Last year, we learned that with just nine green bean plants (the extra-long ones you won't find in Europe), you can end up with what feels like an endless supply of greens! They were like the gift that kept on giving! Cucumbers? Plentiful, yes, but we had to peel through their bitterness. And our purple sweet potatoes? Planted a tiny patch and they decided to go rogue—multiplied themselves five times over!
This year, we aimed even higher and deeper: beetroot, carrot, celery, all kinds of herbs. Unfortunately, the rain had other ideas and washed our seeds away - greenhouse to the rescue! Tomatoes that got obliterated by leaf-cutter ants last year are now growing strong in their greenhouse sanctuary (take that, ants!). Plus, we’ve got various peppers going strong, but we’re playing Russian roulette with them — hot or sweet? So, tasting is going to be a spicy surprise!
The basil is loving the Osa climate too — both various local and "Genovese" kinds are thriving. And did I mention we planted cacao? We’re crossing our fingers it’ll survive the torrential rains (which aren’t just cats and dogs, but more like entire zoos out here).
Of course, nature isn’t always our friend. The cows next door have become uninvited guests, trampling through our garden and turning our carefully tended garden beds into their own personal dance floor, leaving us with big holes and crushed dreams. But we press on!
Our goal is to grow about 70% of what we eat, all organically. We’re experimenting with everything from good ol’ cow dung to lombricompost (aka Vermicompost), Hügelkultur, and using microorganisms from our own jungle. The soil here is a mix of clay and sand, but it's still very fertile!
In the future, we’d love to invite volunteers to join us in our finca adventure. And our guests will be able to enjoy fresh, organic, farm-to-table produce straight from our garden.
Stay tuned for some fresh, farm-to-table goodness from Finca Guarumo—where the garden is bountiful, the cows are curious, and every crop tells a story.