Marsha Hanzi

Mariza Gardens – Bahian Sertao, Brazil

Marsha is a Swiss-American with a postgraduate degree in Anthropology from the University of Florida. In 1991, she completed her first basic permaculture course certification in Hawaii, then in 1993 participated in the course of Bill Mollison and Scott Pittman in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Today, Hanzi is a prime and current example of those who are effectively turning much-degraded land into abundance. She was the precursor of permaculture in Brazil where she helped found the Institute of Permaculture of Bahia in 1992, where she worked until 2003, and now applies her extensive experience with agroforestry systems, and regenerative, “intuitive” agriculture, including the use of florals and dowsing in yield/field drylands management. 

Today Marsha lives and works in the “Jardins Marizá Epicentro,” a 30-hectare agricultural property in the Bahian Sertão, near Tucano, Brazil, and is dedicated exclusively to regenerative agriculture adapted to the conditions of the Sertão and degraded lands in general. With a good infrastructure of guest house and class room, the Jardins Marizá Epicentro has become an increasingly popular destination for rural tourism and permaculture and planting courses, in spite the fact that the “soil” there is commonly sand because it is a basin at the bottom of a prehistoric inner sea. The area requires extreme measures to sustain growth.

This region outside of the city is quiet, and bereft of all but the most dedicated peoples and sustained only by traditional-style agriculture; all of which is sustained only through local means and rainwater, and wholly without chemical or maintstream influence. Virtually all remaining residents are relatives to some degree, and function mainly through traditional knowledge. It is famous for its natural beauty of undulating fields and eroded mountains, while likewise infamous for its assumed inability to sustain all but the barest desert life, as many understand it. Certainly it has been considered unable to maintain regular, modern human existence.

Despite all of these factors, Marsha Hanzi is there, actively and successfully involved in restoring the area. While similarly existing amongst the perpetually struggling native population, she vehemently supports through her actions the general crisis that similar societies worldwide have been going through. Though still largely under the radar, she is a modern leader and active proponent of the importance of focusing on solutions to face these more and more commonly occurring issues, especially drought effects and solutions, throughout the world at large. Meanwhile, the Epicenter practices many soil recovery techniques, integrated planting practices, and management of small farm animals. It enjoys vast increases in production every year, unlike the outside region in general, which is degrading and losing its population to overpopulated city centers, out of desperation.

Marsha is the mother of three adult daughters and her dream is that this planet will return into a beautiful garden, as predicted by Nature, where children find clean rivers to swim and leafy trees to climb! Marsha talks about the general crisis that our society has been going through, and cautions us of the importance of focusing on solutions, especially of those who ignore nature only to soon face them in the city.

Website: https://www.marsha.com.br

Video 1: Why not Paradise?
Video 2: Documentary (Portuguese with CC)