Saturday April 6, 2024.

Insights on Collective Impact Projects 

At Finca La Estancia, the recent months have been busy with activity as the team has accomplished new projects while honing existing initiatives. Lucas Currie, head of Collective Impact at Las Catalinas, sheds light on significant developments within his department while offering a sneak peek into future endeavors.

Community Outreach 

Collective Impact has been dedicated to strengthening our ties with the nearby town of Tempate, the district’s capital. We have extended our support to various community organizations, including kicking off the new year by sponsoring Tempate's inaugural Festival de Luz, a tree-lighting ceremony. The event featured musical parades, live performances, and vibrant dances paired with delectable Costa Rican cuisine. We donated and painted tables with a group from Costa Rica Retreats alongside the students at Tempate´s Dionisio Leal Elementary School. These tables adorn Tempate's square for the event. Local volunteers and Las Catalinas employees joined forces pitching in to set up the bull ring, and, naturally, to participate in the festivities. 

Collective Impact has also introduced weekly math tutoring and English classes at Tempate's Community Center, alongside launching an internal staff volunteer program dedicated to supporting local agriculture ventures like Tempate Springs and Huerta Tierra Mágica. These endeavors provide Tempate community members with invaluable educational resources while ensuring access to fresh produce, fostering empowerment and sustainable growth within the community. 

Las Catalinas hosted Tempate's traditional dance group, Nuevo Renacer Tempateño, for their first performance at Plaza Mercado. 

Steps for Community Outreach in the Next Quarter 

We look forward to expanding our outreach efforts and connecting more guests, homeowners, and staff members with volunteer opportunities within the broader community. We remain committed to supporting local agriculture projects and sourcing fresh produce to enrich our community and the community of Tempate. Please look forward to updates and opportunities to get involved together. 

Animals in Finca la Estancia 

This quarter, Finca La Estancia safely guided approximately a hundred guests through our private tropical dry forest reserve trails and down to Sugar Beach on horseback. We opened a new trail above our hillside lookout point to offer increased variety in our equine experiences and added a new horse, India, to our herd. India’s calm and patient demeanor has quickly made her a reliable addition to our tour group. 

As a fun excursion this January,  we ventured with our horses to Tempate to partake in their lively annual Tope, also known as a horse parade, and naturally, we also stayed to enjoy the rodeo.

Our chickens are thriving. While egg production has slightly tapered off in their second laying year, they are happy and healthy. We continue providing Town's residents, restaurants, and stores with farm-fresh eggs. For many children, visiting La Estancia and meeting the chickens up close to collect eggs from the coop is an unforgettable highlight. 

This past year has posed significant challenges for Costa Rican beekeepers, with delayed blooms attributed to El Niño effects leading to scarce amounts of available pollen in the environment during most of the dry months. However, the saying "better late than never" rings true as our twenty hives are now enjoying the late season poro poro and saíno blooms. We eagerly await the upcoming weeks to harvest honey for the first time this year. 

Steps for Finca la Estancia’s Animal Friends in the Next Quarter 

 In the upcoming quarter, we will welcome new students to continue to develop our horse internship. We also look forward to extending invitations to more guests to explore our apiary to learn more about town's tropical dry forest ecosystem through the unique perspective of our beehives. Additionally, we are excited to expand our horse presence within Las Catalinas. 

Las Catalinas’ Closed-Loop Compost System 

Our compost system is stable and productive, producing an average of 120 kilograms of food waste per day this quarter. The resulting high-quality compost serves internal needs here at La Estancia, while also contributing to local projects focused on regenerative agriculture and soil rejuvenation through substantial donations. We expanded our compost program to include food waste from Casa Chameleon, a handful of homeowners, and the students at Elif Academy. 

We received visits from two local schools in the first quarter. The students learned about our compost process and got their hands dirty helping make bokashi. 

UPCOMING PLANS FOR THE COMPOST PROGRAM

Moving forward, we aspire to involve more homeowners in the compost program in the upcoming months. We are eager to host weekly sessions in Finca la Estancia for the Elif Academy students in the next quarter. 

Other Services in Finca La Estancia 

Our courts were bustling with numerous pickleball enthusiasts this quarter, comprising both Las Catalinas locals and visitors. The courts will be continually enhanced to meet the standards required for competitive play shortly. 

As La Estancia's office spaces are now furnished, we've begun extending our offerings of woodworking surfaces and custom furniture to residents in Town, as well as to the offices in Las Catalinas. 

As the Collective Impact department continues its innovation and growth, we will continue to share their achievements. Keep an eye out for what is in store as Lucas and his team continue to expand their impact. Don't miss the opportunity to visit the farm or join in on their meaningful activities—Finca La Estancia would love to have you.