Pura Vida

I must admit, yesterday as I was going to sleep, I had my reservations about this trip. I was worried when no one wanted to speak in Spanish to me when we arrived in San Jose. However, today we ascended the mountains around the city, to breathtaking views and conversation. As I write, we are hurdling down the mountainside back to San Jose. When the road hairpins, which is often, the bus nearly stops, and on the steepest climbs the bus rolls backward a bit as our driver manually downshifts. The danger of driving on the mountain is real; anyways, with any other driver it would be dangerous. Julio is wonderfully skilled. He navigates the mountains, pedestrians, motorbikes, and loose animals calmly. This morning and this evening as we drive down the mountain, the fog is so thick the center line in the road is barely visible. Gracias a dios para Julio.

Our first stop today was at the coffee cooperative in Santa Maria de Dota. There are many steps to processing the raw coffee berry, and many variations on this theme. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and gave a very informative tour. I took extensive notes, so this will turn into a more detailed post about smallholder coffee production.

The most incredible part of the day was at the avocado and fruit finca. The farmer high in the mountains farms two hectares of steep mountainside. He spoke Spanish with a few words of English, and at first dr. Vialobos translated for the group. I was able to ask questions in Spanish about the cost of applying gibberellic acid to the trees. This simulates the passage of the dormant season, there is no cold season cool enough here, and prompts the plant to flower. He told me the hormone is not expensive, especially compared to the pollen he has to import from California to pollinate certain varieties of apple. He offered us samples of avocado, plum, naranjilla,and apple. After this, he invited us to explore the farm. When the group broke up, out of necessity I ended up translating for others and asking questions. Thanks to his patience, gestures, and my intermediate vocabulary, we were able to learn about his bio-reactor to make natural repellent and fertilizer. The repellent is made from the anaerobic fermentation of garlic, onions, and eucalyptus. After two months, he can spray this on his trees. He can reduce this time by 50% if he adds yeast to the mixture. This solution is a natural mode of insecticide, fungicide, and fertilizer.

He and I walked further up the mountainside, and he approached a tree with yellow, oval fruits. He picked one and gave it to me. I had to ask how to eat it, and he told me to crack it open. A crisp crack revealed seeds surrounded in clear membranous sacs nestled inside cottony flesh. He told me to swallow the seeds, not chew. It was sweeter and more delicious than any candy I've ever tasted.

After this fruit, we walked further up the sleep and rocky mountain path. He showed me the black color of the soil beneath the fallen leaves, appearing much like rich Iowa soil. We walked further and conversed on how he acquired his farm (the house from his parents, the land from this grandparents), how he farms the land (with his four children, still students, and wife), and I told him what I am studying at the university.


At the end of the trip, he asked me to write to him if we discovered ideas at other organic farms. He wrote down his address for me; I hope to send him a letter and an American flag pin. To speak with him in Spanish was fulfilling and unbelievably wonderful. I don't have adequate words to describe the calm and interest I experienced in our conversation, the sun warmed mountain air, and the underlining cool, fresh breeze.

There is simply the experience.

The mountainside of Oleman's farm.