My study abroad program was two weeks in Costa Rica studying the supply chain of the coffee industry. It was so much fun but also it was exhausting and came with lots of challenges. I only had some Spanish vocabulary background from high school, but basically no experience speaking the language. So it was very…
Tag: Stephanie Thornton
Plus3 Costa Rica 2017 Student
Coffee Addiction and Learning Logistics
Now that the trip is over, it’s time to analyze everything I have learned about logistics in the coffee supply chain. It has been an awesome two weeks of learning and experiencing. 1. Coffee farms The first step in the supply chain of coffee is the coffee farms. The logistics at the farm have to…
Sharing is Caring
Today we got to tour a cooperative company called Coopedota. This was a little different from our other coffee company tours because a cooperative is run differently. It is one organization with 900 members who run smaller family farms. It started in 1960 with only 96 producers so it has really grown and become successful….
Costa Rican Coffee Benefits and Opinions
Coffee is very important to Costa Rica. Without it, no one knows where the country would be today. Since coffee was introduced here in the late eighteenth century, it became a major export and greatly improved the economy. It gave the Ticos a good crop to sell so they had a decent way of life….
Ticos Farming: Frightening or Fun?
Today we got to visit Life Monteverde, which is a family run farm and coffee plantation. The forty two acres is about half forest and half coffee. They also have a roastery for the coffee, a barn, and a vegetable garden. In the barn they have chicken, goats, and pigs. The garden has a wide…
Gringos and Ticos
Today we got to hear from one of the Quakers who came to Costa Rica in 1951 and developed the area of Monteverde. There are actually many North Americans and Europeans who come to Costa Rica, and they influence the development of the economy. The new economy relies a lot on ecotourism but it used…
Seeing the bigger picture
The trip to Monteverde was breathtaking and so interesting. We got to travel out of Heredia, past the pacific ocean, and up into the mountain rainforest. As we got further away from town and the suburban areas, I started to see the Costa Rica that I expected when I first came. The houses were not…
Innovation or Classic Operation
As we learn about the coffee industry, we also have to think about how it will adapt and change with the development of advanced technology. What we are learning about the process on this trip could be very different in even 10-20 years. The democratization of technology will allow coffee producers and distributors to use…
Is Café Britt a coffee master?
Today was all about the café! I learned a lot about the coffee supply chain from our visits to Doka Estate and Café Britt. The two companies were very different from each other, and I am going to focus on Café Britt. A supply chain involves the flow of materials, money, and information. The components…
Happiest Country on the Earth
I had researched and studied Costa Rica before I came, but today we got a more in-depth and honest history lesson from Joaquin Lozano. Though I had learned the basics, I was excited to learn more about why and how events took place. One question that I had was why is it that Costa Rica…
Agradables sorpresas de Costa Rica
After a day in Costa Rica, I am glad to say that it is similar to what I expected, with some pleasant surprises sprinkled in. When we first arrived in Costa Rica at the airport we didn’t really have a chance to interact personally with any of the Ticos, but I was surprised that I…
All Smiles for Costa Rican Sustainability
In our preparation to travel to Costa Rica we did a lot of research, and one of the most important things I learned was that Costa Rica has a major focus on being sustainable and environmentally friendly. Specifically, Costa Rica ranks second in the world in the World Energy Council’s global “environmental sustainability” ranking. There…
Meet Plus3 Costa Rica 2017!
Welcome to the Costa Rica Plus3 Study Abroad Program! Professor Ryan Teeter and Laura Caroll, Academic Advisor, are traveling to the Costa Rican Central Valley, Monteverde, and Tarrazu with 20 College of Business Administration and Swanson School of Engineering students from May 6 – May 20. In addition to numerous cultural experiences, the trip will include visits to…