Mi corazon esta en Costa Rica por siempre. I’ve made so many memories and friendships here that will last a lifetime, and I can’t believe 14 days are almost over. From Jaime smack talking Cartigenes to seeing monkeys to eating insane amounts of insanely good food, I will miss Costa Rica. Planning is an integral…
Tag: Andrew Peterson
The happiest accident
I’m very glad some random dude hundreds of years ago forgot to turn off his coffee grinder, and accidentally made the first chocolate as we know it today. As the industry has evolved, it has become much more comparable to coffee, rather than other industries we’ve looked at like pineapples and bananas. The chocolate industry…
An Ap-peal-ing afternoon (we all have sunburn)
The supply chains of bananas, pineapple, and coffee have their similarities, but are also different. Coffee specifically has a few extra steps in the supply chain. While bananas and pineapples get harvested, packaged, and go straight to the consumer, coffee has to be roasted, adding another link in the supply chain and another industry for…
I hope I don’t have malaria
Even though this whole trip has been unusually warm and sunny, I somehow thought today wouldn’t be even hotter and muggier, even though we were on the Caribbean side of the continental divide. Being on that side is why we were touring a heart of palm farm instead of another coffee plantation. The conditions required…
Going back to school was kinda weird
I have to admit, I did not expect to go back to elementary school quite this soon. But it was a great experience to support the community of Monteverde, and also to reflect on the differences between my life and the lives of children here. It really helped me see the difference between the position…
Monkeying around Monteverde
Productivity, conservation, and sustainability have been at odds for hundreds of years. While they can be balanced, civilization has allowed that balance to tilt, usually in the name of profit. In Montverde specifically, productivity was prioritized at the expense of conservation and sustainability as forest cover was cut down drastically. When introducing climate change to…
(Professor) Teeter-ing up the mountain
Going up the mountain resulting in some very fun views, like when I woke up, looked out the window, and saw the 50 foot drop right next to us because we were crossing a 2-foot-wide bridge in a coach bus. On our perilous journey through the mountains, we saw clusters of small communities seemingly isolated…
Coffee meets tourism
Estaba lloviendo cafe hoy. All varieties, roasts, flavors, and marketing schemes. So much amazing coffee, and Ticos don’t even drink it. Most Ticos actually drink cheaper coffee, and the more premium beans are used in tourism – derived markets and for export. Previous laws prohibited Costa Ricans from roasting coffee to try to force them…
Fueling an international addiction
Today’s tour was enlightening. While there are many types of commercial coffee farms, Doka gave a unique insight into the cultural aspect of growing coffee. When asked if different families were collaborative or competitive in business, Don Mario answered immediately that it was collaborative, and that the families all worked together to be successful. Doka…
A perfect start to Costa Rica
I honestly didn’t have many expectations coming to Costa Rica. I knew it would be different, in terms of climate and culture, but today was a great introduction to the country. The community was one of the first things I noticed today. Especially with the music and dancing at the center of Heredia, I really…
Vamos (sustainably) a Costa Rica
The effectiveness of Costa Rica’s many measures to implement sustainable practices in its industries is proven by its ranking in the top 20 of the World Energy Council’s global “environmental sustainability” ranking. Costa Rica’s progressive, environmentally friendly policies have helped the country grow healthier and have strengthened industries, setting Costa Rica ahead of other nations….