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Where time takes root

Retoños del Edén

A place to learn, observe and grow.

Workshops Story
Let's fly together

Hi! I'm Meli, a worker bee at Retoños del Edén.

I know every flower on these five hectares. Coming along? Let me show you how an Eden gets planted.

Meli stays by your side for the whole journey.

Our story, told in flight

  1. 2015

    A branch, a bird, a seed

    Family legend says it all started with grandmother Alba: she stuck a dry branch into the ground, with no real intention beyond seeing what would happen. A white bird landed on it and, without knowing it, dropped the first seed. That's how the farm's first tree was born, almost by accident — and with it, the idea of feeding the soil with what it gives us. We started caring for the ground with microorganisms, long before we knew pistachios would ever grow here.

  2. The early years

    Goji berries, the first in the country

    We planted Uruguay's first plot of goji berries, and everything else followed: over 350 native and fruit trees joined the land. The farm's first roof was the nursery — today it's being transformed, mud brick by mud brick, into one of our houses.

  3. 2025

    The soil says yes

    After years of caring for the land, sweet news arrived: pistachios can grow here too. We set aside a plot for a first pilot planting — organic and biodynamic from day one, no chemicals, all by hand.

  4. Coming up

    More trees are still coming

    The last trees are still on their way. When exactly depends on a couple of permits, so for now we're leaving it open. Meanwhile lavender is already blooming between the rows for oils and soaps, calendula has its own corner for tea, the hives arrive (my family!), and the second mud house is growing — soon available to rent. The third is already dreamed up.

  5. ~2030

    The first harvest

    A pistachio tree takes about five years to bear its first real fruit. Patience is like honey: slow, and worth every drop.

The pistachio, our star

A stubborn, generous tree that is brand new to this country. Everything we learned loving it, right here.

Tap the pistachio to crack it open
  • A pistachio tree can live for centuries. Ours are just getting started.
  • There are male trees and female trees. The wind plays postman between them.
  • The shell splits open on its own when the fruit is ready. Here we say it smiles.
  • It is a cousin of mango and cashew: tropical family, dryland heart.

Small but mighty

  • Plant protein

    About 20 grams per 100 grams: more than two eggs.

  • Filling fiber

    Close to 10 grams per 100. A snack that actually satisfies.

  • Good fats

    Mostly unsaturated, like the ones in olive oil.

  • Green inside

    Lutein and zeaxanthin, the antioxidants that care for your eyes, give it its color.

A pistachio year

Every season has its job. Pick one and I will tell you.

June to August

The long rest

The tree sleeps and collects cold: it needs hundreds of chilly hours to wake up strong. No good winter, no good harvest.

What can you make with pistachios?

  • Artisan ice cream
  • Sicilian pesto
  • Pistachio cream
  • Cold-pressed oil
  • Cake flour
  • Sea-salt roasted
  • Granola & bars
  • Sauces & fillings

Lavender, the downstairs neighbor

While the pistachios grow, the lavender works: it covers the soil, feeds bees and already yields its first products.

Run your finger over the lavender to release its scent

Why between the pistachios?

  • It protects the soil

    Its roots hold the earth and its shade keeps moisture between the young rows.

  • It feeds my family

    Blossoms full of nectar right when the hive is at its busiest.

  • It harvests early

    It gives oil and soaps years before the first pistachio harvest.

From blossom to soap

Follow the path, step by step.

  1. The spikes are cut by hand early in the morning, when the oil is at its peak.

The bees, the humming heart

We are more than 60,000 workers per hive and without us there is no farm. Bee tourism starts here, in my neighborhood.

The circle that binds us

Tap each station of the circle.

Flowers

Lavender, calendula and native bush take turns blooming almost all year.

Play: pollinate the farm

Tap the flowers and send me to work.

0/5 flowers pollinated

What comes out of the hive

  • Lavender honey
  • Native bush honey
  • Beeswax candles
  • Propolis

A flight over the farm

Five long hectares sloping gently to the east. Tap each stop, or just let me guide you.

Tap the dots to discover every corner

The whole perimeter is hugged by a belt of eucalyptus trees, with oaks and maples along some stretches.

The farm herbarium

Not just pistachios: over 300 trees and a whole garden live here. Tap each plant to meet it.

What this land will give

All organic, all from here. The first things arrive with the flowers; the pistachios make us wait a little longer.

  • Pistachios

    Uruguay's first, certified organic to the European standard.

    ↳ The pistachio, our star
  • lav

    Lavender oil & soaps

    Distilled from the rows that bloom between the pistachio trees.

  • Calendula tea and more

    Orange blossoms dried in the sun, from the northwest corner of the farm.

  • Honey

    Made by my family from lavender, calendula and native bush. My masterpiece.

The worker bee exam

Three short questions. Get them all and you earn a place in my hive.

Who carries the pistachio pollen?

Learn with your hands

Workshops on the farm

Real ecotourism and bee tourism: half a day among hives, lavender, clay and pistachios. Small groups, unhurried pace.

Hands ready to get muddy

They say that the home where you live is like a second skin. Living in a house built with natural materials truly creates a unique sense of well-being. A full day of green building: we’ll explain different methods and build one of the remaining walls of “El Hornero” house, as well as show you how to apply a final coat of plaster that the rain won’t wash away. You’ll understand why these houses “breathe” and maintain a constant temperature in both winter and summer.

Duration
7 h
Up to
10 people
$U 2500
per person

Next dates: 4 Oct 2026, 1 Nov 2026

Families, schools & the curious

Cata tells you a little about our world: the world of bees and how to behave around a hive. She even explains the tools she needs to communicate with us. Then we open a hive together: how bees live, why we pollinate half the planet, and how honey is made. Includes a tasting straight from the comb (if it’s the right season)

Duration
2 h
Up to
12 people
$U 2000
per person

Next dates: 7 Nov 2026, 14 Nov 2026, 21 Nov 2026

Gardeners & growers

Living soil, mixed cropping, zero chemicals: the foundations of organic growing certified to the European standard, applied on a real working farm.

Duration
4 h
Up to
12 people
US$ 50
per person

Next dates: 26 Sept 2026, 17 Oct 2026, 31 Oct 2026

Demo: bookings are not charged or confirmed for real yet.

Sleep among lavender and bees

The clay houses are built from the earth of the land itself: cool in summer, warm in winter, ecological always. Staying the night is part of the journey.

Ready

Clay House 1

The first one of all: the house that proved clay holds up.

Under construction

Clay House 2

The house we are raising with guests in mind.

Planned

Clay House 3

Still on paper, out on the southern stretch of the ring.

Ask about stays

Write to us

Workshops, stays, pistachios, press, or plain curiosity? We love mail almost as much as nectar.

Where we are

Southern Uruguay · 34°42′00.4″S 55°03′39.4″W

Who we are

Catalina Marzorati and Stefan Strauß, plus some 60,000 bees with strong opinions.

Meet the whole family →