Arenal Vida Campesina

  
Arenal Vida Campesina

Arenal Vida Campesina is a local self-sustained cultural education center, where
interactive educational tours directed to foreign and local visitors, are designed
to teach responsible production in harmony with the environment, to form a change
of mentality toward integral organic production with responsible and environmentally
friendly practicing, while working for the preservation of cultural and culinary
traditions. The main crops that have built up a vast part of the Costa Rican economy
are grown here, including sugar cane, coffee, corn, yucca or manioc, cocoa, bananas,
and plantains, among others. Other non-traditional crops, such as Chinese potato
and yam, are cultivated, as well as a small ranching operation for dairy cattle.

Other activities include reforestation projects with endangered species, and a 
volunteer program, where participants could learn about organic, environmentally
friendly cultivation, cooking typical Costa Rican food, handling, and taking care
of cows, goats, sheep, and chickens, and learning Spanish, customs, and traditions
that are part of Costa Rican lifestyle. Arenal Vida Campesina sponsors and works
together with the Jauuri School, a small project integrated with 42 rural families
that are characterized by their kindness, humility, and traditional systems of
production. The school is located within the community of the Jauuri¬ only 
2.5 km from the town of La Fortuna.