A Green Mountain with a Valley Just Right - The World Food Prize

Hemken 17have made a conscientious lifestyle choice to farm sustainably. They are also solving a nutritionproblem that besets the Monteverde area, the lack of variety andavailability of quality food produce. The parceleros growvegetables and fruitsfor their ownconsumption and thereis also an active foodsharing network inplace, neighbourstrading or giving onetype of food foranother. This systemworks well; it meansthat the parceleros donot have to grow somany different foodsand that it is muchbetter quality thanproduce shipped upthe mountain and thatsits in the Mercado(market) for however many days. Food sharing is also an indication that the social aspect ofcommunity is alive and well on Finca La Bella.I experienced this sense of community during my time spent on La Bella and it is very similarto my own, solidly-based in agricultureand family. My “project” supervisor,Susannah McCandless,commented to me once as we walkedon one of the many intersecting pathsthroughout La Bella, that she enjoysseeing the paths well worn, becausethat meant neighbours are visiting.Giggling children race on the tinypaths, friends and family stop to chatand the parceleros frequently lendhelping hands to each other. I wasinvited into this community as afriend, told to sentarse, sentarse (sit)when in their homes, served tea,donuts and sweet bread, given an earof maíz (corn) and hailed on the roadnot only in San Luis, but inMonteverde as well. I would encounter Pipito (nickname for José Daniel Chavarría González) on myhalf hour morning walk to MVI as he hauled produce upon hisshoulder house to house, Oldemar riding his horse on my wayto the Friends’ School for Spanish class, and Misael walkingup the Trocha when I was heading down. I would see Gilbrethin the Alto pulperia (small store), Virginia tending hermother’s grave in the small San Luis Cemetery, Don Jovelwith his ever present machete, the ladies of Artesanas FincaLa Bella serving lunch to student groups and Olivier workinghis front garden by hand when I was walking through the San