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Index: Site Valley of the Moon

To discover, develop, demonstrate and disseminate natural solutions...

Valley of the Moon™ Eco Demonstration Project
The Grand Opening was August 8, 2010
NATURAL SOLUTIONS CENTER
The BeyondOrganic™ Restaurant & Internet Cafe
The Dr. Rima Institute
Volcan, Panama Restaurant Main Page: www.MyValleyoftheMoon.com
Opening Day Videos: http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=6069

Site - Free Webinar: http://vital-connection.com/health-freedom-action-webinar/

The Valley of the Moon BeyondOrganic Teaching Kitchen, Restaurant & Internet Cafe

01/17/09 - Updated message from Dr. Laibow and Gen. Stubblebine: http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/index.php?p=1878
PowerPoint presentation of the Project: http://web.me.com/dr.laibow/Site/Valley_of_the_Moon_Eng.2.ppt.html

The Natural Solutions Seed Community is an off the grid, Beyond Organic BioDynamic™ farm and farming school, educational, arts, wellness, health and rejuvenation community project in the beautiful, temperate hills of the Valley of the Moon in the Chiriqui Highlands, Panama, about a half hour from the Vulcan Baru, near the Amistad National Park that straddles the Costa Rica border. At about 11,000 feet, Vulcan Baru is the highest point in Central America and the surrounding Chiriqui Highlands offer a region of fertile virgin soil, a year-round temperate climate with abundant water and strong aquifers. Many more details, photos and a great deal of additional information can be found at NSF-Panama, the Project’s Yahoo!Groups Forum (see Community Index page).

Please take a look at land example photos on the Forum. They are from several sites and illustrate what we seek. The ideal land will have water "born on the land" -- originating on the property, some acreage of Coffee, the local cash crop. Coffee loves steep, shady slopes and will therefore not interfere with the flat or less steep areas which will be good for building and farming. Such land in general is beautiful, pristine, never farmed with pesticides, and the hillsides and summits would have magnificent views. The climate is temperate year round, between 65 and 85 Degrees F with little daily variation.  Humidity is low and the land is situated at the ideal . Rainfall is abundant. Our intent is to demonstrate that coffee production can be moved from pesticide and herbicide use to All Natural Coffee and then to the higher standard of Organic Coffee. The value of the Coffee crop will provide the funds needed to pay interest on the initial Angel Loans that may provide the basis for purchase of the land.

Currently we are looking for a Headquarters Finca (farm) about a half hour the Volcan area. We hope to find and secure the 100 to 300 hectares of land needed for the demonstration project, and thereafter, to oversee the development. We have a initial seed that will lead to our large seed, as other adjacent lands are available.

The Foundation expects to sponsor seminars on site or nearby for Americans and others who want to learn about off the grid, better than organic living and wellness options.

Some Notes on the Valley of the Moon

The Valley of the Moon Demonstration Project (herein, Project) is intended to demonstrate the benefits of natural solutions in an ecologically sustainable environment producing, among other outputs, the main “money crop” of the Chiriqui Highlands of Panama: coffee, the “Black Gold” for which the highlands are justly renowned. The Foundation subscribes to the notion of carrying out Projects with “Passion, Perfection and Profitability”.

One area we inspected for he Project consists of five contiguous fincas or farms. It was a small valley that constituted a single environmental unit, with its own water and hills blocking pesticide and GMO drift. The fully sustainable Project will integrate high yield agriculture with off-the-grid, Beyond Organic™ integrated zero emissions farming and a farmers' training program, leading edge health care and a variety of Eco-village communities. The Trustees believe this Project demonstrates the application of natural solutions to living situation, health and farming. We will demonstrate how these solutions will increase the value of cash crops including premium while decreasing production expenses. The transition from chemical coffee production to chemical-free, All-Natural coffee, transitioning to Organic production, with substantially higher per unit value for already highly-valued coffee will provide both a model and a financial basis upon which to build and run the Valley of the Moon Eco Valley. The Valley of the Moon™ All Natural and Organic brand will become a widely trusted name in the natural products marketplace.

The Valley of the Moon Project will benefit from (1) the proven coffee agricultural management of the renowned Hartman Family, a major Chiriqui Highlands coffee family famous for their International Awards for Best Coffees over many years, (2) partnership with Boquete Habitats, a Panamanian construction corporation whose President, Douglas Bradshaw, is a recognized pioneer in advanced construction techniques, (3) Foundation Trustee Rima E. Laibow, MD’s world-class reputation in Environmental Medicine and (4) UCLA Professor Godfrey Nzamujo’s mentorship to install his UN-recognized Zero Emissions sustainable agricultural technologies pioneered at the Songhai Community in Benin, Africa.

The Valley of the Moon, Chiriqui, Panama, is prime coffee growing territory and is situated to form an ecological unit that can be protected from ground water and wind-born pesticide drift and pollution.

If the land selected for the Project totals approximately 500 hectares (1,225 acres), it should offer a number of outstanding ecological and financial benefits:

Note: the following figures are approximate, depend on the actual land found, and are pending a definitive survey.

Housing areas: about 165 magnificent, easy to build hectares rich in breathtaking views provide build-able lots for Americans and Europeans who are looking to move to Panama. Land values are rapidly increasing: the land boom in the Highlands is just reaching this area and prices are increasing at 30 to 50% annually. See attachment for Comparables.

Coffee area: about 17 prime hectares, 125 suitable and ready for planting with organic coffee; Finca #1 has 23 hectares of existing, high quality coffee plants that produce a net profit of $87,000 annually after management fees are paid to the Hartman Family. Finca # 2 has 30 hectares planted with the highly prized Geisha coffee (2008 International First Prize Winner) which will yield its first full crop in 2010.

Other agricultural area: about 100 hectares of rich, paramagnetic, virgin soil which has never been demineralized and is suitable for Beyond Organic™ Zero Emission farming and the Project's farm school.

Undeveloped, protected primary forest: about 60 hectares of undeveloped, primary forest on mountains ring the valley providing an ecological barrier and permanent environmental easement.

These figures allow 15% for green space and roads.

Water needs to be abundant and unpolluted. There should be several rivers and streams arising on the land.

Land Values are rising rapidly in this area. Estimates from the principal real estate agent:

1/3 to 1/2 acre lots (improved with road, electricity, water and Internet) should sell for at least $100K based on current land sales (see comparables attachment).

Leaseholds can be structured for Foundation land trust ownership.

Organic coffee can be planted and harvested in 3-4 years. 2500 organic coffee plants per hectare will yield enough income to allow all loans to be service and repaid over a reasonably short period.

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The Natural Solutions Seed Community is intended to be a Zero Emissions - Ecologically Sound demonstration project. This is a private, confidential and privileged communication to persons interested in supporting the work of the Foundation and is not an offer of securities or any investment. While the trustees and others involved have substantial experience in organizing projects, advanced health care options, developing real estate and community oriented commercial or nonprofit activities, there can be no guarantee that the project will materialize in the manner suggested in this initial informational memorandum. Final development will depend on funding, through donations, grants, beneficial interests and loans both from private sources and financial institutions, as well as legal development requirements.

We see the successful Songhai Community in Benin, Africa as one model of what can be done and endorse the Songhai Principals of Passion, Perfection and Profitability. You can see more about that Zero Emissions community at http://youtube.com/naturalsolutions.

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Site Use Statement

Ralph Fucetola JD, Trustee
ralph.fucetola@usa.net