Over 28 years ago we started our project. We began by designing a space for self-sufficient living and production on our agroecological farm, Rancho Agroecológico Agua Escondida, located in the exuberantly lush state of Veracruz, Mexico, in the mist forest mountainous region between the nearby villages of Xico and Coatepec. The climate (tropical-humid) and altitude (1250m.) allowed us to sustain a wide diversity of indigenous cultivations, rescuing native species in danger of extinction or forgotten about, and also importing these from other regions, all of which are useful to enhance the health of humans and their environment.
Our work methodology has always strived to increase the biodiversity of vegetation and animal species, preservation of the mountainous mist forest and natural resources, using solar energy and the collection of rain water for our own use.
We plant using methods that increase soil fertility and promote life in all its manifestations so that equilibrium is possible. We respect natural cycles of living species and we do not use synthetic agro toxic substances so as to not contaminate the food chain, the soil or our water sources.
We feed our animals with seeds, fruit, and leaves from our farm and when they fall ill we treat them with natural remedies.
Our products are cultivated and processed naturally. Each season has a preponderant activity. With herbs, flowers and roots we produce distilled waters, tinctures, liniments, extracts and other prime organic matter as bases for our body care range of products. We transform and dehydrate herbs, vegetables, flowers, seeds, roots and fruits to produce condiments and food products.
We produce composts and earthworm composts; we reproduce seeds and grow our own food to maintain the sustainability of our farm.
Our life at Agua Escondida has proved a constant learning experience involving a process of adaptation to position ourselves as a flexible and constantly changing production unit.
Presently our cooperative “Productores Orgánicos Agua Escondida” represents a team effort: family and collaborators work together to recover plant use, develop innovative processes and obtain products to enhance our consumers’ health and that of our planet and also make daily life more beautiful and practical.
We dedicate our efforts to learning more about nature and maintaining a balance.
We sell our products locally in our ecological shop: Ecotienda Manantial de las Flores in Xalapa, Veracruz and encourage our clients to return our product packaging for reuse. We promote the concept of a healthy life and planet.
Our objective is that all of the 18 members of Agua Escondida enjoy a respectable subsistence from a worthy way of life.
We are a social and ecologically responsible enterprise:
We work in harmony with nature
We create natural body care products from organic botanical materials and package them in reusable and recyclable recipients. We design our products based on the cultivation of plants favourable to our region, the basic needs of the body, environmental protection, the restoring and curing power of nature, and the maximum pleasure we can offer our consumers.
All of our body care products are environmentally friendly with colourful natural ingredients and aromas from the distilled waters and essential oils we use as ingredients.
For the kitchen we produce a gourmet range of cooking herbs, condiments and spices that make cooking a conscientious pleasure.
We also process our fruit harvests to elaborate a range of fruit concentrates to prepare delicious refreshing drinks instantly, jams, marmalades and chutneys in a variety of presentations.
We combine our dried herbs to elaborate a delicious and beneficial range of teas and we process highland coffee by using ancient, natural and ecological methods: sun dried in its shell to attain a sweeter, full-bodied and more aromatic coffee.
Annually we sell the surplus of seeds we reproduce to become more self-sufficient in our production.
We constantly offer new, promotional and seasonal products as we enjoy diverse cultivation and experimenting with our climate and strengthening the health of our agricultural space with a diverse and continuous rotation of crops.
Rancho Agroecológico Agua Escondida is located between the villages of Coatepec and Xico in the central mountain region of the state of Veracruz. To get there you must arrive to Coatepec and from there head up hill into the nearby mountains. Visitors are welcome but we prefer that you contact us in advance to organise your visit.
Our ecological shop “Ecotienda Manantial de las Flores” is located in the centre of the state capital city, Xalapa, in Paseo de Las Palmas No. 23, Fraccionamiento Veracruz, our telephone is: + 52 (228) 8 154155 and we are open from Monday to Saturday from 9am to 8pm.