Keirstan: Amo las vacas y los terneros

Today I got to help a one day old cow eat from his mother! He was small and sweet somewhat difficult to manage to help him figure out how to feed, he would suck on my fingers until I could coax his head to his mother’s udder.  Anyone who knows me will tell you that I love cows, they are my favorite animal so I was really looking forward to this part of the trip.  Alex, our wonderful guide and friend started this dairy farm two years on his family land.  He built the barn and greenhouses himself, and has grown little by little from owning 13 cows to over 25 today. His farm is innovative, creative and is built on hard work and determination.  He explained to us how everything works from the milk storage tank to the feeding process.  On his land, there are 22 different pastures that he rotates the cows between every day so that each pasture can regenerate before being grazed again.

One main issue Costa Rican agriculture is facing is climate change.  Already farmers are seeing the effect of changing weather patterns in the form of unpredictable and untimely precipitation events and increased occurrence of pests.  To adapt to the increased and unpredictable rain, Alex and some friends built greenhouses out of bamboo and clear plastic.  This is where the cows hangout before and after milking and when it is too rainy for them to be on the pasture, which can destroy the grass and soil structure.  The greenhouse helps to dry out the manure, which is then shoveled into sacks and spread out over the pastures. Yay sustainable dairy production systems and climate change mitigation! All of the time I had spent in manure management class came to life and it was so impactful to see how the farm runs.  I am also so inspired by how thoughtful and caring Alex is for his farm and the cows.  I learned so much from him and Fabian about innovation, entrepreneurship, conviction and giving back to the community this week and I can relate so much to their work and what drives them.  I am so motivated to take that home with me in the hopes of impacting my own community and returning back to Pacayitas. For my first time truly handling cows, I could not have asked for a more inspiring and educational experience.  Muchos gracias vacas!