A Journey to the Heart of Earth: It’s students (Hayford Gyamfi)

Being at Earth University for two weeks, I have had the chance to sit in classrooms and hear from knowledgeable professors who are respected in their fields. They showed a few of us from Chatham University their large campus, some of their student’s projects, and we got a chance to witness how practical their curriculum is. One day out of the two weeks we were at Earth, we got a chance to go out on the students work experience on the organic farm from 6am to 11am. The amount of work, knowledge and time the student at Earth put into the field, talk less of having year round schooling, projects and also the main curriculum these students are responsible for made me realize that these students are truly incredible. I am completely impressed with the students here at Earth, and the amount of discipline that is needed to excel in each course. Especially with madates put in place such as being present in each and every class and not being allowed to fail any class. If so, you leave the school and can enroll again the following year, starting from the very begining.

I got a chance to sit down and talk with one of their senior students in his final year and talk about his experience starting from the very beginning, from how he got introduced to Earth, his interests, why he chose Earth? And what’s next for him after graduation.

The students name is Hayford Gyamfi from Accra, Ghana.  From the few days I got to know Hayford I will describe him as a disciplined guy, who defines himself as easy going, someone that enjoys making friends, an introvert in most situations, except when it comes to what he is passionate about i.e. discussing his business ideas. He enjoys an occasional match of soccer with friends or a round of table tennis, and cooking.

How did you hear about earth?

He started with a laugh.

“I didn’t know about earth, it was a coincidence and a miracle.”  I had completed a 3 year program in general agriculture in Ghana, and then served for a year. (The service he mentioned  is something that every graduate from the University does in their home country, this helps the studentt not only gain work experience in their field but allows them to work in other areas of the country and meet others from various parts as well.) When my service ended, my graduation was delayed for 2 months. Being one of the first in my class, I was given the opportunity to meet an Earth University professor who was visiting my university at the time.

I was shown an Earth University promotion video, I liked what I saw and thought about the opportunities being or participating in the program at Earth will open for me. I got interviewed on the spot and in a month or two months’ time, I received a call about my acceptance. I couldn’t sleep that night. I recalled being accepted in the month of September and the following month landing in Costa Rica ready to start my 4 month training in learning Spanish.

Earth University’s curriculum is taught in Spanish, and because the students are coming from over 43 different countries, the majority of them not knowing the language stay with a family close to the university for 4 months learning Spanish while taking Spanish class at the University also.

What was the home experience like?

“Living with thee family was difficult.”  Because the best way to express myself is by speaking and since I and the family I stayed with understood and spoke two different languages we couldn’t communicate. Initially I had to communicate through signs. One thing that helped me was their youngest daughter. She knew a little English and translated for me occasionally. That was my greatest help in adapting in the home. She helped me with my assignments, challenged and encourage me to learn the language. Sometimes I misunderstood their push to help me learn the language, as them not liking me, but eventually I realized they just wanted me to learn the language. By the time my four months was over, I understood at least 60% of the language. Additionally, somethng else that helped me with learning Spanish was being surrounded by students that spoke Spanish. What hindered me was when I met with other natives from my countryy or close by, we would speak in English to each other. It was a taste of home.

What did you think earth could offer you?
After watching the 3 minute video that earth showed me, and seeing students in the lab, working on the field, being on the farm and interacting with farmers, I thought it was a different level they had at Earth. In Ghanaian schools agriculture is theoretical, but in the video it was practical. And now I believe that it was a very good decision. I believe I am a different guy for coming here.

In what way are you different?

My way of thinking. I am more business minded, I want to establish myself and not go looking for a job. That’s how big companies start, they started small but now they are big.

My way of thinking makes me realize that I can impact people’s lives. I want to help farmers maximize their profits; because if it impacts the farmers for good, it affects their families, communities, and then the nation.

Before getting to earth I never thought about entrepreneurship. I wanted to graduate and go and look for a job. But now I think otherwise.

What about this program made you think entrepreneurially?

It started the first Year after a class I took with professor Hector Medrano the class was an economic class.

Why agriculture?

I was introduced to it when I was young, between the ages of 7-9 years old. I lived with my grandmother when I was growing up, and I remember her going to the farm at least 4 days out of the week, it was a way she made a living. She would give me little jobs to do.

Even though I had the passion for Agriculture, I wanted to play football for a living. But my father didn’t agree and told me to go to a university instead. He was concerned that if I got injured, my life would be wasted. So I decided to do both, but I drifted from soccer and went towards agriculture.

