Last Saturday night Emily and I
took a stroll to Rancho el Higuerón
for some cold beer and culture. Serendipitously, a man that asked to borrow a
chair from our table just happens to be a professor in California, a native of
Cuidad Colón, AND interested
in organic farming! Today he and his brother arrived to the farm for a tour and
to share some ideas with Robert. The conversation was engaging, and highlighted
a number of potential opportunities for all involved parties. Collaboration
between Robert’s WWOOFers and our new friends that own farm property could mean
development as a demonstration farm for folks in the area. With several
contacts in and around Ciudad Colón,
our friends could set WWOOFers up with local schools to help them start
community gardens and re-teach what has been lost, as well as Costa Rican
farmers who are looking for volunteers to help but are unaware of programs such
as WWOOF. Our friend’s brother works for the Organization of American States to
translate agricultural texts from French, Portuguese, and English into Spanish,
and is also involved in local and regional sports committees. In one chance
meeting, Robert is now closer to his goal of making a difference and taking
responsibility for the land and people visible from his house.
Before
leaving, our friends asked about our plans for the night, explaining how a
famous Costa Rican band, Gaviota, would be playing at Rancho el Higuerón. Live music, Friday
night, reserved table? As if no was an option! A small group attended later
that evening, dancing to salsa, merengue, cumbia, pop and even a few reggaeton
songs adapted by the group. Quite the incredibly serendipitous encounter…
