We are ready for planting!
And I’m back! I spent the last 3 days in Costa Rica, getting everything all set for an efficient and successful setup in July. The very first thing I did when I arrived in Santa Maria de Dota (after having a delightful Americano in the Coopedota cafeteria… man, they do a great job!) was to check out the prototype of the rain-out shelters. And they are going to be PERFECT!
When we were originally planning this experiment, we envisioned something akin to a bamboo lean-to as the rain-out structure design. Simple and easy to construct, but they would be rather flimsy, so not ideal for the intense climate of the mountains. Instead, together with architect extraordinaire and Santa Maria local Larry Windes and local builder and talented artist Julio Urena, we will be installing custom-built cypress structures that are strong, sturdy, and fully adjustable to the slope of the hillside. These structures are truly works of art and will be able to grow with this project for as long as it is funded. I couldn’t be happier with how they are turning out.
Soon after checking out the structure, I hopped into the car and navigated the lush, winding road out to Finca Vino Tinto. At the farm I got to meet with the farmer and his crew and together we began planning the layout of the plots. We didn’t get too much done that evening, however, so I finished up the layout the next day while they whipped up a fence to keep the cows out of the research area. There were 3 young cows grazing in the adjacent area, and they did not seem happy about the fence!! They were sweet, though, and lovely companions for a long, hot day in the field.
At the end of my day up at the farm, I had all 16 plots flagged and ready to go. It was amazing how long it took! You know the saying measure twice, cut once? Well, I measured at LEAST five times. Probably more. I’m definitely feeling the burn of 8 hours of climbing up and down that hillside today! Sheesh.
Anyways, now I’m back in the states and ready for the final steps of preparation: purchase the seedlings, get them from the nursery to the farm, and, as always, keep working to get this project fully funded! I am truly grateful for all the support that has come in from all you wonderful people while I’ve been in Costa Rica. THANK YOU SO MUCH! If you haven’t already, please share this link (experiment.com/coffeeandclimate) with your friends and family so they can learn about the project that you made possible.
Pura vida, as they say!
-Emily
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