Costa Rica Day Two - Blog (Alex G) "Coffee, Coffee... and more Coffee"

¡Buenas!

We started the day off with a delicious breakfast at our lodging, Cedrela Eco Lodge. We got the chance to try some of the coffee, avocados, raspberries, and cacao that are grown here on their farm, and also some of their homemade cheeses and breads. In our community meeting most people said that their highlight of the trip so far was the food, and this only became more apparent as we tried these wonderful fresh dishes.

After breakfast we left for our first coffee tour at Sol Naciente. Our tour guide Jimmy started the store by showing us around the farm to the different coffee lots that they have, and along the trail we got to see a waterfall next to "El Lote de Lagos" (the lot of lakes) where some of the coffees that require more altitude and humidity are grown. We learned about the many different types of coffee that they grow, the conditions that they require, and how they maintain a sustainable farming process. Finally, we sat down for a coffee tasting and got to experience how may different flavors can be produced from the same coffee bean by roasting, drying, and pressing it in different ways. Even some of the students who have never enjoyed drinking coffee before were pleasantly surprised by the complexity of flavors.

Next we went to the Vamay Coffee Farm, which is part of the Bean Voyage Group, a Costa Rican organization that promotes Feminist coffee practices. A lot of the passion that the women who talked with us had for this industry comes from the fact that although women have been primary contributors to Costa Rican coffee production for a very long time, they receive almost no recognition because in order to make income their businesses had to be registered under their husband's names. We also learned about the importance of sustainable coffee practices. The two primary types of coffee (conventional and specialty) vary greatly because of the fact that conventionally made coffee typically uses harmful industrial processes in the production, while specialty coffee attempts to create the same (or a higher quality) product, with less environmental impact. They have a huge focus on climate change, and maintaining quality of coffee produced. At the end, one of the women who was teaching us said that she was "so grateful that we chose to visit and experience their daily reality." This emotionally charged statement made me realize that this was not just a coffee growing/tasting experience, but a great life lesson. She also told us that the best thing we can do is share their message. This applies to more than the coffee industry, and even more than agriculture. The main takeaway was to promote sustainable, just, and equitable practices everywhere that we can.

After a coffee-packed day, we came back to Cedrela to wind down, enjoy dinner, and have a nighttime hike to look at the stars. Though we are sad that tomorrow we have to leave our pleasant-weathered mountaintop cabins, we are very excited to learn more about sustainable practices.

¡Hasta Tarde!

Alex