Today, we took a trip to Life Monteverde, a coffee farm and sustainability center that gave us a closer look at what the life of a Tico farmer looks like. It is truly amazing to see how much passion the Tico farmers have for the land they work on. It is very important to every single one of them to preserve and protect the land that they have been blessed with. These Tico farmers are very work and community oriented. Some of the Tico farmers even live on the farm. Their lives are far from easy; they work long hours in unpredictable environmental conditions. On top of that, the payment is not the best either. However, they still hold a large amount of pride in their work. The farmers work together toward a shared goal, creating a strong sense of unity and collective accomplishment.
Numerous modern life-related opportunities and complications can affect farmers and their families. For example, the implementation of different technologies has allowed the farm to gain a variety of new opportunities. Composting systems, water irrigation systems, and renewable energy sources all play a role in increasing overall productivity while remaining sustainable. With these opportunities come many complications. Tourism can be seen as a large complication and an even larger opportunity. With tourism, more pollution and waste are produced in Monteverde, but economic benefits follow. The money received from tourism is normally used to fund different initiatives that use their resources to preserve the land that people want to visit. The farmers at Life Monteverde also showed us how engineering and technology play a role in creating a sustainable farm. Multiple practices were implemented across the farm, such as biofertilizers, solar energy, and intercropping to maximize production. It was very interesting to be able to see how new technologies can work hand-in-hand with traditional practices.
If I were the child of a Tico farmer, I would dedicate my life to learning how to connect tradition and innovation in the most efficient way possible. I would want to gain a higher education and travel the world to other plantations to bring back as much valuable information as possible. It would be important to me to remain loyal to my community, so I would come back once I think I’ve learned enough to make a difference back at the farm. Life Monteverde is more than just a farm.