Today we visited Life Monteverde which is a huge farm, and learned a lot about how farmers live their life, how they farm their crops successfully, and the importance of having a close community in Costa Rica.

The Animals

We started off by visiting a barn-like area with adult and baby goats and we fed them grass. There we learned that one of the things that bring farmers joy are the animals. Some of the farmers even love the animals more than humans which is completely understandable (animals are less annoying). The farmers also get their food from the animals, so it’s important to take care of them and their homes.

Taking Care of Crops

As for farming crops, it’s really important to consider the weather and the environment. One thing that Monteverde has started struggling with is rainfall because of climate change. This can cause the plants to die and shrivel up. One way that they account for some of this is with their greenhouse. Engineering definitely comes to play here because they have built effective systems like have a pipe that has sections of water sprinkling on the plants. With this way, they have control over the water that the plants receive and they can closely monitor the condition of the plants.

The water that is used is also collected at the bottom and then returned to the tanks. So nothing is wasted and this is also sustainable because they can keep reusing the water. They also compost food scraps, which improves the soil.

Another thing that brings the farmers joy are tourists because they can teach them about sustainability and the importance of growing their own crops. Costa Ricans love teaching locals and foreigners and learning from them as well. They also love nature. There were many beautiful spots to sit down and absorb nature’s sounds. The best spot was the massive tree with swings that our group enjoyed climbing. This goes to show why preserving nature and not destructing it is important for healthy living and happiness.

The Community

Having a close community whose needs are met is extremely important in Costa Rica. One thing that heavily benefits communities is education. Like our tour guide said, education is worth way more than money and it’s super important for our intelligence.

So in the afternoon, we spent time painting the classrooms in a school for kids. It really showed the beauty of teamwork and we were positively impacting their community. It was a wonderful feeling and it made me enjoy today so much more.

Being apart of a community like this is so important because you make a bigger impact when you’re working with a group of people. It also allows for people to appreciate one another and learn from each other.

If I was the child of a Tico Farmer, I would want to dedicate my life to preserving nature and giving back to it. I think I would still be an engineer so I can develop systems to facilitate farming and make crops last longer. I would also want to be a community member that hosts events that bring people together to eat, do creative, interactive activities, and share ideas (basically like the farmer did today).