Farm Developments

The finca in Biolley, Costa Rica is really coming along! The duplex is finished! Our contractor did a great job! She built the duplex earlier than the estimated time and she produced quality work! She is a true professional that is second to none when it comes to dealing with these matters. It is a simple construction and that was the plan.

The old shack has been demolished and we will recycle the wood for plenty of usage on the farm.

The new duplex has replaced the old shack. The duplex is for our full time worker and his family to use one sideand we will use the other side when we come to visit.

While there are still some finishing touches and general clean up that needs to take place, we will soon plant a nice decorative garden around the duplex.

We will live on our side of the duplex while we have the Casa Grande (big house) built. That won’t happen until 2011 or so. But in the meantime we will have Ricardo our worker plant a nice decorative garden around the duplex and continue to groom our coffee plants and the open pasture.

Ricardo’s wife Gisele is going to find a “costurera” seamstress who can sew curtains for the duplex. My husband and I will furnish a new stove and small refrigerator for Ricardo and his family to use while on their side of the duplex. Ricardo’s family has a few belongings like beds and kitchen table etc. they will bring to the duplex. We are also buying a used SUV and we are thinking about an old Toyota 4runner or a sturdy Trooper for Ricardo to use for farm necessities and when his family needs to go to town to for groceries. Ricardo and his family are very poor and have very little, they are staying at Ricardo’s mother in law’s house but it is very small.

But with our help Ricardo’s family will receive a salary, medical insurance a place to live and a vehicle to use for work, errands and emergencies. We will also pay the utility bills for them. Once the farm is really in shape, we will allow Ricardo to house 5 cows for dairy only and he will get 50% of the coffee profits after his salary and all the finca (farm) expenses are paid. So we have given Ricardo the opportunity to make a profit off of our land and that is incentive for him to really keep the place up in tip top shape since it won’t just be a job for Ricardo but it will also be a business opportunity for him.

A nice view of the Talamanca mountain range out this window. This is a sneak preview of the duplex. We will return to our farm in Costa Rica in a few weeks. Once we are back in the USA, we will update you with all the exciting development and news in our area!
We’ve heard through the grapevine that we have a few gringo neighbors not too distant from our farm! Stay tuned and until then…..