the living standard of entire villages, alleviate poverty and suffering, feed hungry children, reverse climate change and deforestation. We donate our time, transportation, cover the project’s overhead and provide free expert advice on the cultivation. What is your part? A donation of $50 to $1000 which will make it possible for us to supply 2000 seedlings to local farmers in 2025.

We have been doing this work for 17 years, beginning in 2007. We began with 10,000 trees in a dozen pueblos. We have been supporting the project until the farmers are now able to see a cash value of their crop. Since the lifting of COVID restrictions in 2022 we have been revisiting villages to offer our expertise on cultivation and fill the demand for more seedlings.

Villagers like the sisters pictured here are pleased with harvesting nuts from the trees we provided in 2007-2010. They are following our advice on improving their orchard management. Many have begun producing their own seedlings and expanding their plantations. But, there are many who still look to us to supply additional and superior seedlings and free advice.

By the 9th year, these trees are in great shape and producing lots of nuts.

In fact, they are yielding up to 20 pounds each. The family will eat the nuts

and some go to the local market for resale.

Why Macadamia nuts? Macadamia trees can produce for over 100 years, making them a multi-generation investment. Over the long term, they provide economic support for an impoverished area. When fully grown the harvest of a single tree is worth $100 yearly. Like all trees, they help reverse climate change. The shells are particularly carbon rich, so that one pound of carbon is removed from the atmosphere for every pound of nuts consumed. Even before producing a cash crop, the nuts are an excellent source of protein and nutrients for hungry children. Plus, the seeds of a single tree can be replanted to produce an orchard of 300 trees! Finally, as trees are trimmed, the wood is excellent fuel for the wood burning stoves still used in rural Guatemala—reversing deforestation.

Nut laden trees growing on dry rocky mountain slope, San Martin Jilotepeque, Chimaltenango, Guatemala 2023

Finally, the small-plot farmers and their communities have a stake in the success of this project. While they can’t afford the $4.50 retail price per seedling, they do contribute $1.30, which ensures that they are committed to caring for the trees as they mature. We receive the seedlings at a reduced price of $3.30, which is where your partnership is so important. For each $2.00 you contribute, we will provide a seedling, regular site visits and our expertise on the cultivation of Macadamia. Personally we contribute the project’s overhead gasoline, lunch and snacks, office expenses.

Your entire donation is used to subsidize the cost of the seedling so that more subsistent farmers can participate.

Please help at whatever level you can for the Guatemalan farm families and the future of our planet.

Give: $20 = 10 saplings $100 = 50 saplings $200 = 100 saplings … …

We are happy to answer your questions, send additional information or arrange site visits in San Martin Jilotepeque, Chimaltenango, Guatemala. Feel free to contact us.