The Highland Fruit Tour

Just some of the fruits offered on the plantation

In the first full day experiencing the beautiful Costa Rican air, Bryant Marketing 421 was surely excited for adventure in the highlands. The highland fruit tour, located in the Los Santos area and apart of the Talamanca mountain range in La Cope de Dota, was a perfect way to kick the trip into gear and get the class excited to learn about this amazing country. This farm, owned by Olman Serrano, is an organic fruit plantation up in the Costa Rican cloud forest. This cloud forest is created by the warm Caribbean trade winds combined with the cool air of the Talamanca mountain range which produces clouds that linger over the forests and cause for beautiful scenery. This climate created by the winds provide suitable growing conditions for dozens of 

variations of fruits and vegetables that thrive in this particular environment.

Upon arriving, we met our tour guide Jonathan who was extremely excited to show us everything the plantation had to offer. Once we informed him that we were studying sustainability his eyes lit up and you could immediately tell that we found his passion. Jonathan introduced us to the proprietor, Olman, and our tour was on its way. Before starting our walk through the plantation, we were lucky enough to taste around ten different fruits that the plantation had to offer. Some of the fruits I was very accustomed to like apples and avocados while others were exotic but delicious like the papaya, guava, passion fruit and tomatillos. Because of the perfect climate for growing avocados, Olman’s plantation was home to approximately 12 variations of avocado! It was quite the experience to try all these unique flavors and I was delighted by each new taste.

Avocado tree overlooking the town

After our taste testing session it was time to explore the plantation. I was extremely surprised at the layout of the plantation as I had imagined it to look like a prototypical farm where the crops were neatly organized in rows. This couldn't be further from reality! Because Olman grows 100 percent organic crops, the fruits grow sporadically up the face of the mountain. As we began the upward climb we learned how the farm is able to stay prosperous despite its negligence to using typical fertilizers and pesticides. In order to fight off insects and keep the soil fertile, Olman uses organic fertilizers like bocashi, which is locally made, to stimulate the growth of his plants. In order to keep pests away from the fruit, strategies such as companion planting are used on the plantation. This strategy is simply achieved by planting different “companion” plants such as flowers or mint leaves around the existing fruit trees to draw the insect’s attention away. Jonathan also described the technique of grafting in which newer plants were added to older stems with existing root systems in order to shorten the growing process. It was fascinating to learn just how hard but manageable it is to create delicious produce using sustainable methods.

After seeing dozens of fruit plants on the way up the mountain the end result was well worth the energy expended. The hike up the mountain was long and demanding yet yielded an extraordinary view of the surrounding mountain sides. The small town roads nestled away in the valley below giving rise to the luscious green mountain sides was quite an astonishing treat for our hard work in hot sun. It was immediately apparent to us all that this trip was going to be something special.

What a view!

Pura Vida!

-Billy Carroll (@billycarroll19)