Help Pura Vida Culture!!!

“Pura Vida” or “Pure life” is the slogan of Costa Rica. It is used as a greeting and is the phrase to say that I am happy and content with my life. Therefore, in Costa Rica the preservation of nature and wild life is extremely important, this includes keeping the local fruits and vegetables organic.

Costa Rican farms are being abandoned and put up for sale. Why? Because the owners can’t afford to keep them going. Many owners of the farms cannot afford to hire people and the idea of inviting volunteers or anyone to help is still an uncommon practice. This is the beginning of a potentially devastating domino-effect,  which can lead to:
·      Increased poverty rates
·      Increased health risks
·      Devastation of current ecosystem
·      Contamination of local water springs and rivers

This can easily be stopped and or reversed.  With this GOFundMe, campaign we hope to gain the resources to begin to create a new agricultural model for farm management.

As some of you may know, I , Cana Sarnes, spent four months last year in Costa Rica volunteering on an organic farm (El Toledo Coffee Farm) and I now have the opportunity to help revitalize another organic farm (Finca Organica La Nueva Era) that has been inactive for 3 years. I go back to Costa Rica to start this plan on January 22.

Finca Organica La Nueva Era is our starting point. Finca Organica La Nueva Era is located between the mountains of Atenas in the village of Estanquillos. Its altitude is about 1,100 meters above sea level. As of now, it has a small cabin that can house up to 6 people, a small coffee planation, a fresh spring with drinking water, a view of the Pacific Ocean, ample space for food, herb gardens and even a few chickens and cows.



The key to this new farm management model is to include visitors, volunteers, children, adults, locals, and internationals to collaborate in order to collectively manage the farms. We will begin to revive this farm by using permaculture strategies to cultivate the land organically.


We will recruit volunteers in many ways, but the Internet will allow us to reach people from all over the world. We will become a part of  WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) and create a website where people can schedule volunteering on the web. 




 OBJECTIVES
The objectives of Finca Organica La Nueva Era are of great importance because they will benefit the community, which include:

·      The creation of a botanical garden with fruit trees and edible plants.
·      Marketing of agricultural products at local farmers markets from this farm and neighboring farms of Estanquillos in Atenas.
·       To use this new model of farm management at Finca Organica La Nueva Era as a new model for farms all over the country, as well as for environmental studies programs.
·      Construction of cabins in order to host visitors.
·      Maintenance of cabins to prevent issues, such as, termite infestations.
·      Integration of the educational groups from Atenas including universities, schools, educational institutes and colleges in farming and tourism.
·      Organization of tours for school groups, tourists and locals to raise awareness of the agricultural work of Atenas.
·      Protection of native seeds.
·      The creation of camping areas in the forest on farm property.
·      Protection of water from local fresh springs and rivers.
·      Creation of a system of farming that combines the ancient techniques, as well as, modern technology to decrease the amount of heavy manual labor.

Why We Want YOUR Help:
This is a big endeavor.
Right now, it is very important to have a vehicle, preferably a pickup truck to transport plants, trees, soil and people! Since the farm is located in the mountains, it is nearly impossible to transport anything without a car.

Vehicles have a very high import tax of 52.29 % therefore, a used pickup truck costs about $10,000.

If you help us raise $10,000 we will forever be grateful and will be able to begin to transform our idea in to reality.
If we raise as much as $22,000 the remaining $12,000 after buying a truck, will allow us to construct the cabins for the volunteers and visitors.
This new agricultural model of farm management will eventually be used on other farms in Costa Rica.
This will be an amazing and rewarding journey that anyone can be a part of.


We are extremely thankful for any donations people can give!!! Also if you have any ideas and want to be a part of this, please check out the Facebook page  and send us a message!   Feel free to come and volunteer Finca Organica La Nueva Era too! It’s an amazing place with a great view of the ocean and even the Nicoya peninsula! Go swimming in the river, camp under the stars, help in the garden, pick coffee, share in cooking meals together with the fresh produce, and enjoy tours on the neighboring farms! Experience Costa Rica from a different perspective! Pura Vida!

Visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/fincaorganicalanuevaera

(All photos were taken on Finca Organica La Nueva Era, see many more! )