Today I have a link.

I think this is a thoughtful article about why it is important, from a business standpoint, to work and teach farmers sustainable farming practices.  Take a moment to read it when you can spare the time. 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704608504576208123457763158.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

Growing cacao tress.

Cacao's  history, so far, originates from Central and South America. Cacao trees are rather picky about where they grow.  Left to their own biological devices, it is possible that they would have grown close to their origins and not much farther, since the tree is reliant on animals to open the pods, eat and disperse the beans. At one time, it was Mexico that could boast growing the fine Criollo bean, thus having the best beans in the world.  Mexico's history is rich with stories and pictures (hieroglyphics) of the Theobroma tree and pod as the beans were used by royalty for monetary exchange and religious ceremonies, and, later in history in Europe, of the wealthy who were well aware of the physical effect on people who partook of the chocolate drink.  To that point, a side trip we made while on my Costa Rica Chocolate class, was to a small cafe called Caribeans.  Delightfully situated on the beach front, we drank hot chocolate. When cocoa beans are ground and then pressed through a commercial espresso maker, a hot drink transforms into magical brew that  is thick and creamy without milk.  I  read a description by the character E.23 in Kim, by Rudyard Kipling, who expounded on the effects of taking  small amounts of opium, as giving one heart; chocolate when consumed in this thick,creamy and concentrated form, certainly gives one heart to face the day.  The all over effect of this drink helped with my stamina needed to enjoy that day when we had the opportunity to meet  the indigenous people of Costa Rica, the Bri Bri, who introduced us to their God of the Cacao Tree.

But back on my topic. When you look at a globe, you can imagine a belt centered on the equator to understand where cacao trees grow best.  After subtracting all the water and areas that are too high in elevation or too dry or too far from water, and suddenly you have a limited area where we can get cocoa beans.  Costa Rica is able to grow the cacao tree, especially under the canopy of the jungle, giving rise, literally, to the millions of small midges that pollinate the flowers. But it isn't a perfect environment in Costa Rica for the trees, so it is always a challenge to get a high crop yield from the farmers’ efforts.

So with care, cacao trees can be planted in places that are humid, without which the seed would not thrive, year round water,  and enough shade and heat to allow quick decay of vegetation, giving rise to the tiny insects who give life to many plants and animals, and made my life a bit miserable by their sheer numbers.

The second day of our class...

began with a long drive to Finmac, a cacao farm owned by Hugo Hemelink.  He is dedicated to organic farming and the men and women who work for him seem to like and respect him very much.

If you look closely, near the middle of the picture above, you will see a sloth.  One man showed us his scars that were on his arms from the bites of these beautiful and slow creatures.While they are slow, they are quick to protect themselves if they feel endangered. 

At Finmac, we see an incredibly well managed farm, and the intense use of human labor.  Like most fruits and vegetables grown in this country,  it is often on the sturdy backs of men or mules that food, and here cacao, is carried.  In the picture below, this man is doing the pulling of this train of beans. Because Finmac is a certified organic farm, the use of mules and their byproduct is not worth the expense or spread of disease,  so it is men that harvest, clear and transport these beans to the building where the beans will be fermented, the next important process of creating chocolate flavor. 

A flowering cocoa tree...

came as a huge surprise, especially seeing the flowers, not on the end of newly grown branches but directly on the trunk of the tree.  Some flowers looked like orchids, as the one in this picture,  and some were little sprays of tiny flowers. So the chocolates, truffles and candies we eat, start out in an array of visual beauty and end in an array of delectable flavors.  How wonderful is that?

Costa Rica - March 7, 2010

Arrived by plane to San Jose, Costa Rica in the late evening of March 7, 2010, in tandem with a large storm (I say tandem because it felt similar to being in the stoker position of a bike, a position that leaves you without much control), becoming the scariest landing I have ever experienced.   With one wing pointing down towards the runway as the plane was buffeted by winds, there was a moment of uncertainty whether we would be able to land without breaking up into tiny pieces on the runway, when the plane quickly righted and bounced along until we came to a near stop and then to taxi mode.  You could hear everyone let out their breath at the same time, as all of the passengers realized that the plane was in one piece. 

 

Luckily, my chocolate was in one piece in the bin above my head.

I was met by friends at the airport, a couple of days before my class started the following Monday.  Their hospitality was wonderful and on a whim, they took me to a coffee plantation tour that was delightful.  From that tour I heard about how farms of all types in Costa Rica are working towards organic procedures, sustainability of the produce and the jungle, and keeping waste from entering their water systems.  Costa Rica is only beginning to understand that, although their country does not have minerals or precious gems, their jungle is a national treasure and should be protected for a variety of reasons.  It was a head start on my education of the cocao farms and cocoa beans.