Caffeine Central: Week Five - La Cumplida Finca

I have just got back from spending three days at La Cumplida Farm, a 1500 hectare farm partly owned by Clemente Poncon, whose son is part of the Ecom group (and heads up the Costa Rican office). The owners place high priority on ensuring that their employees receive fair working conditions, and also ensure that the farm shall have only the smallest-possible negative impact on the environment. The entire farm is operated in an environmentally-friendly way, is self-sufficient in electricity and has its own water purification system. During the past few years, 90 houses have been built just outside the farm. These houses might seem very simple but, for the locals, they represent a huge improvement. Previously, they were living in rickety shacks which wouldn't protect them from the rain. Today, they have stable homes made of concrete, with approximately two rooms and electricity, and an outside kitchen with a stove. The farm-workers receive three meals a day and have access to free healthcare.

There is also a school close to the farm. which provides education for the children in the area during the summer, when other schools are closed. The farm also runs a further six schools in the surrounding area in the Matagalpa district.

I stayed in the old farm house onsite, really experiencing farm life. Meals were simple, the water was cold, electricity was scarce, very limited internet and only Spanish was spoken. I throughly enjoyed my few days there, going to bed at 8:30pm and waking up at 5:30am when the sun rose and day started for the workers. I spent the days on a quad bike exploring the farm, going for walks and speaking spanish with the house staff. Unfortunately the coffee harvest was just finishing, but I was able to see the last day of picking and harvesting, and was also able to see the new flowers starting to grow on the trees.