FINCA Update: Week 4

Week 4 went by quickly and we got a lot of prep work done for the greenhouse including measurements and pricing. Eliot (the founder of Finca Project) left early in the week and has passed on the reigns to Ariana and Kate, our project managers, so they’ve moved into the house on the farm, and it feels like a much smaller working group.

This week I’ve also had many a confrontation with farm animals, and the result is that I feel much better around them! There are three goats on the farm, and one of them is a really nasty male goat with ferocious looking horns. Thankfully, we were able to get the goats out of their shed without any injuries, and I feel like I can handle farm animals a bit better. We also had the lovely job of cleaning out the goat poop, and then picking out the red worms that eat the goat poop and turn it into really powerful fertilizer (compost). [Side note: I really want to build a compost bin for my house and for the co-op at school!]

We visited the farm of one of the members of the coffee cooperative, Roberto, and it was really cool to see all the variety of fruits, vegetables and plants he has on his farm. Roberto has one of the best examples of a sustainable farm, and he seemed to take great care of how everything operated together. It’s such an experience to eat food straight from the ground (we got to sample fresh sugar cane and pineapple cut with Roberto’s machete).

Also! I am finally 21 years of age now as of this past weekend. I was severely disappointed that our beach trip got cancelled due to the weather, but because I was home for the weekend, I got to see one of the cows give birth! What an experience—I will have to show you the sweet pictures I took of Gilbert pulling out the calf from the mother. Also, Gilbert took me to some hot springs which are apparently heated by gas from a nearby volcano. It was a tiny water hole with the rainforest on one side and this raging river on the other, and when we got there, it started to pour. It was an interesting experience sitting in a warm pool while being rained on with cold water, but it was kind of Gilbert to take such a long road trip.

For my actual birthday, the gang went to a nearby waterfall that was absolutely gorgeous. It was a beautiful day with very little rain, and I was so happy to see some blue skies. Later, we had a great night out at a bar called Dos Locos (referring to two crazy Canadians) with some cake, dancing, and of course, some tequila. I guess I’m a “proper” 21-year-old now that I’ve had my first tequila shot. ;)

This week has been a busy one, so I’ll have more to post soon. [Sorry for the lack of pictures; I’ve tried uploading, but it won’t work! I’ll try to post some after I get back home…]

Lots of love,

Candice