Recycling and Reusing, a way of life on a farm Living on a farm is all about recycling and reusing whatever you have.A few examples would be, putting a bride-groom figurine from your own wedding in the 1950'sonto a wedding cake you are making for a local couple.Or feeding the cat everything that goes bad or humans wouldn't eat (like the grizzle, etc.).It is so great to see such a sustainable way of life (at least in terms of day-to-day life).Also, because Costa ...

Crazy Animal Stories One of the first days that I was on the farm some of the cows got out and were running around in the front yard.The Spanish noises they use to get the cows moving back home are like, "yah- ick- punta" (which I think is s*** in Spanish or some other word like that).It was funny to watch as they yelled, chasing the cows and then the cows running the wrong way.I felt like the cows were teasing their owners.In fact whenever I go for wa...

How well do I eat or when am I not full? While in the homestay Nery's goal is to fatten me up.I am way to skinny and in her words I need to be "mas gordo."I appreciate the sentiment, but MAN I can't eat that much.It is like going to Grandma's house x1000.I sit at this table and Nery always serves me, but no one else.She puts my food on the pretty plates or in the pretty cups.Typically I have like three full plates of food in front of me, while she fill...

Who have I been living with for the last month? My family is an elderly couple, Nery & Victor Torres Rojas.They live on a large coffee plantation and also run a small lecheria with about 30 cows in Canitas (about 30 minutes from Santa Elena). Their coffee goes to a local coop, café Monteverde and their milk goes to the Monteverde cheese factory to be incorporated in their products.A little bit stays on the farm which means fresh milk, cheese and coffee ...

Hello all, It has truly been too long since I wrote on this blog and all of you deserve an update.A lot has changed since the last time I wrote.After returning from the field trip we were whorled into the Estacion Biologica where we focused on making project proposals.Four days later we were off to our homestays (April 8th)…whew.That was nearly one month ago.In fact, tomorrow I return to the station until the program is over.Can you believe it? I'm going ...