The farm we bought had no road, no electricity and just an old shack that the Panamanian Indians lived in while harvesting the coffee for three months. The Guaymi Indians come from Panama during the winter harvest season to earn a better wage for hand picking the coffee harvest. They travel by foot from the Talamanca Mountain Range and through the La Amistad-Friendship International Park into the southern zone of Costa Rica looking for work during the harvest season. We’ve been told its because the Panamanian farmers don’t pay them as well as the Costa Rican farmers pay them.
These two little girls in the photo above came out to see us after we toured the property with our Realtor. They were in the shack hiding when we first entered the farm property, so we didn’t think about them after learning that. Just as we were leaving on our ’08 June trip, we caught a quick glimpse of their mother who was hiding behind the door as she peered out. She did not want to be seen, so she quickly ducked back inside but the girls remained at the doorway. It was amazing to see these kids in this shack. The little girls were amazed to see us too, they were transfixed with timid curiosity when they saw us. I’m sure they had never seen a camera, let alone a pair of gringos to go with it. The two little girls smiled and waved when I did. I think if I had spent more time there they would have come out to greet me. I was hoping I would see these two little girls again in the planned ’08 October trip. I wanted to bring them some clothing and shoes but there were different workers in the fields last year in October when we arrived.
I won’t get a chance to meet the Indians that are on the farm this year of ’09. I’ll be there for the end of the 2010 harvest for certain, so the plan is to learn more about them, and pick coffee along side of them. After that in 2011, we’ll be living on the farm permanently. An annual donation for these Indians each year at the start of the harvest would be a great thing. Once we have it set up, we’ll seek donations in the way of clothing, shoes, toys, books and school supplies from all our well wishers! No money. We want to keep an even keel and balance, which really entails making slow, beneficial differences in these people’s lives.
The duplex was built early this year in 2009. The shack used to be here. This year, the Indians are staying on doña Betty’s farm ( who is Ricardo’s mother-in-law). She has extra room for these Indians even though she also houses the Indians that work the harvest on her farm in a different house on her property. We had the duplex built on our farm for Ricardo our farm manager and his family to live in. When we hired him, he and his family were also living in a slightly better and more modern wooden shack than the one in the photo above. Still, it was quite far off from real comfortable accommodations. We use the other side of the duplex when we visit the farm. We’ll be living in the duplex when we first live on the farm , while our place is being built. The duplex has a nice, new small two-bedroom apartment on each side.
Ricardo and Rigo (our other worker) are doing a great job on the coffee this year. It’s late into the coffee season and they’re working 12 hour days side by side with the Indians to complete the last month or so of harvest. A third or more of our fields were cut back in March this year in order to allow the cut back coffee plants to rest from producing cherries.
Cut back coffee rows in March of this year during the dry season.
Growth of the cut back coffee plants in August of this year.
Same cut back plants growing strong amongst all the hardwood and fruit trees in November of this year.
Although our yield is less because of the cut back plants and the organic coffee growing, ASOMOBI who are a group of single mothers and farmer’s wives, own a coffee processing plant and they purchased our cherries this year. Ricardo proudly reported back to us that our coffee cherries were the best looking cherries that ASOMOBI had seen in a long time! We know that our production of cherries this year will not make much money, but as we transition this farm into only organic growing and we seek coffee roasters and distributors in the United States to purchase our coffee beans, that will change.
The plan is to try the Kona method on the farm of cutting back every third row in rotation each year. We’ll experiment with the organic fertilizers for the roots and the leaves for a better yield each year. A difficult task, because we’re going to try and avoid trimming back the trees as much as is possible, so that the place is even more bird friendly. The coffee won’t grow as fast as if the sun were beating down on it, but the coffee plants will grow faster once we get the organic method down for our plants to be healthier, produce better quality and more cherries each year.
We’re hoping the other farmers around the area will join in to form a co-op with us once we develop our market and can take on more farmers cherry crops to sell. I am sure they know that using herbicides is not a good thing if they are using them. I do know that some farmers are organic coffee farmers, just how organic I am not too sure. The farmers that are spraying herbicides must feel lousy after breathing that stuff all day long. Once they see they’ll make more and live healthier in the long run for the efforts of growing organic, I think they’ll come around.
Ricardo is drying some coffee next to the duplex for his family’s use and for our visits to the farm. The rest of the coffee beans are being sold to ASOMBI for this harvest. The women process and package the coffee and sell it to their buyers.
I have planned a series of meetings with these women at ASOMOBI. We plan on talking about their group efforts and initiatives. We want to talk to other organizations regarding the school and the La Amistad International park. The women at ASOMOBI need more opportunities, the community needs a clinic and pharmacy, the little elementary school needs more supplies, the roads need to be repaired and the park needs upkeep and awareness brought to it. Proper tourism methods need to be in place. Can’t wait to get started…. don’t hold your breath though, cause it’s definitely going to take time for all of this to happen!
I can’t stop thinking how lucky we are to use our farm to make a difference. Between the poor farm workers, the Guyami Indians, the building that will take place on the farm and in the community, and the organic shade grown, bird friendly coffee that will be grown each year, we hope the future will always make the most beneficial difference for our neighbors, family, friends and our natural surroundings.There’s more in the works for the farm to continue to prosper and flourish too. We feel fortunate to be a part of this community. Coffee farming is totally cool, plus we’re right next to the park…….. the La Amistad International Park, I’d have to say that having all of this would be better known as the…..
Pura Vida style for me!”
