Friday, June 1, 2018

Location Out of Harms Way Key to Survival



When we began our search for the best bug-out location for our community in Panama, our concerns were many. After realizing that being at beach altitudes was a non-starter due to the heat and humidity, we began to look at the mountainous regions. These were our main concerns:

1) What areas were comfortable, at the perfect altitude for growing food and could provide a long term sustainable source of fresh water?

2) Where could we survive and flourish for a low cost, yet still live in a clean healthy environment?

3) What parts of Panama offered the best opportunity to survive a catastrophic event should something like that occur?

4) Did the area offer several ways into and out, in case there was a road closure or other event that made passage difficult on the main thoroughfares?



Being at the dry forest altitude proved to be great for growing crops of all types, including all varieties of fruits and vegetables as well as herbs and medicinal plants. And having multiple sources of water makes this perfect for food cultivation.






The cost of living here compared to the states is extremely favorable, and even compared to other parts of Panama, very affordable. Gas, food and energy costs are especially low due to the fact we don't need air conditioning or heat at this elevation, and there are adequate breezes to keep the air fresh clean and cool.




When we compared our community to expat pueblos like Volcan and Boquete, the fact there are several roads into and out of our area was, for us, a huge advantage.

Boquete has only one road into and out of the whole town! Yet, whenever you live in an area that gets a lot of rainfall annually, there are bound to be times when the road you normally travel is closed. Having multiple options is critical to survival no matter where you are located.



This road was blocked due to 3 days of pretty hard rain. Amazingly, the road crew had the road re-opened within 2 days.



There are several roads into and out of the nearby town, as well as through and around the border with Costa Rica.



Another reason we located here is our distance from Volcanoes. We also wanted to be high enough to be out of reach of any "rising tide" scenarios.



Volcan in particular, was concerning to us. Located on an alluvial fan, this town was built on a sandy silty base, which could lead to catastrophic problems for the residents there, if the Volcan Baru erupts again, or if it rains for several days straight. In addition to that, because of the composition of their soil, it is nearly impossible to grow crops without significant cost for soil brought in from outside sources. It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.



Contrast that to the soil at Finca Cazador, which is plentiful and contains a whole host of microbes and beneficial organic ingredients, which makes growing food a snap, without the expense of chemical fertilizers and herbicides.

As a matter of fact, the fertile topsoil is so deep (up to ten feet) in places, it's inconceivable that you would ever run out of the ability to grow crops...and all of our soil is 100% organic.

If you are looking for true sustainability, you would be hard pressed to find a better location than our farm community.


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