Day 2 - Sustainable Farm Tour

This morning, the group went on a tour of a local sustainable/organic farm in the Finca de Bella region, which is comprised of 24 local farms. The primary export of the farm that we visited is coffee.

I am not a particularly big coffee drinker, but since I work with college students I'm around coffee all the time and have a healthy appreciation for it. I don't want to spend too much time in front of a computer screen today, so rather than waxing poetic about all of the nuances of organic farming, I'll let the photos illustrate what we learned.

Our guide, Gilberto, gives us an overview of the history of coffee and farming in the region. 

This contraption serves the same function as a pour-over cup. Ticos drink their coffee pure, and it's generally much stronger than what we serve in the US. Fun fact: the darker the roast, the LESS caffeine content.

Different life stages of the coffee bean.

Walking around the farm. The farm does not use any chemicals, nor are trees planted in symmetrical rows. The farmer uses other types of trees and plants to create shade, block wind, and distract birds from eating the coffee beans.

Ernest, the resident naturalist (and translator) and Gilberto, who owns and operates the farm. I am very pleased with how much Spanish I've retained--I can pretty much understand everything as long as the speech is slow (hypocritical coming from me, I know!)

Coffee beans that aren't quite ripe yet.

The circular basket is what farmers use to collect the beans that they harvest from the tree. The box is the means of measurement when farmers take their beans to sell. The box has several holes in the side that indicate the amount.

A baby bean and root. The farmer will plant this root to grow another coffee tree.

Nothing fancy here. I just liked the colors.

One of the two fungi we learned about today that can affect a coffee plant. This one, ojo de gallo (translates to "eye of the rooster" covers the leaves in white spots. The other one, la roya (translates to "rust") is equally as devastating. The farmers will harvest what they can and cut or trim back the trees to allow fresh growth. Unlike Western methods, these farmers don't immediately turn to chemicals or a scorched earth response. They understand that fungi are a natural part of the farming process and allow nature to take its course. 

One of the most fun parts of the day--we are cracking open sugar cane to harvest the juice.

My co-instructor, Marta, and I are cranking the device to harvest the cane juice. Delicious!

Our next stop, Finca la Bella Tica, is another coffee farm that not only harvests the beans, but also completes the other parts of the coffee-making process (drying, grinding, roasting, etc.). The owner is demonstrating how they grind the beans by hand. I can't remember what the device is called, but it certainly takes some strength!

Beans at various stages of life.

In addition to tasting coffee and raw sugar cane, we also got to sample locally grown fruits, including sweet lime and orange. The tours were so much fun. Our guides were generous, knowledgable, and just generally kind people. The Ticos are what make visiting Costa Rica so enjoyable---they embody this incredible balance of relaxation and hard work. It's also so refreshing to be surrounded by an economic culture that doesn't thrive on mass production and short-cut methods. The farmers make what they need, sell what they can, and retain a profound respect for the natural environment. I learned that I should not drink decaffeinated coffee because its impact on the environment is far greater than caffeinated coffee (due to the extraction process) and we ALL should avoid drinking coffee or beer that incorporates civit coffee (it's an Indonesian rodent that eats the beans and poops them out). The process by which companies force-feed the civits coffee beans is really abhorrent.

Okay, sorry for ending on a sour note--I'm going to take a hike while the students are in their GEO class. Ciao!