• EcoFlor – Biodynamic Edible Flowers in Xochimilco, Mexico City
  • EcoFlor – Biodynamic Edible Flowers in Xochimilco, Mexico City
  • EcoFlor – Biodynamic Edible Flowers in Xochimilco, Mexico City
  • EcoFlor – Biodynamic Edible Flowers in Xochimilco, Mexico City
  • EcoFlor – Biodynamic Edible Flowers in Xochimilco, Mexico City
  • EcoFlor – Biodynamic Edible Flowers in Xochimilco, Mexico City
  • EcoFlor – Biodynamic Edible Flowers in Xochimilco, Mexico City
  • EcoFlor – Biodynamic Edible Flowers in Xochimilco, Mexico City
  • EcoFlor – Biodynamic Edible Flowers in Xochimilco, Mexico City
  • EcoFlor – Biodynamic Edible Flowers in Xochimilco, Mexico City
  • EcoFlor – Biodynamic Edible Flowers in Xochimilco, Mexico City

EcoFlor – Biodynamic Edible Flowers in Xochimilco, Mexico City

I have been in Mexico City this last week, eating my weight in fresh produce and street food. But, I have been talking to a fair share of chefs and leading figures in the culinary scene, most of whom are very concerned with the politics around farming practices here. As a tourist, one might see the piles of squash blossoms, passion fruit and avocados in the market and fall into a romantic stupor, but the truth is, most of this produce is not grown organically or sustainably at all. A conversation with the owner of a local organic food shop led myself and local chef Niki Nakazawa (her salad to come) to seek out EcoFlora, a sustainable biodynamic edible flower and microgreens farm in Xochimilco, about an hour south of the center of Mexico City.

Mauro, the founder and farmer at EcoFlor, doesn’t just grow edible flowers. He meditates on his plants and he positions them in a cosmic way. Mauro points out that Montezuma and the indigenous people of the region cultivated and ate flowers, so he is simply re-introducing this element of Mexican cuisine. In addition to  the flowers, Mauro grows a range of microgreens — mico-cilantro, micro-corn (that was a weird one), micro-amaranth and celery. He explains that the younger the plant, the more nutrient-rich and closer to the power-packed reproductive organ of plant matter.

Biodynamic farming is a practice that connects the growing seasons and cycles to the lunar calendar. 20 years ago, there was nobody in Mexico farming biodynamically.  Mauro’s every waking moment is dedicated to building the quality of the earth on his modest farm in the Southern part of Mexico City.  He even brings the soil down from the mountains, where it is cleaner and less contaminated than in the valley. Most of the water in this area is considered ‘black water,’ meaning it is not potable. Mauro only filters his water, but he aerates it by splashing it through a system of volcanic rock. From there, the water is ionized in contact with a copper pipe. All of this before it comes into contact with his land.

His customers are the best chefs in Mexico City, and he makes the rounds in his pick up truck himself  once a week, dropping off delicate packages of freshly picked blossoms, herbs and greens to the culinary avante-garde.  There are lemony bright begonias (Mauro calls these his ‘movie stars), pansies, borage, even dahlias (if you remove the base of each petal before serving). But you can also find his flowers in a range of local markets; there is more than enough to go around.