I started to watch the farmers in my community and how they operated it. I noticed that after all their labor, they eventually threw their produce away because there was no place to sell them. I started to think of what I can do to help them in their farm and how to help them market their producee. There are local markets but everyone farms so the market is flooded. But if there was a channel, like processing factories then the farmers will have other avenues of income.

What are you going to do after you finish?

I hope to go straight for my masters in Sustainability. Universities I am exploring are Chatham University, Arizona State University, and Tennessee state university.

I am also working with a business partner from Earth to potentially start a business in Ghana. But first we want to get our masters, and refine our ideas. But if one of us decides not to go for our masters, thatt one will be responsible for implementing the business plan.

What is it like by being with people from all over the world?

It is amazing! It’s like students from 80 different cultures. It is a nice experience. You have the freedom of sharing your culture with others. We have a fair when all the different countries prepare their own meals, and people buy, eat, interact, and dress differently from around the globe. Understanding the different cultural backgrounds, makes you understand the way people behave. I think it is important for being in the real world. I don’t know who designed the program, but I believe he did a good job.

What is one thing that you would want me to take away from this conversation?

“Take me away, I want to go to Chatham.” Based on my experiences in earth, I have realized that everything is possible, but you have to take the step to make it happen; with passion, laughter, dedication, determination not just sitting down and doing nothing. One has to be a visionary you have to know where you are going.

What is one thing that you would take away from your experience at earth?

To be an aspiring agronomist. Even though sometimes I complained about waking up early, finishing class by 6pm, the heavy workload, and just being too tired at times to go to class, I really love everything.

Hayford is a brilliant student, with a bright future. In less than 4 months he will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural sciences and natural resources management and hopefully will be pursuing his masters in Sustainability at another great university in the United States.

Feyisola Alabi
MBA & MSUS Student

Our Most Lovable Person-Stefani Morris

We met Stefani when we first arrived at the international airport of San Jose. She was holding an EARTH sign waiting for us on the side of the exit with Pablo. She immediately figured out who we are when we walked towards her. She is a Costa Rican, born and raised here, but her English is very good. Hence, accordingly and naturally, other than our coordinator, Stefani became our tour guide, translator, and dearest friend in our two-week trip.

Hey Stefani, our dearest friend! We appreciate what you did for us, and we will miss you a lot!

Stefani is a student at the National University of Costa Rica majoring in international relations. She started to work for international offices at the University of Costa Rica and soon found her passion in international mobility and  wanted to dedicate her future career into international mobility. So she looked for the internship that close to her house. She found EARTH University, which is 30-minutes drive from home. Without even knowing about EARTH, she scanned through EARTH/RAI (Academic Relations Office) and clearly realized that this was what she interested in. So she emailed Nico to ask if she could be an intern for them. Surprisingly to her, Nico said yes. Stefani began to work for RAI in her summer vacation. RAI is an department of EARTH University created to bring EARTH University to more international students and institutions. As an independent office, they have to mostly finance themselves because EARTH only supports them with a small amount of money.

Stefani interned for RAI for a month from June. The only challenge she faced was that she knew nothing about EARTH. Actually, she had never even heard of EARTH before she found this internship. But she is very grateful for the opportunity, and she loves what she is doing. She likes to observe, and she learns fast. Hence, after two weeks being an assistant in the office, she already learned how to deal with the group and all the logistics. Also, thanks to the RAI and Nico, they are very open and trust their interns. Thus, Stefani obtains a lot of chances to learn and a lot of freedom to develop her ideas.

Since Stefani started to know and work for EARTH University, she became more concerned about the planet, climate change, what she eats and what her families eat. She valued EARTH’s mission to promote sustainable development through the creation of young professionals with strong values, solid technical and scientific skills, entrepreneurial spirit, and social and environmental consciousness. By realizing that how many students that applied to EARTH but never get a chance to come to study, she proposed her scholarship project to Nico.

“I felt empowered since I started to work at EARTH; I want to do something for these students, I hope to help them to change the world!” She said it with the sparkle in her eyes. I can feel her great passion and commitment. She wants to develop a program that can help those students to come to EARTH for a short term but still get the core of EARTH education. She is trying to create a great opportunity for students who would dedicate their life to sustainability because students need to present their plan to get the scholarship and operate it after they finish the 8-week program at EARTH. The short-term programs now provided by EARTH are intensive Spanish, sustainability classes or internship; the program Stefani has designed is more than work and study abroad or language studies. Instead, she aims to encourage students to develop a practical plan and then actually operate it, which is similar to the entrepreneurship program at EARTH. So the scholarship will be offered to applicants who come up with an enforceable plan related to sustainable agronomy. During the time they are at the EARTH University, she will coordinate the 8 weeks’ classes for them to help them make their plans happen. Moreover, after that she will have her team will follow up with the students to make sure their plans are actually carried out.

