The Farm · Field Notebook 04

The regenerative farm, drawn from the field.

A working sketch of how we plant Excelsa — tall shade canopy, working understory, soil we feed every season. One acre, four crops, three layers of light. Drawn at Calauan, Laguna · 14.1°N.

Plot
1 acre
Layout
Multistrata agroforestry
Date drawn
30 April 2026
Field by
M.M. · Plot 04

Plan · iso projection · not to scale

An acre, in plan.

Plan · iso projection · NTS
N ↑ · light from East
Soil · loam · pH 6.4
Scale · 1 sq ≈ 12 ft
10am ↘ morning light · cool drip line · gravity-fed → Excelsa compost cistern 5000 GAL Shade canopy. 35-50% filtered light — slows ripening, deepens cup. Working understory. Peppers + cukes pay the rent while the trees mature (Y1–Y4). Living soil. Cover crop + compost · no till. rain harvest → N 14.1°N 0 FT 12 FT 24 FT
Excelsa Coffee Company · Calauan, Laguna · PH Drawn 30 Apr 2026 · M.M.

Six diagrams · one acre

The structure, in numbers.

01 · Light

Three layers of light.

The sky is the start of the cup. Each species takes a level — and gives the next one shade.

SHADE · 24' Excelsa canopy · Y4+ MID · 9' Pepper · perennial FLOOR · 2' Cucumber · cover

02 · Yield

Acre yield, stacked.

One acre, four crops, every month earns. Excelsa is the long bet — the rest pays for it.

Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 $0 $10K $20K target

03 · Water

Water in, water held.

Multistrata holds water in the soil instead of running it off. Less pumping, less drought risk.

monoculture multistrata −38% +62% RUNOFF HELD MOISTURE

04 · Calendar

Twelve months, working.

Cherry harvest is one window a year. The understory pays every month.

JANFEBMARAPR MAYJUNJULAUG SEPOCTNOVDEC Excelsa cherry Pepper Cucumber

05 · Carbon

The carbon ledger.

Every Excelsa tree pulls CO2 out of the air for 25–40 years. We count it.

Y1 Y4 Y10 Y25
1,250
Trees / acre

06 · Crew

Hands, per acre.

Year-round work, with a seasonal harvest crew layered on for the cherry window.

12
People · year-round
+22
Harvest season
Excelsa canopy Pepper · understory Cucumber · trellis Compost & soil Drip + cistern Cherry · ripe

A working farm — not a garden.

Field principle

“The understory pays the rent while the trees mature.”

— Field Notebook 04 · Calauan

Convert a farm

Plant an Excelsa future.

Farmers and cooperatives ready to convert a plot — or a hectare — we’d like to hear from you.