Español Por Favor!

I came to Costa Rica with the desire to improve my Spanish.  Yet until arriving at this most recent farm, I have not been immersed in the Spanish language.  That seems a little ridiculous given that I'm in a Spanish speaking country, but the truth is as a traveler in Costa Rica you can get by with virtually no Spanish.  However, I don't recommend that anyone take this path, as Costa Ricans are both gracious and patient while you butcher their language asking for a fruit smoothie.

I have had moments of amazing aptitude while conversing in Spanish, punctuated quite frequently with serious fumbles (even if I rehearsed what I wanted to say ahead of time).  I was, however, starting to take a little pride in knowing more Spanish than many of my fellow travellers.  Which is probably why it was timely that I be humbled at this latest farm...

Farm #6, as I refer to it in my research, was hard to find.  In fact I wasn't even going to the right place when I set off from Turrialba.  Luckily I started talking to the girl next to me and the bus driver overheard, with minutes of me striking up that conversation I was being let off on the side of the highway, with no real understanding of where I was.  I was able to ask around and was soon pointed to a side road and was told the town I was looking for (and hence the farm) was 2 km away.  So I headed off, accompanied by an older gentleman, who lived in the small town his whole life.  He walked me all the way to the farm gate.

At the farm I was greeted and oriented to the farm by the resident Spanish teacher.  Right from the start, she and everyone else who worked on the farm spoke Spanish to me.  I had already intended to take a few Spanish classes, but right away I knew some refresher courses would be necessary.  It was great and what I had been expecting since my arriving at my first farm.

And so my days were scheduled.  In the morning, breakfast would be served at 7:00am.  Work started at 7:30am, with a break at 10:00am.  Then more work until 12:00pm, when it was time for lunch.  The rest of the day would be free, except of course for my Spanish class at 2:30pm.  Dinner would be served at 6:00pm.  So organized!  This was the first farm I had been to with so much coordination and consideration for volunteers.  There are two dedicated cooks for the meals and the Tico workers are paired with volunteers in order to teach environmental practices and provide for cultural exchange.

This farm has just recently started its journey into permaculture, initiated by a couple newer (and younger) Costa Rican farm/community members.  Interestingly, this was the first farm where I have encountered traditional permaculture designs, such as banana circles and herb spirals.

Banana Circle

Banana circles are a traditional tropical permaculture design, which is essentially what it sounds like.  Cuttings are planted in a large circle with root crops, such as sweet potatoes or taro, and herbs.  A pit in the middle acts as a compost pile and grey water filtration system.  Bananas are heavy feeders and the constant addition of compost and water provides them with what they need and hence, what you need - bananas!

Herb spirals are a classic permaculture feature for all climates and are often one of the first things constructed in a permaculture design landscape.  Ideally located near the kitchen for convenient access when cooking, an herb spiral efficiently uses space because of its vertical structure.  It's circular design creates microclimates that are effected by the presence or absence of wind and sun.  Gravity works it's magic on water, creating drier climates at the top of the spiral and moist conditions at the bottom.  Thus, the aloe vera at the top of this herb spiral.  Also, the various plants within the spiral create a biodiverse microclimate attracting beneficial insects.

Herb Spiral

Since the farm was very organized I had many different volunteer opportunities.  The first day a couple of us picked uchuvas (gooseberries, I think) and prepared them for marmalade.  We turned compost and put it into bags for spreading on the fields, and worked to untangle and suspend the uchava plants, so they grew more vertically.  Some of our volunteer hours were spent getting a tour of the farm and for myself, interviewing the owner of the farm.

Uchuva or Gooseberry

Compost Piles

The weather turned cold and rainy as the week progressed, very unseasonable weather for the driest and hottest month of the year.  Rain is virtually unheard of in March and the Ticos were astonished by the weather - a very stark example of climate change - it rained everyday.  I needed four blankets at night and it was too cold to comfortably stay up and write in my journal in the evening.  As much as I enjoyed the farm, I was happy to leave the rain and clouds for the sun, sand, and ocean of the Pacific Coast.