It is amazing to see that how EARTH has changed Stefani. For her, she appreciates the opportunity to work for EARTH and RAI, and she wants to help people through her work at EARTH. Her words “I would love to work for EARTH for my whole life” probably more.

Like EARTH’s president said: “We believe that if we offer them the right education, instill values and ethics in a pluralistic environment, provide entrepreneurial training with a strong social and environmental focus, and return them to their countries and communities as agents of change, we can make a difference in the world”. Even though Stefani is not an EARTH student, she demonstrates to us all how you can make a difference.

Lei

Meet the Professor… Dr Luis Pocasangre!

During the first week of our trip we had a class session with Professor Luis Pocasangre. I knew from the moment he began lecture that his passion for bananas ran very deep. Dr. Pocasangre is a Honduras native I and an expert in agricultural plant science, agronomy, and food science, but his real interest is in bananas. He has done many years of research and work with many different varieties of bananas. From the moment I walked in the class room I was intrigued. He had different types of banana bunches spread out across two tables in the front of the room.

I never knew there were so many types of bananas and that only one type, the cavendish, is available in the Unites States. The bunches he brought were not ripe but I knew I needed to try some. Dr. Pocasangre’s lecture was so informative. We learned about the origin of bananas, which is in the Asian/Pacific region of the world. Also, we learned about where they are mostly grown in the Americas: Costa Rica, Colombia, Honduras, and Ecuador. The most popular type of banana and available type was originally the Gros Michel. But this variety was nearly wiped out by the Mal de Panama disease. Now, the most common type of banana is the cavendish, it does not have nearly as much flavor! Later the next week during our stay Professor Pocasangre brought us a bunch of different types of bananas to try! It was a great experience to try all the banana varieties side by side. It was a great experience to try all the different types of bananas and one of my favorite parts of the trip!

   

Maya Lantgios
Undergraduate Sustainability Program

14 Days on EARTH

It took two whole days, an uncomfortable night on an airport floor, several misplaced bags of luggage, and a rental car from Cleveland, but I’m happy to report that the group successfully made it home from Costa Rica! While we were incredibly sad to say goodbye, we look forward to bringing all the things we learned from EARTH back with us to Chatham and to Eden Hall as we start the new school year.

This course was an amazing, eye-opening experience for me. While the trip and course content was focused specifically on agriculture, really there was so much being offered, so much that we got to experience, that anyone, no matter their background or personal interests, could benefit from it. From the farmstays to the food processing lab, the banana plantation to the integrated organic farm, all of the tours and lectures that we had were captivating. During our Chatham group reflections, we realized that this trip was having a profound effect on our world view and the way we look at food and agriculture. For myself, I had never considered myself “business-minded” before and had never really put any thought into the marketing and business side of Food Studies. But after learning about EARTH’s entrepreneurship projects that are integrated into the core curriculum, I found myself fascinated by the breadth of knowledge and skills these students come away with, and how important these are to create lasting change. My fellow students on the trip commented on how their ideas of “sustainability” and “organic” were challenged after learning about EARTH’s commitment to what they simply call Responsible Agriculture, regardless of labels.

I wish that I could share with you everything that we learned, but there simply isn’t time or space here! We’ve come away with so many new interests and exciting ideas! Hopefully all of us Chatham students from the trip will get the chance to bring these into conversations as we move through our courses and as we build up the Falk School of Sustainability and Eden Hall campus. But for now, for anyone who is interested in what we’ve done, I’ll leave this video here! Hopefully it will inspire you to visit EARTH … I hear they want to make this Global Agriculture class a regular summer program!

Christine Kuhn
Master’s Candidate in Food Studies

 

Matriarch, Farmer & Leader

Meet Doña Lidia.

She is a matriarch, a farmer, a wife, a community organizer, current president of ASOETA (Associación Agroecoturística de La Argentina) , and an entrepreneur. Co-owner of Finca Laureles in la Argentina neighborhood of Pocora in Costa Rica. Lidia is a prime example of how women play a primary role in shaping the landscape and pace of life in this community. Throughout Costa Rica and much of Latin America, traditional gender roles are the norm, but at Finca Laureles—the 12 hectare farm on which Doña Lidia and Don Fernando live and work—those roles are blurred in favor of a philosophy which puts teamwork and sustainability at the heart of daily activity.

