While the coffee industry is mostly streamlined in the way to make and grow coffee innovation is still possible. ICafé is always experimenting with new species and hybrids of coffee. They are able to explore new possible plants that will have better resistance against rust and other diseases. Coffee farms are also experimenting with different…

The Dole banana plantation is very concerned with health, safety and sustainability. One of their main concerns is for the fruit. Due to the monoculture of the banana, disease and fungus are on of their main concerns with the fruit’s health. The monoculture could mean that a singular disease could destroy an entire field of…

As ICAFE is always research coffee and everything that involves coffee they are either experimenting or have made innovations related to the coffee growing and roasting process. Something they are currently experimenting with is different species and hybrid species of the coffee plant. There are about 7 main fungus diseases that affect the coffee plant,…

Tico farmers are very hard-working passionate people. The people at Life Monteverde were very invested in their farm and wanted to produce quality coffee in a very sustainable way. There whole philosophy on life is being able to help the world and be able to teach the next generation how to make a living but…

Today we were able to see a different side of Costa Rica as we left the central valley, seeing the Pacific coast and the mountains. The areas we drove through today were more rural and had smaller neighborhoods than those in Heredia. The houses in general had tin roofs, and did not have a large…

San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica, but unlike most capital cities, it does not have a grid like road system or “normal” street addresses. When Costa Rica was recently independent and deciding on where their capital city should be San Jose was not the original choice. They had created a system so that…

Café Britt and the Doka estate are two prominent companies in Costa Rica and are very important to the coffee production and roasting processes. Café Britt and Doka are both in the production of coffee but are part of different parts of the supply chain. Doka is mainly focused on the production and harvesting of…

Today we had class with Dr. Ramirez, who talked about the typical food, games, and traditions in Costa Rica. The topics we learned about today were not only interesting but also surprising. Specifically, the games Ticos generally play surprised me. Most of the games that were mentioned were games I had played as a child,…

Costa Rica is a beautiful country with lots of amazing features. It is a very nice and easy place to walk around. The Central Park in Heredia, was one of my favorite spots today. The flowers and trees were gorgeous and so full of life. The sky is unbelievably blue, until the clouds started to…

¡Que tal! My name is Meghan Vander Woude, and I am a rising sophomore chemical engineer, in the Swanson School of Engineering. I chose Costa Rica as I wanted to visit a country with lively and exciting culture. I am hoping to learn about the different customs and activities in Costa Rica, as well as…