Today we left Monteverde, which I will miss greatly. Other than the surprise salamander in my hotel room last night, I loved spending time in the quiet, calm mountains. After breakfast, we visited Life Monteverde, where we got to learn all about the life of a Tico farmer. I really appreciated this view because it felt more casual compared to the big plantations we have been visiting.

A lot of the farmers were born in Monteverde and have been doing this work for quite some time. The most important this I learned is the importance of balance in their work. They must figure out how to grow and sell items, use sustainable practices, and educate others on their work. The farm has just over 40 acres of land where they grow coffee, corn, pineapple, and other plants. They also roast the coffee, which allows them to make a business out of it. They export a lot of their coffee, and specifically, 20% goes to the United States alone. When it comes to sustainable practices, the farm uses all-natural bio fertilizer on its crops to help them grow. It contains water, food, and sugar for energy. They also create their own compost with leftover coffee grounds, extra layers inside the coffee cherry, and old tree wood. Once mixed, this gets used to help plant new plants. The farm also prioritizes education. They have programs set up with local schools to get kids onto the farm and get their hands dirty while teaching them about farm life and sustainability. The farm is also a big tourist attraction, which provides another opportunity for education for people of all ages. 

However, life as a farmer is not always easy. One of their current problems is too much rainfall. Recently, Monteverde had too much rain, and all the plants in multiple plots got very sick, so much so that they had to uproot them all, help the soil, and then plant again. I am sure this was very upsetting for the farmers, but they are beginning to see growth in the newly planted crops, which is very exciting. I think the farmers get joy from situations like this where a difficulty occurs, but they are able to rise above and improve their farm for the better. 

Also at the farm, I got to see their animals, mainly the goats and chickens. I even got to hold a baby goat that was only 3 days old, her name is Daniella! I loved seeing and interacting with the animals so much, the way they all think is just so amazing to me. If I were the child of a Tico farmer, working with the animals would definitely be my passion!