 On the surface, this might be hard to see. When our class arrived to tour the farm, Doña Lidia was busy  with her sister in the outdoor kitchen, preparing a farm meal from scratch. She was also the person plating the meals and greeting guests. Between herself and her sister, they cleaned the kitchen and the house. Meanwhile, Don Fernando took care of what was mostly outdoor work and labor—he managed the cows, prepared animal feed, fished and gutted tilapia. As we settled in around the table—from a strategic position by the wood fire stove, Doña Lidia was orchestrating the flurry of micro tasks for the meal through execution and delegation. Don Fernando talked to us a bit about the farm alongside our EARTH University guides, but when the meal was underway and it came time to transition into the rest of the day, Doña Lidia was the catalyst for action.

After a day of being on the farm and learning about the chores for the afternoon and evening, Lidia’s entrepreneurial side revealed itself as she explained the way that she and many of the other smallholder farm owners and households in the area organized themselves and created the agroecotourism association ASOETA over 15 years ago—right before EARTH University became involved in helping the farms to develop some sustainable soluitions.  This organization revolutionized the way in which these households made their income. Rather than simply being subject to the whims of the weather and their crops, in just a few short years, the participating farms and households are able to proudly say that they can depend on supplemental income from agrotourism to help stabilize their finances.

As current president, Doña Lidia explains to us that it hasn’t been easy to maintain unity within the group. ASOETA has certain core values that are compulsory for membership in addition to the ability to host guests—among them are, a commitment to sustainability, engagement with agricultural activities, and a family atmosphere.  She explains that they check-up on each other and offer support, but that it isn’t always enough. For the 15 years, since the inception of the agroecotourism organization, the majority of community members have not had the patience nor the financial stability necessary to remain in keeping with the group’s core values. From an original group of 20, only 8 farms remain, with 2 more new farms pending the end of their membership probation period.

It is notable to remark that among the farms in ASOETA, many of the representatives and facilitators (who work with students and groups from EARTH and other organizations that bring tour groups to the region) are the women. In La Argentina, farm income is not just supplemented by the agroecotourism industry, but also through things like sales of crafts and artisanal goods made by the women’s organization.

During the day, it is remarkable that with all of the activity and work that gets done around Finca Laureles, there are moments of quiet and rest. Sweaty from standing over the frying pan and taking afternoon coffee, Doña Lidia sits down at the corner of the table and talks for a bit about her view of life.

 “We are always looking forward, never back….my philosophy is to do what you can do now, and don’t wait, because life will leave you behind. Show your family and friends that you love them, take care of the earth for the next generation.”

Originally from the city, Doña Lidia moved to the countryside of Pocoro over 20 years ago to make a new life with her husband for themselves. Having not had much schooling in their youth or access to large sums of money, together they built their farm from the ground up, with the support of the community and in later years, EARTH University. There are always questions to be asked about whether future generations will be able to live as they are able to, with such a relatively small carbon footprint. For now I can say that at Finca Laureles, their kids and grandkids may have a better chance than most.

Thick, muggy air makes the light refract  in the morning mist that surrounds the farmhouse, and everything is a cast in yellow, as we get ready to leave Finca Laureles. Doña Lidia dressed in a men’s soccer jersey and jeans, slides on her rubber work boots and leaves instructions for the household during her absence. She has a few words with the neighbor helping them to finish a new bodega, and leaves a list of chores for Don Fernando to complete before lunch. Grabbing her machete and waving for the group of us groggy graduate students to follow her, we trek through the field to our next destination, with Doña Lidia leading the way.

Ada Cuadrado-Medina
Master’s Degree Candidate, Food Studies

Putting Philosophy into Practice

I’m sitting in the hotel at San Josè, listening to the city sounds of cars and busses. My mind transports me back to the EARTH University campus, where we woke up to crickets and monkeys on a daily basis. I’m longing for the sound of the morning rain pounding on the roof, but sadly our short class at EARTH has come to an end. Throughout our stay, I met students and professors from around the world, each one impressing me more than the last. I had to constantly remind myself that these students were undergraduates, because their research and entrepreneurial projects were so complex, detailed, and successful.

