This day was our trip to Santa Maria de Dota, to visit a coffee co-op in the town called Coopedota. After eating breakfast and piling into the SUVs, we were all amazed at how beautiful the drive was. We were able to stop frequently to get some shots, and everyone in the group was so gracious about it.
The town of Santa Maria de Dota was picturesque, occupying a valley surrounded by hills. Most of the land in Dota County (about 83%, if I’m remembering right) is preserved, and so the remaining land is dedicated to producing coffee. The pride the people of Dota take in their land is apparent.
We went to Coopedota for a meeting before lunch, and then we headed to a restaurant in town. You would not BELIEVE how good the food is in Costa Rica! We ate arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) with beans and some of the best avocado I have EVER. EATEN. This means a lot coming from a girl who was born and raised in Southern California.After the Lunch of the Gods, we headed out with Roberto to tour the farms. Roberto is the Gerente General (general manager) at Coopedota, and he was our guide and source of information for the next couple of days. He graciously answered all of our questions about coffee, and the pickers, and the plant, and just about Costa Rica in general.
Before this trip I wasn’t aware of how complex coffee farming is. Much like winemaking, the growing, picking, and roasting of coffee has several steps and many considerations. For example, the term “shade-grown”, so familiar to those of us who love our morning cup, could mean a few things. Some farms use hass avocado trees to provide shade for their coffee, and others use banana trees. They’re complementary plants that don’t compete for nutrients in the soil.
Coming down the hill from the coffee farms, we saw many of the pickers and their families. Roberto said that they’re Panamanians and Nicaraguans who come to Costa Rica to work during the coffee picking season, during which they live in houses out in the coffee fields. I liked the idea that the coffee plantations were providing homes and a way of life in addition to producing beans.
Back at Coopedota, we took a tour of the coffee mill. Or, rather, Ted filmed the rest of the group touring the mill. The sight and sound of the machines working, of all those coffee beans being washed, sorted, and prepared for roasting, was incredibly satisfying.
Coopedota hosted us for dinner, and the food was delicious. (Sensing a pattern developing?) It was nice to relax with good food and beer after our first full day in Costa Rica. After dinner we retreated to our hotel, the name of which translated to something like “Cecilia’s Place”, and it was totally charming. I fell asleep thinking about Costa Rica and how much I was loving it.Did I mention the food was amazing?
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