Off the Grid in Costa Rica: Part 2





We ate lunch back at the lodge - a delicious meal of steak, local vegetables, rice, and beans. It’s incredible to see the sustainability of the farm in everything that they do, from the food we were given to the electricity generated by their hydroelectric power plant. They have cows and bulls on the land, free roaming chickens, horses, pineapple trees, mango trees, and avocados. Not only has Roberto’s family been producing coffee since 1898, they also have an off-site dried fruit plant, where Roberto processes organic mangoes, bananas, and pineapples for export.


A collection truck pulled into the clearing. The workers lined up and unloaded their baskets into the back of the truck, where a manager noted the amount of coffee picked and paid them accordingly.

Once the truck was full and the pickers had dispersed, we travelled back to the coffee processing plant, to deliver the fresh-picked coffee. We drove up and down steep slopes, with the sun setting behind the mountains. He reversed the truck into the wet-mill, and the mill workers proceeded to unload the cherries into the water tanks, ready to depulp the coffee throughout the evening.
The following morning was our last on the farm, and it was hard to imagine leaving for home. The lodge staff served us coffee and breakfast, and we took off in Roberto’s truck to visit more of the farm.
We visited a remote plot of specialized geisha coffee plants that Roberto, always interested in trying new things, in experimenting at growing at this high altitude. We then headed down a winding mountain path to visit a plot that had particularly luscious trees, providing shade for rows of new planted coffee plants. The shade trees attract birds to fight away pests, help protect against erosion, and provide shade that allows the coffee fruit to mature more slowly, allowing the growth of dense, flavorful beans. Lastly we visited a nursery, where seedlings sprout and grow to small-sized shrubs for replanting. These are the next generation of Hacienda la Amistad’s organic coffee.
Everywhere we went, I was struck by the size of the farm, the amount of coffee produced, the daily workings and processes, and the thought put into every process. The fact that organic coffee can be grown, sustainably, on such a large scale, and provide coffee of incredible quality, leads me to believe that it’s the answer to the future of coffee.
Thanks to their steadfast commitment to organic ideals, farmers like Roberto Monterro are growing and exporting delicious organic coffee, all while protecting the environment in which it’s grown.
By partnering with coffee producers like those at Hacienda La Amistad, we can provide organic coffee, grown in harmony with nature, to our customers, and also help to elevate the livelihood of farmers. Growing organic, when done right and at high quality standards, brings a premium price. Coffee provides 300 million jobs around the world, and it was an honor to be on the frontlines of coffee production with these hard-working people. This is what coins the term “from seed to cup.” Behind every bean we roast, and every cup you brew, there is a long line of people that worked to bring the highest quality organic coffee to market, by the best means possible.

Hacienda la Amistad in Costa Rica is a role model farm for the organic coffee industry, and a pleasure to visit. Jim’s Organic Coffee is proud and honored to work with exceptional farmers like Roberto Montero, who not only produce delicious coffee, but better their community and the environment in which they grow it.
– J. Cartagena, Cupping Technician/Educator, Jim’s Organic Coffee

Thanks to their steadfast commitment to organic ideals, farmers like Roberto Monterro are growing and exporting delicious organic coffee, all while protecting the environment in which it’s grown.
By partnering with coffee producers like those at Hacienda La Amistad, we can provide organic coffee, grown in harmony with nature, to our customers, and also help to elevate the livelihood of farmers. Growing organic, when done right and at high quality standards, brings a premium price. Coffee provides 300 million jobs around the world, and it was an honor to be on the frontlines of coffee production with these hard-working people. This is what coins the term “from seed to cup.” Behind every bean we roast, and every cup you brew, there is a long line of people that worked to bring the highest quality organic coffee to market, by the best means possible.

Hacienda la Amistad in Costa Rica is a role model farm for the organic coffee industry, and a pleasure to visit. Jim’s Organic Coffee is proud and honored to work with exceptional farmers like Roberto Montero, who not only produce delicious coffee, but better their community and the environment in which they grow it.
– J. Cartagena, Cupping Technician/Educator, Jim’s Organic Coffee