Today on our final day in Monteverde we visited Life Monteverde, a farm that grew coffee, a giant variety of fruits and veggies, as well as raising animals. This tour was definitely my favorite as we really dove into the technical aspects of what this farm is doing in order to make itself more sustainable. We learned about their new processes for creating organic fertilizers and fungicides which have helped them create a plot of land with over 125% efficiency compared to traditional methods. I really enjoyed learning about the science behind their fertilizer creation process, as it has 4 steps that all work towards the final goal of making organic and healthier foods.

I really enjoyed getting the perspective of an actual farmer instead of an actor like at the Café Britt tour. They really live fulfilling lives as they always strive to grow the best crops with the most sustainable methods that they can find. However, they have to deal with the issues that all farmers have to deal with, the weather. Especially with climate change being a farmer is becoming more and more inconsistent for smaller and more local farmers.

As technology moves forward, it can both be helpful and hinder these farming communities. It can provide access to new farming techniques that can create a greater maximum yield and make less work for the farmers. However, these technologies can be expensive so smaller farmers are left behind as they don’t have the capital that larger farmers can work with.

If I were to grow up as the child of a Tico farmer I think I would still want to be an engineer, but maybe my path would bring me closer to developing technologies that would help these farmers. I really think that I would want to apply whatever I could learn to make these farms as sustainable and profitable as possible.