Today we got to see a new side of Costa Rica by travelling to the Caribbean side of the continental divide. There, we visited a heart of palm plantation where we learned all about this unique crop by seeing how it is grown and harvested, and seeing (and tasting) some of the many different ways it can be made.

The climate required to grow this crop is basically the exact opposite of coffee. While coffee required a high altitude with lower humidity, these crops thrive in a low altitude with rather high humidity. Also, while coffee could only be harvested for about four months, these plants are able to grow year-round.

Our team’s topic was design and launch, which lies in the area of marketing. I would say a challenge that they face in this area is just getting their product more well-known. Many people don’t know what heart of palm is, so advertising their product more and making people want to buy it could be beneficial. They could also take a more tourist-centered approach as well, making their tours more appealing like Cafe Britt. This way, more people would come visit and then be more likely to buy their product or merchandise as well.