Day 3: Visiting an Organic Farm

This blog post was written by Wesley, Winston, and Brooks.

For our afternoon activity today, we toured and worked at an organic farm. When we first got there we had lunch comprised of only organic foods such as organic pork, rice, beans, and squash. The main export of the farm was pepper, which we got the chance to see and eat while it was growing on the vine.

Winston decided to eat a peppercorn! A few others gave it a try too!

The pepper vine grows on small trees on the farm.

After lunch, we went to a shed where animal droppings were being converted to bio fuel. Personally, this amazed me and probably everyone else because of the fact that even waste products weren’t going to waste. 

Next, we went to the pig pens and fed them three different types of organic plants.

After this, we shoveled and mixed organic compost and were taught the process and benefits of this kind of compost. We then trekked up a hill and put the organic compost to work when we fertilized the pepper vines. 

Then we walked down the hill and saw the vanilla plants. We thought it was very interesting because the plant did not attach to the ground, but it latched onto the host tree.

 One of the strangest things that we did today was the milking of a goat. Almost everyone tried, but not all were successful. 

We then headed back to the place where we ate lunch and and some snacks while we listened to Randal translate a story that Mr. Daniel, the owner of the farm, told us. It was very inspiring and eye-opening. At this activity, we learned the importance of preserving the Earth and keeping your diet natural and organic.  We also learned the negative impact that large farming corporations have on Costa Rica.