Charbel, where we met in the EARTH cafeteria

Although somehow, throughout it all, one of the most transformative conversations I had at EARTH started in line for dinner at the cafeteria. Charbel and I met as I filled my glass with blackberry juice, and I awkwardly stumbled through introducing myself in my broken Spanish. I think he could see my struggle, because he responded in English, my relief showing in the relaxing of my face. He told me of his interest in potentially pursing a Masters degree at Chatham, and so I told him to join me and my fellow Chatham students for dinner. We talked about the Food Studies program, my favorite classes, and my research interests. He, like so many of the EARTH students, seemed impressed and intrigued with our program, but I wanted to learn a little bit more about him. Charbel told me about his home in Lebanon, and the opportunities that EARTH has offered him, a smile never breaking from his bearded face.

At EARTH, each fourth-year student must complete a project. This is basically a hands-on research thesis or entrepreneurial project (or in the case of Charbel, a mix of the two). When I asked him about his project, his face lit up and his eyes widened, and before he even started speaking, I could feel the passion he had for his work.  Charbel told me about his work to create an organic pesticide for the control of white flies and aphids. The pesticide is made from of a mix of extracts from medicinal plants, hot peppers, and garlic, and he is testing the effectiveness on the white flies in the Yucca fields, and the aphids in the Cacao fields.

Cacao pods that Charbel is trying to protect with his organic pesticide

While creating an organic pesticide and doing controlled research is remarkable for someone completing an undergraduate degree, I was even more impressed by his philosophies and his knowledge about implications of his work.

“I am not focused on Organic, I am focused on sustainability,” he stated.

I nodded in agreement, and my mind starting turning with questions and statements of my own. Charbel told me that if he was 100% sure about anything with his research, it was that his organic pesticide would not be as effective as the chemicals that farmers are currently using. However, the purpose of his research is not to eradicate chemicals altogether. In tropical agriculture systems, the amount of rain creates a perfect breeding ground for pests and disease, making the use of chemicals customary and necessary for large-scale production. Therefore, Charble’s research on organic pesticides is integral to the lowering of chemical use, and the sustainability of tropical agriculture altogether.

Yucca trees are highly susceptible to white flies in Costa Rica

In America, “Organic” is a buzzword, and “chemicals” creates hysteria and panic in the consumer’s mind. The term “Organic’ has become a part of popular media, and the certification eases the public’s mind about what they are putting into their bodies. However, issues such as poor labor conditions, environmental degradation, and the economic externalities of cheap food are issues buried from the average consumer’s conscious. What Charbel is doing is creating a way in which farmers can lower their use of pesticides, create better working conditions, increase their profits, and promote the environmental sustainability of their land. It’s about creating a well-rounded system, closing as many loops as possible, and respecting the natural environment that has graciously lent us its resources.

While supporting a local farmer is (in my opinion) a great way to start impacting our food system, big agriculture is here to stay.  So how can we, as agriculture and food studies professionals, work within the system to create a more sustainable, environmentally friendly, and humane way to grow our food? Charbel and his fellow students are being trained with this viewpoint in mind, and as they graduate and go back to their home countries, these philosophies will travel with them. The internationality of EARTH’s student body insists that their knowledge will be sprinkled throughout the world, hopefully creating better agriculture and environmental systems for tomorrow.

Cassandra Malis
Masters Candidate in Food Studies

Don Fernando: A self-subsistence farmer and fisherman in La Argentina, Costa Rica

I met Don Fernando Pérez Corrales on the first day of our group’s homestay visit in La Argentina, a rural agricultural community near Pocora, Costa Rica.  He greeted our group with a jovial, “hola.”  Our visit really began once he started showing us how to prepare the animal feed that he uses each day.  We all stand around him, watching intently to see what he is going to do and how we might be of assistance in this task. First, he pulls out a plastic tub full of ground corn, throws a heaping scoop of urea into the tub, and pours about a cup of molasses into the mix.  Many of us look at the bag the urea came in and read the label trying to determine why a farmer would be using a product that we consider to be a fertilizer for plants as a feed source for his livestock.  Don Fernando explains that he uses this product in his supplemental feed mix to improve the beneficial bacteria in the guts of the animals.  Our journey to feed the cattle began as soon as he stopped mixing.  We passed a small vegetable garden, then walked through the pasture where he lets the chickens roam, passed his two pigs, and entered into a tunnel of tropical trees and foliage.  The path is so well defined and full of intentional stops for that allowed Don to point out the ecological use of the plants surrounding us.  All the while, I catch glimpses of wooden signs painted with descriptors in Spanish and English.  After heading downslope towards the ravine, we cross a bridge, climb a small hill, full of rocks of differing shapes and sizes, and emerge into the sun-lit opening to the pasture.  The topography of the pasture, uneven and terraced along the hillside, is unlike any other I have ever seen.  With a view of the Turrialba volcano in the distance, the view is astonishing.  Don shows us how he feeds the cattle and talks to us about the breeds of cows he raises.  He explains to me that his twenty cattle are a cross between three breeds: the land race, the Braham, and the Holstein.       

