La Gran Vista Agroecological Farm

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Finca La Gran Vista was established on January 16, 2001, as a non-profit project with the aim of spreading awareness of environmentally sustainable agricultural methods to other farmers in the region.

Our mission is to educate and empower local farmers and international volunteers in order to contribute to sustainable agricultural development.

Our vision is to achieve self-sufficiency, sustainability, and agroecological agricultural systems in Costa Rica and abroad.

La Gran Vista operates on a non-profit basis and includes the following key components:
Ecologically friendly agriculture:
• Cultivation of organic vegetables for farm consumption
• Extraction of water for irrigation using natural methods
• Production of organic fertilizers & compost using worms and microorganisms
• Production of fungi as organic pesticide for the plants
• Cultivation of Tilapia (fish) for own use

Special activities:
• Methods in the protection and conservation of soil and water resources
• Production of micro-organisms to break down animal and plant wastes
• Cultivation of medicinal plants for human and agricultural usage
• In rainy season we sow and plant new trees in order to balance deforestation
• Production of natural food and skin colorants
• Cultivation of coffee for own use
• Beekeeping for homemade honey

The manager of the project, Donald Villalobos, is an agricultural engineer who has worked with the Ministry of Agriculture for over 33 years and has seen first hand how traditional farming practices have contributed to habitat degradation in Costa Rica. To bring about change in the way agriculture is practised, it must be demonstrated to the farmers that the new practices are superior to those currently in use. In an effort to foster this kind of change, Donald has set about creating an ecologically friendly farm that uses the land sustainably; in doing so, he has virtually eliminated soil erosion on his property.
The finca receives volunteers regularly throughout the year from across the world, and particularly from the USA, Canada, England and Australia.

Volunteer Work:
The work will include construction, feeding the animals, planting seeds, soil conservation, maintenance of medicinal plants, using and producing organic fertilizer, maintaining the spring-water wells, and harvesting crops.

Donald Villalobos is the Project Manager of the La Gran Vista Agroecological Farm.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.