Day 4 at Daniel's Farm

With each day of this experience, it seems that we dive deeper and deeper into the culture of Costa Rica, and every day is more rich than the last. Today was probably the most affecting day of our trip so far. We had the great fortune of visiting the beautiful organic farm in Paraiso run by Daniel, a truly incredible person whose life story touched us all deeply. After a lunch that was muy rico, made entirely from ingredients that he grows, Daniel took us on a wonderful tour, showing us all that he does to maintain an entirely organic and chemical-free farm. We loved seeing the enormous and adorable pigs (whose methane powers the gas line to Daniel's house) and the shy baby goat named Flea, and we learned all about Daniel's unique method of creating chemical-free fertilizer. We were quickly put to work as we helped mix the fertilizer and then harvested the peppercorns, a surprisingly meditative task! Daniel then allowed us to become a lasting part of the work he does by helping us each plant a tree to contribute to growing the forest.

Daniel's peppercorns

Becky feeds the pigs!

Daniel and the tree saplings that we planted.

By far the most inspiring part of the experience was hearing Daniel's personal story, about his experience on the large banana and pineapple plantations when he was younger, and the horrible effects that the methods and chemicals used had on him, his coworkers, and the land around them. Many of us began thinking about the food that we eat, much of which is exported from countries like Costa Rica, and how we can be part of the solution to the problems that Daniel spoke about so eloquently. One thing we all agreed on is that more people need to hear his story to truly understand the horrific history of non-organic farming in this country.

While the highlight of the day was clearly the visit to Daniel's farm, we also made some great visits to the elementary and high schools in Paraiso. We even ran a Marshmallow Challenge with high school students, just as we've done with Berkeley Carroll students at home! It was fascinating to notice the similarities and differences between how these students approached the task and how we've seen our own younger students attempt it. And of course we returned in the evening to our host families, who continue to welcome us with so much warmth (and a lot of humor!). We are halfway through the trip today, and can't wait to see what's next! Pura vida!  
-Jessie

Marshmallow Challenge in Paraiso