Don’s farm tasks begin again the next day when he tells us, “Tenemos que trabajar con las tilapias (We have to work with the fish).” Walking along the pond with a white five-gallon bucket in his hand, the pace of his walk and the manner with which he shuts off the valves of the tilapia pond tell me that this is a routine practice for Don.  He demonstrates to us how the tilapia ponds work, continuously pulling water from the waterfall, raising at least 1,000 tilapia, and then the water runs back into the forest and flows towards the river.  After the fish are caught, we clean them and talk about what it means to raise tilapia on his farm.  According to Don Fernando, he would need to spend an additional 1,000 Costa Rican colones per month in order to produce the tilapia at a rate that would be sufficient for selling to a market.  For him, the cost is not worth the benefit of selling them because the market for tilapia isn’t large enough in the area and it really wouldn’t result in enough profit to take that protein source away from the family.  The local tilapia market seems to be dominated by larger operations and does not seem to be a viable small-scale farmer like Don.  After I asked him about how viable a local business that raises tilapia feed would be, he agreed that this would be a more profitable venture.

Later that evening, Dona Lidia, Don’s wife points to a large antique train set in their kitchen.  She said, “Don Fernando spent 25 years of his life working on the railroad systems.”  Don Fernando wasn’t always a small-scale farmer, and the farm’s agro-tourism began roughly 15 years ago.  And his agricultural practices are mostly for self-subsistence, meaning that the food he produces is consumed by his family, and thus he hardly sells what he produces.  Being in Don’s presence and watching him work to produce food for his family while giving our group an agri-tourist experience made me think, is self-subsistence agriculture a feasible livelihood for other families in Costa Rica?

Having seen three small-scale, self-subsistence agricultural systems in the communities surrounding EARTH University, we only begin to understand some of the agricultural systems in play in this region. Each small to medium sized farm we visited implemented similar techniques for growing diversified crops, incorporating raised beds as well as a hydro- or aquaponics operation, and raising livestock.  Alexis Perez Corrales is Don’s brother-in-law and another farmer part of La Argentina’s community and ecotourist association.  Mostly relying on coffee production and agro-tourism as his business, Alexis seems to have a beautiful setup for agricultural production on his 20 hectare plot of land.  These experiences truly made me wonder about the important role that agri-tourism has in this community and what other market opportunities need to be available for smallholder farmers in Costa Rica.  I hope to continue to study how food systems can be modified to accommodate differing crops and differing farming practices for people working within tropical agriculture.  

Gianna Fazioli
Masters of Food Studies Candidate

CATIE [Kah-Tee-Yay] for a Day

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The bottom of the mountainside where the river shaped the base seemed so far away as I peered out of the window of the van. The lush rainforest broken up by clusters of colorful cliffside houses zoomed past as I readjusted my gaze to something that would not induce vertigo. We made this drive through the mountainous region of Costa Rica, home to the Turrialba volcano, in order to visit to another widely respected and well known tropical agronomic research university, CATIE. While CATIE and EARTH Universities both share many common values in terms of their missions for sustainability, responsible management of natural resources, and addressing climate change, CATIE was established far before EARTH. The institution enrolls and hosts students and researchers in graduate and post-graduate studies, and is home to one of the most authoritative tropical agronomic library collections in the world. For this visit, we were taken through a few notable parts of the institution—their world-class germoplasm collection of coffee, the tropical botanical garden, and the sustainable dairy farm.

After what seemed to be endless rain the entire week, the day greeted our arrival at CATIE with some sunshine as we got off the bus and got ready for the first tour—the International Coffee Collection. This collection is considered to be one of the most important coffee germplasm (living genetic resources, such as tissue or seeds, that are usually kept for the purpose of plant breeding, preservation and/or research) collections worldwide. With over 1900 accessions and over 9000 coffee plants living in the collection, CATIE is host to an impressive array of coffee plants which represent about 90% of all known species, cultivars and varieties of my favorite caffeinated fruit.

