The lifestyle of a Tico farmer is difficult. Regardless of heat and weather conditions, the workers are out picking coffee. I learned the pay at Life Monteverde depends on the time of year. Before and after the peak picking season, workers are paid by the hour. During the peak, the Tico farmers are paid 2 dollars per bucket, and can generally produce 15 to 20 of these, generating solid pay. Many farmers come from Nicaragua because the economic situation is better in Costa Rica due to the political climate. Sharing their culture and the types of sustainability they practice brings these people joy at work. Sergio, who is a guide that was a farmer for 20 years, was extremely passionate when sharing his ideas about sustainability and the importance of family and heritage as a farmer who has come back year after year to work at Life Monteverde.

Farmers and their families are either supported or destroyed by their community. If community members are buying locally and supporting farmers, they can do very well. Conversely, if goods start to become more imported, farmers may have to look for other professions to support themselves and their families. Engineering and technology are huge factors when creating a sustainable farm. These concepts apply to everything from systems meant to allow better drainage to fertilizer chambers created to streamline the fermentation process of organic material. There is thought put into every aspect of these practices so that the final result, coffee, is both consistent in flavor and sustainable. I found it interesting to learn that with lower elevation, there is more sodium in the soil and therefore poor quality coffee. There is different taste profiles between beans grown in Monteverde’s mountains versus Heridia due to differences in elevation.

If I were the child of a Tico farmer, I would likely want to dedicate my life to the farm lifestyle by following in my parents footsteps. Farmers are and will continue to be essential when it comes to feeding the country, so it is not a bad path to take. I would definitely like to get my education as well because I could apply what I learn about sustainability and land management to become more profitable while still continuing family heritage. As I witnessed firsthand by working on the painting service project at the local elementary school, education is highly valued and is very important in Costa Rica. It gives kids a way to socialize and teaches them valuable skills so they can become important community members. Being part of a community is extremely valuable because you do not have to provide every basic need for yourself. Farmers can specialize in providing food while carpenters provide shelter. Others can dedicate their work to creating new technology that increases the quality of life for everyone. By not just looking out for oneself, people benefit from the tasks performed by fellow members.