Since we visited Life Monteverde today, we learned about the lifestyle of a Tico farmer. Furthermore, Life Monteverde is a sustainable farming organization which aims to have a low impact on the Earth. They have many partners in local and international communities, and they make sure to support these communities in return. This leads into what it is like to be a Tico farmer woking for Life Monteverde.

60% of the coffee pickers in Costa Rica are not from Costa Rica; they are from Nicaragua. Thus, these Nicaraguan workers must receive permission from their country’s government in order to go and work in Costa Rica. Also, the working season for these people only lasts from about October to January. After that, they have to go back to Costa Rica. Still, this traveling is not a major inconvienience to them, and it does not cost that much money. Upon asking one of the workers at Life Monteverde what they liked about working in Costa Rica, they replied that they liked the weather and the pay (they are paid 3 times more in Costa Rica than in Nicaragua). On the other hand, a major challenge that some of the workers are presented with is racism. Eventhough this is not common in the Life Monteverde community, Nicaraguans could be treated badly due to their country’s poor reputation.

Usually when these farmers come to work in Costa Rica, they bring their family with them. This made me wonder how I would be different if I was raised by a Tico farmer. I think that it would completely change what I would want to do when I am grown up. Instead of studying Marking and Film/Media Studies, I would probably be more interested in sustainable engineering and biology. Growing up with a parent that works in farming would definitely inspire me to want to do something in that field.