A visit with Eugenio, San Luis Valley, Costa Rica

Eugenio has deep roots in the Monteverde community. His family farm, Finca Florencia, was founded by Ramon Leitón and Florencia Méndez, who came to San Luis around 1918 as the first pioneers in the valley. He was student at Monteverde Friends School in the early 70's where he learned a second language, became familiar with Quakerism, and all three of his children have since graduated from the Monteverde Friends School

While Finca Florencia only produces 400 kilos of coffee a year today, it used to produce much more and is the oldest coffee farm in the San Luis valley. Eugenio grows his coffee in the shade of citrus trees, bananas, guayabas and other native forest trees and does not use any chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

As we followed Eugenio around his farm, he spoke to us about his connection to the land, and how he learned the art of planting and caring for all natural creatures from his parents. He made it a point to tell us that he grows all his crops completely organically, and allows the local wildlife to eat whatever they like.

"Every day we enjoy work with birds songs and the wind as a background. Our coffee is picked by family members, de-pulped and sun dried at the farm slowly, usually over 9 to 12 days. All the pulp from the coffee cherries goes back to the plantation to compost in a natural process mixed with the dried leaves from the forest and bananas."

(To see more of Eugenio's farm, see: https://youtu.be/V08afOc0WyY, https://youtu.be/mdCKgGXq5ms )