Cristian Hartman Ojeda

Cristian joined the farm in 2003. He was born in the small village of Tumianuma near Vilcabamba and spent his childhood in that valley. At fourteen, he began to travel extensively around the country of Ecuador and taught himself English by watching movies and studying. At twenty-four, he had an opportunity to travel to Ireland to a Camphill community in Glencraig where he apprenticed working on the land and with the disabled people there.

Upon his return, he realized how much he loved his home country and land, with its pure water, clean air and earth-supporting practices. Cristian is dedicated to teaching us all the cultural ways of his family and community, who live with health and happiness. He has created many innovations on the farm, including the Inca herbal garden, the canal and rock wall systems, most of the buildings and structures, and the food forest we could live on.

He was invaluable in building our House of Original Thought, the first that the Kogi elders of Columbia ever allowed. Cristian has now been able to manifest a non-profit, El Arte de Reciprocidad, to serve the disabled in 3 different nearby communities. As a farm partner, Cristian is an embodiment of the native prophecy ‘When the Condor and Eagle fly together, the world will know peace.’