Learn about growing coffee and cultivate biodiversity in San Bosco de Pocora, Costa Rica

Details

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  Description

  Hello! We are Alexis and Dixon, a couple in our 30s who love nature and are in the early stages of farm life. We bought our property in 2022, but really started dedicating our time to producing over the past year. Dixon works remotely in technology from our home, and Alexis works primarily on the farm, but also tutors online. We have three dogs, one cat, and around 30 chickens. We also have cattle. Besides Alexis, one other person works full-time on the farm, and we hire seasonal workers in the area when needed to help with the coffee.
  
  We live in a small town located in the Pocora district of Guácimo, Limón. Our farm is about 15 minutes from EARTH University, a well-known agricultural sciences university. That said, we are very remote, and the nearest small convenience store is about a 40-minute walk (10-minute drive). Larger grocery stores are about 15-20 minutes by car, and more than an hour by foot.
  
  Our approach to farming is centered around regenerative agriculture, biodiversity, and working with natural systems rather than against them. We are interested in soil health, biological inputs, agroforestry, and finding ways to make small-scale tropical agriculture more sustainable. We're also big believers in learning by doing, experimenting, and sharing knowledge.
  
  Our primary crop is coffee, which we just planted this year (2026). Beyond coffee, we have cattle that are being raised for beef production. Additionally, we have vanilla, cacao, yuca, other tropical root crops, and a variety of fruit trees (lemons, oranges, grapefruit, jackfruit, bananas, and many more). Our farm is 22 ha in total (about 55 acres), 65% of which is forest, and the rest is farmland.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help
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  Interests

  

  Sustainability

  

  Pets

  

  Farming

  

  Animals

  

  Books

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Gardening

  

  Languages

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Nature

  

  Fitness

  

  Dancing

  

  Beach

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Hiking

  

  Cycling
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Alexis has a background in chemistry and an interest in soil science and using biodiversity to improve farming practices and outcomes. Dixon is a former naturalist tour guide, with a wealth of knowledge in local species. We enjoy discussing the science behind our farming practices and are always happy to share what we're learning. We also welcome volunteers who bring their own knowledge, experiences, and ideas!
  
  We enjoy cooking and sharing meals, and we provide three meals per day. Our meals are generally omnivorous and include lots of locally available ingredients, rice, beans, vegetables, eggs, and tropical fruits. You're also welcome to enjoy fresh fruit and eggs from the farm throughout the day. We can accommodate vegetarian diets and are happy to discuss other dietary requirements before your arrival so we can make sure it's a good fit.
  
  When we have free time, we enjoy bird-watching, hiking, swimming in the river, or dancing (we take weekly Latin dance classes - volunteers are free to tag along!)
  
  Within walking distance of our house, you can swim in the clear waters of the nearby river, try ice cream at a local milk farm, hike, and mountain bike. By car or bike, you can also visit several waterfalls in the area and the nearby towns.
  
  We enjoy exchanging ideas and learning from one another, so if you have experience or an interest in agriculture, gardening, biology, ecology, animal care, or sustainability, we'd love to hear about it! We're also happy to host people who just want to experience a different way of life, connect with nature, practice their Spanish, and enjoy the slower pace of a rural Costa Rican community.

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  Help

  Projects we're currently doing:
  - Coffee plantation maintenance and development
  - Composting and vermicomposting
  - chickens and cattle
  - Maintaining cacao, vanilla, fruit trees, and a small vegetable garden
  
  Projects we're excited to develop or expand:
  - Improving our chicken housing and feeding systems
  - Expanding rainwater harvesting
  - Preparing biological fertilizers and soil amendments
  - Installing additional biogardens for grey-water processing
  - Experimenting with black soldier fly larvae production
  - