Today was our last day in Monteverde. We spent the morning at Life Monteverde, and amazing coffee plantation in the area. We were able to walk around the plantation and see the different processes, animals and growing locations a d try all sorts of coffee. This was my favorite coffee farm we have visited so far because I think the tour was very personal and very interesting.
Walking around the farm we learned Life Monteverde’s different goals and achievements with sustainability. Our guide gave us an in depth look at the lifestyle of a Tico coffee farmer and we were able to ask questions and have questions asked of us that helped us to understand the challenges and solutions in this world. Some challenges we touched on included balancing sustainability with successful production, experimenting with new idea relating to fertilizer or pesticides, and of course the changing weather. They must consider so many aspects of production when creating a design for their fields to maximize the amount of coffee produced and harvested as well as the quality of that coffee.
Life Monteverde opened my eyes to a new way of thinking about Tico coffee farming. This company is a much smaller scale farm than Doka or Cafe Brit, but it is similar to the majority of coffee farms in Costa Rica. I think that being able to see the struggles and solutions that Life Monteverde faces and comes up with was very interesting. One example of this what their recipes for fertilizer and compost. They had a unique recipe for what helped their plants grow the best and we were able to see that and talk through it with our guide. We also talked about the location and the layout of their fields as they have chosen to plant their coffee in rows and tiers on a hillside to ensure proper water flow and protection.
There is so much that goes into the successful business of each of these farms and Life Monteverde was a great example of that. If I were a Tico farmer I would want to ensure that my crops were sustainable and quality products. I would want to create a great community within my farm and beyond and to help ourselves and other reach new achievements in farming. I think this is very similar to Monteverde’s values as they seemed to be very involved within their farming community and sustainability. I was very impressed to see all they had to offer and would love to go back for another delicious lunch.
After visiting Life Monteverde we travelled with on of the guides to a nearby school to do some volunteer work repainting classrooms. This was my favorite part of the day and was a great example of Life Monteverde’s involvement in the community.
Today was one of my favorite days on the trip so far, I learned a lot and had a lot of fun with Life Monteverde.
