Hola, bienvenidos a Costa Rica!

Hey this is Jason from Australia one of the partners who was lucky enough to get an opportunity to come to Costa Rica to take part in this Earthwatch experience. I am sitting here in the Tarrazu, Costa Rica thinking about my first couple of days in Costa Rica and what experiences i have had. I am completely shocked (in a good way) about the lots of things i have already learned. The biggest thing that has struck me is the amazing friendliness of the coffee farmers and their families. We all had dinner last night at a farmers family and they were extremley warm and welcoming to allow us all in their home.

We have also spent some time in the farmer co-operative listening to farmers and their stories. Sitting there listening to him speak really brought many things alive for me. It's real easy to forget when your talking about coffee or even having a coffee with friends the people who bring this coffee to you and this is their business. It was really good to hear direct from a farmer about the things they have learnt over the years and their willingness to continue learning through projects like this and how we are going to help them continue to deliver great quality coffee through sustainable practices. I often read about the great things Starbucks does for its farmers but to hear direct from a farmer how we help coffee farmers makes me feel proud to work for a company that allows its partners to take part in projects like this.

I am off now to get ready for our first day in the field. Take care xx