Nature’s Design for Farming Coffee

Part 1 of 2

Recently I visited two family farms that are having success with mimicking the biological balance found in our earth’s ecosystem. I love to share stories about how people are experimenting with, and rediscovering nature’s design.

The Roaster

El Toledo Coffee Plantation – Practicing Permaculture in Costa Rica

If you visit Costa Rica, a trek to Atenas is well worth your time. Not only is Atenas known for it’s nearly perfect weather, it is also a friendly town located centrally in the mountains. Coffee plantations are scattered over many steep hillsides, but the El Toledo plantation looks quite different because it follows the philosophy of Permaculture.

“Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than
against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation
rather than protracted and thoughtless labor;
and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions,
rather than treating any area as a single product system.”
—Bill Mollison

While most coffee plantations in the Atenas area are well-groomed mono-crops, El Toledo has welcomed certain native trees and plants, such as bromeliads and citronella, that have unique properties that repel unwanted pests and insects. This helps El Toledo maintain a chemical-free environment. They also raise ginger, garlic, mangoes, bananas, and other tropical produce. They have found that the shade and root structures from  companion plants increase soil quality and retain moisture.

As farmers know, the weather can make or break a season. When one crop struggles, another may thrive. So a variety of income sources is yet another benefit of the diverse plantings. Mimicking Mother Nature’s diversity seems to help beat the odds for healthy food production.

Healthy farming was the only option

When the father of the family farm developed cancer a decade ago, the plantation was in jeopardy of shutting down. So the son set out to learn as much as possible about how to take over the farm—without using chemicals (which they believe was the cause of the father’s sickness). The learning never stopped. The educational tours of their Permaculture farm are extremely popular and there is a demand for El Toledo organic coffee at the markets. Now the family is experimenting with sustainable low waste practices: creating wines and teas from the coffee fruit, using less water for removing the fruit from the beans, and composting.

When I toured the farm in January 2019, the father was actively involved with the farm—I watched him roast coffee beans to perfection. (Did you know that the darker the coffee beans are roasted, the less caffeine they contain?) This family redesigned the El Toledo plantation using Mother Nature as a guide, and they are thriving as a result!