Leisha Things are shifting a little here at Living Ground. Those who are following or aware of our situation, we are being forced to reinvent and get creative.
So, changes…but not in what we make, and not in what we believe in, but in how things are shared. Many of our “home-made” products will continue to be presented in our cafe menu and that is legal. However, unless we acquire a permit for each product, we can not present as a packaged product on our store shelves for sale. I guess this would amount to tens of thousands of dollars.
So, we are refining, adjusting and focussing on continue in creative and special ways.
Many of the items we have have always begun in the soil, moved through the gardens, and into the kitchen. They are part of meals, part of preservation, part of the way we work with what comes from the land. This remains solid.
So, these homemade items are now more in the rhythm and offering of the café itself. You will notice certain shelves now reflect this more clearly, as part of what is prepared, preserved, and served. They are cafe inventory.
And, some things are not on display in the same way, but they have not disappeared.
For those who have been part of this work for some time, you already understand how things move here. And for those who are new, the best way to experience it is still the same… come, spend time, eat, ask questions, and connect.
We encourage our clients and customers to come and ask questions.
Living Ground has never been a shop in the traditional sense and was never meant to be. It is a place you step into, and over time, things reveal themselves.
We are now focussing on new ideas that are in alignment with the governing boards and connected to our Project in philosophy and meaning.
- Fresh harvests, U Pick from the garden
- Dehydrated and freeze-dried foods and herbs from the gardens more in bulk fashion.
- Culinary and medicinal herbs in dried format.
- Seeds and living plants that are rare, unusual and different.
We can legally present these as a tienda from the garden. We can not label these ingredients or make any claims but we can provide information sheets. So, this is where we are placing our energy.
I guess I can admit that there is something here that wants to be developed fully. A place where herbs, seeds, and plants are not just items, but part of a deeper relationship with the land and with how we nourish ourselves.
I am seeing this as an evolving apothecary from the gardens. We are rooted in Ecuador, shaped by what grows here, and expressed through what can be cooked, preserved, planted, and lived with.
For those who visit and come and spend time here, please ask questions, and engage, there is always more to understand (read between the lines). We are continuing to share that through conversation and simple information for those who want to go deeper.
Alongside this, we are also forming a new idea that is beginning to take shape in the idea phase. We see a space at the Project for rest, heat, water, herbs and deeper connection. What if we created a little spa? A sauna, herbal baths, wraps, quiet rooms, and hands-on work with the body. It is still a seed, but one we are ready to begin shaping with the right people.
If you feel aligned with helping bring something like this into form, whether through partnership, investment, or shared vision, reach out. We have the location. We have the possibility, the herbs, the interest and vision. We will need capital to create this. Since the beginning, I have invested in these “ideas” (the cafe, store, hostel, education center area) as we went along…little, by little. I am open to working with partners and investors to create a good deal for everyone.
So yes, things are shifting.
Not away from what we have built, but further into it.
We are proving what is possible here, but for this to continue and grow in a real way, your support matters. Every visit, every meal, every conversation, every way you choose to engage with this space helps sustain what is being built.
Living Ground continues because of you.