We walked down the muddy road away from the main entrance of the botanic gardens, led by our tour guide and trained agronomist, Daniel, who works with the team at CATIE to manage the several germplasm collections, including the coffee collection. What proceeded was a 2-hour bilingual crash course that dove straight into understanding coffee’s family tree, the science and the art (read: frustration) of coffee breeding and growing in various climates, and a history of the coffee industry in Costa Rica. We wove through what seemed like an endless maze of coffee plants as Daniel showed us notable parts of the collection—special cultivars, historically significant varieties, experimental hybrids, and the such. The sun was hot, but our curiosity was strong. Did Ethiopia or Yemen have any ownership or rights over their native plants that were taken for the collection from those locations prior to laws regulating and sometimes banning that type of procurement? Why did the natural crossbreeding between two coffee plants of particular families and particular varieties yield a strong hybrid, when the artificial crossing of the same types of parents yield a much weaker one? Why does Costa Rica regulate the types of coffee plants that people can grow in the country?

After soaking in all of the knowledge Daniel had to offer and asking all of the questions that we possibly could about the collection, we headed back down the muddy road to the botanic garden.

We did pretty well for our morning coffee.

A short water break, and the search for shade led us into to a grassy area just outside of the garden wall, where our next guide, Coki, had set up an elaborate table demonstration of tropical fruit that we would encounter along the way. Dressed in head-to-toe quick-dry khaki, Coki enthusiastically goes through the process of familiarizing us with the tropical fruits and even whips out his pocket knife to slice some up for us to taste and smell. Using his 4-inch pocket knife, Coki carefully split open an overripe guava fruit and tore it open to reveal the sickeningly sweet process occurring inside. Passing the sherbet color fruit around, faces ranged between winces of mild digest and smiles of curiosity as the fermenting fruit wriggled with small white worms feasting on the meat inside.

The gustatory and olfactory aspects of our perception are often among the most controversial—they elicit raw, honest, and immediate reactions. Reflecting back on our stroll through the garden with Coki is to look back on a series of divisive flavors and smells punctuated by “aha” moments. Usually our realization was that this ‘exotic’ fruit or seed that we were being shown was part of something familiar to us that we have simply taken for granted or overlooked. My moment of excitement was over the kola nut, the original source of the “cola” in Coca-cola.

After an hour of our garden walk protected by the shade of giant bamboos, tall fruit trees, and the centuries-old ceiba, the good weather abandoned us for rain once again. A few minutes later, we were all sitting, damp and hungry under the closest tent by the CATIE station gatehouse.

A quick lunch break and library tour later led us into a tour of the CATIE dairy farm. Turrialba, where CATIE is located is famous in Costa Rica for producing the country’s best cheese. Alothough we wouldn’t have time to see the cheese makers on this trip, we would get to see some of the cow. In the shadow of 2 volcanoes and the reemergence of sunlight after the midday shower, the mixed breeds of Holstein Jersey, and Brahmas seemed to fit right into the landscape as we parked the bus. The faint smell of manure wafted up as the moist air evaporated in the sun. We trotted through the experimental barns, where calves and cows were separated by life stage and compartments in order to properly manage their feed and track their progress.

When we arrived at the milking barn, the familiar site of a cow manure-powered biodigestor was situated right next to it, ready, for what Coki told us would be ‘full integration’ into the farm itself. These pieces of technology are a staple of sustainability retrofits in agricultural settings around EARTH university and its partners. This one was the first one we have seen functioning properly—the giant plastic cover was inflated into a large bubble, trapping methane gas that could be funneled and used for cooking or to power another process. At this farm, CATIE’s plans to connect the biodigestor to an electric power generator are still on hold after about 4 years of bureaucratic hiccups. Coki explained that in the absence of this equipment, the farm simply burned off the gas. Until it’s product can be harnessed for farm or community use, the biodigestor which runs on farm waste will not be closing any loops.

It was refreshing to see how things were run at this tropical research station and to progress through these distinct, but nonetheless important areas of research for global commodities. Tired, and sleepy from a long day of touring in the heat and humidity, we schlepped back onto the bus and headed back over the mountain towards EARTH. I closed my eyes and dreamed of my next cup of coffee with milk.

