Over the past few weeks, I have been fortunate enough to explore the beautiful country of Costa Rica. Each plantation offered new insights regarding what goes into the planning process behind the Costa Rican supply chain. It was interesting to be able to follow the entire supply chain, from the coffee cherries being picked at…
Tag: Plus3 Costa Rica
Check out all the Plus3 Costa Rica blogs below!
Day 11: Bitter Goodbyes with Sweet Chocolates
As the trip comes to a close, I want to reflect on the growth of my understanding related to the making process of the crops we have explored. Firstly, in the farming process, the growing of the fruits and plants is where it all starts. From carefully married coffee trees to mass-planted pineapple crowns, every…
My Most Memorable Experience Yet
As I reflect on the past two weeks, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this incredible journey through Costa Rica. This trip has been so much more than just an educational experience—it’s been a chance to connect deeply with the people, the land, and the culture that make this country so vibrant. I’m especially thankful…
Hasta Luego, Costa Rica!
Today was our last day of exploring Costa Rica before we give our final presentations tomorrow! We went to La Paz Waterfall Gardens where we got to see a variety of animals and see 5 different waterfalls. As we walked through the area we got to see so many native Costa Rican animals in more…
Thank You, Costa Rica
As it becomes time to wind down and reflect on our trip, I have realized how much I’ve learned about this beautiful country. The people, the culture, and the breathtaking natural landscapes all tie in together to create an experience that feels both humbling and inspiring. Every moment taught me something new, challenged my perspective,…
Costa Rica, You’ve Bean Great
I cannot believe I am already writing my last ever blog post for this trip. I am extremely sad to be leaving Costa Rica so soon, but so grateful for this experience and everything I have taken away from it!! Today, we visited the La Pez Waterfall Gardens and saw birds to monkeys to pumas,…
Sip, Sell, Succeed: The Only Coffee Design and Launch Playbook you’ll need
Today was our last day exploring the adventurous and unique parts of Costa Rica. Tomorrow will be our last full day here before leaving on Friday :((( We went to La Paz Waterfall Gardens, and we were able to explore Costa Rica’s native animals including cougars, panthers, white-throated monkeys, sloths, and a variety of birds…
I Give Costa Rica A (Katie) FIVEStar Review
Today was our last day adventuring in Costa Rica, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be on this trip. We visited La Paz Waterfall Gardens, where we saw lots of different animals and about 4 different waterfalls. My favorite exhibit was probably either the butterfly garden, because I liked the butterflies landing on me,…
Toucan do it!
Today we went to the beautiful La Paz waterfall gardens and saw majestic waterfalls, beautiful wildlife, and reptile exhibits that made my skin crawl. In my topic of design and launch, we have learned a lot from the site visits. Specifically, at the farms, we learned how sustainability can be related to our topic. We…
¡Pura Vida!
Today we visited La Paz Waterfall Gardens, and it was definitely one of my favorite days of the entire trip! I had a lot of fun seeing all of the waterfalls, and I spent a lot of time watching the monkeys swing around, play, and eat! In addition to all the great memories I made…
Sustainability For Our Future’s Possibility
My group was tasked with analyzing the making process of each product we’ve analyzed. At the farm level, making begins with the crops that are being grown and managed. Farmers do not just harvest the crops, instead they carefully tend the crop to control the quality of coffee, bananas, and pineapples through practices like selective…
Making Coffee, Chocolate, Bananas, Pineapples, and Everything Else I’ve Had Here in Costa Rica (P.S. Hasta Luego Pura Vida)
Over the course of my trip to Costa Rica, I have been able to learn so many new things that I knew absolutely nothing about. I’ve never been very interested in agriculture, but this trip has opened my eyes to how truly complex the industry can be. While on the farms I had the opportunity…
The Finale
After spending two weeks in Costa Rica I have gained a deep understanding of the tropical agricultural supply chain. Specifically I focused on the sourcing processes of each of these steps and how it affects the final product. All of the crops we studied start the same, as a seed in the ground on the…
From Plants to People: Sourcing in the Supply Chain in Costa Rica
For the farming process of all the plantations we visited, I was surprised to learn that almost everywhere sourced their own materials for growing. For example, many plantations created their own fertilizers, pesticides, and compost out of natural materials from their grown plant scraps or animal waste. They also grew certain plants to source nitrogen…
Day 11: Wrapping Up
Today was our last day of sight seeing. We will present our projects tomorrow, and then we will head home Friday. We visited La Paz Waterfall Gardens today and it was the most breathtaking view I have seen here. At the waterfall gardens we saw many animals as well: toucans, sloths, peacocks, butterflies, snakes, and…
Sustainable Agriculture and the Supply Chain through the Lens of the Making Process
Today, we drove to the La Paz Waterfall Gardens to enjoy the beautiful views of the falls and see the wildlife we may have missed on the trip so far. This program has enlightened me in many ways and helped me learn about the making process of the supply chain and how it relates to…
For my project I focused on sourcing, sustainability is what I’m endorsing, the trip is almost over like divorcing
Today as we head up the volcano to La Paz waterfalls, I have the opportunity to reflect on all I have learned in Costa Rica. Over the course of this trip, I have studied the relationship between sourcing in the supply chain and sustainable agriculture. Sourcing can be seen from several steps in the agricultural…
Day 10: History Dipped in Chocolate
Today, we visited Sibö Chocolate for a very interactive and informative lecture. We were greeted with amazing hot chocolate and a platter of delicious chocolates. One of Sibö’s owners, George Soriano, explained the history and culture behind the chocolates that are now such a typical delicacy worldwide. We learned how interconnected chocolate and coffee are,…
Everything we eat has a story behind it
Today, we got to try some true Costa Rican chocolate while also learning about the history of chocolate and how it eventually made its way to Costa Rica. Chocolate first originated in Central America, but was only ingested as a drink. Spain brought the first chocolate to Europe from Central America, this was the first…
I Like Sibö a Choco-lot!
Today we visited Sibö chocolate and learned all about their production, their beliefs, the general history of chocolate and the role that Costa Rica played in that journey. We also got to try many different forms and types of their chocolate, and they were very delicioso! Coffee and chocolate are both famous in Costa Rica…