Ada Cuadardo-Medina
Master’s Degree Candidate, Food Studies

Ba-te-ba-te-CHO-CO-LA-TE

In the small kitchen of Mama Chepita I looked at a skillet full of roasted cacao beans and wondered how they would become the deep, rich, flavorful hot chocolate I had just drank. In comparison to typical candy bar, her chocolate was far superior. It had a dark nutty flavor that reminded me of a hardy cup of coffee and toasted nuts. It was magnificent. Mama Chepita was darling women who had my full attention and interest the entire stay at her farm. Her cacao farm, La Finca Virgen, was structured like an orchard on a steep sloping hill overlooking the city of Pocora, and the best view I have seen of Costa Rica yet. She grows three varieties of cacao and uses a combination of them to create chocolate. Learning how she creates such wonderful chocolate is a memory and a skill I hope I never forget. She had passion and a deep connection to her indigenous roots and producing good quality cacao. We learned from Professor Pocasangre of Earth University that farming cacao is not the most profitable work in Costa Rica. Many people do it because they feel stronger and more connected to their ancestors by carrying on the production of cacao.

   

I felt a great sense of pride learning how to make this chocolate with Mama Chepita’s cacao fruit. The first step in the chocolate making process is to harvest the cacao fruits, remove the membrane-covered beans and ferment them. The sweet white membrane covering the beans is what provides the sugar for the fermentation process. After the beans are fermented from between 3-6 days, they are dried outdoors in large tin trays with a roof like covering. The beans are dried completely, which takes a varying amount of time due to the extremely rainy conditions. When the beans are dry they must be roasted in a cast iron pan until they make popping noises like popcorn. After they are roasted and cool a little the outer shell is easily removed and the chocolate bean inside is ready to be ground. We used a small table grinder and ground a small amount of beans. Mama Chepita quickly started mixing powdered milk, sugar, water, and the ground beans together in a bowl. She transferred it to the cast iron pot and turned the heat on high. At first there was only a small change in the mixture but then it started to become darker and darker, and thicker until it looked like deep chocolate fudge. The whole kitchen smelled wonderful during the whole process and the final chocolate product smelled even better. Once it wasfinished we poured it into a bowl and sprinkled sugar on top!

If you are having some trouble learning Spanish, don’t worry, just sing this song Mama Chepita taught us:

uno, dos, tres, CHO

uno, dos, tres, CO

uno, dos, tres, LA

uno, dos, tres, TE

batebatebatebate

CHOCOLATE!

And I promise, now you will know some more!

Maya Lantgios
Undergraduate Sustainability Program

Ethics, Responsibility and Universal Thinking………

Our final day on campus at Earth University has arrived.  A little bitter sweet as most of us are ready to go home to see our loved ones (and pets), but I feel like I speak for all when I say we are not ready to leave paradise just yet. This experience has been full of activities, classes, tours, and I dare not forget, RICE AND BEANS.

Earth University thrives on 4 cornerstone values that include Social and Environmental Awareness and Commitment. Personal Development, Attitudes and Values.  Ethical entrepreneurship as well as Scientific and Technical Knowledge.

Our final day began with a very enlightening visit to the Earth University President’s office.  President Jose Zagul has been at the helm at EARTH since April 1, 1989, the year Earth laid its first cornerstone brick.  Many changes have been witnessed by students and faculty alike.  In those days, one single telephone could be found on campus and it went through a switchboard operator to reach the surrounding outside world.  Today the campus has over 400 students and is on the cutting edge of agriculture research and development.  Students from over 40 countries buzz about with rubber boots in tow and rain gear never more than an arm’s reach away. “An education at Earth is more than planting crops.  It’s about diversity and responsibility.”

The message delivered by Jose Zaglul has resonated with me throughout the day.  “You can teach ethics but if you do not practice it, you will not be able to succeed.”  Walking around campus, it is evident that the students, faculty and staff at EARTH are living it every day.  Ninety percent of students at EARTH return to their countries and work in relevant fields.  Eighty two percent of students have a positive social impact on their countries and eighty percent have a positive environmental impact on the planet in many different ways.  These numbers speak to the importance of the mission at EARTH.  For each graduate at EARTH, four jobs are created in their home countries.

Earth University believes that individuals, in the end, will change the world.  I have spent some quality time thinking and listening to some of my favorite musicians on this trip and one in particular has a great message that simulates the feeling that I have on my last day at EARTH.

I leave you with this…..

“When many little people in many little places do many little things then the whole world changes………You see,  I’m just a little man tryin hard to understand, what kind of livin is a life if I can’t stand on my own two feet?………We are looking for the same things.  We are tryin to survive.  But I know each day in life don’t get much easier than the last, so today I’m just glad to be ALIVE!”  (Michael Franti 2010)

Thank you EARTH UNIVERSITY for a wonderful and enlightening experience.  Chatham University is honored to participate in your MISSION.

Scott Marshall
Chatham University, Falk School of Sustainability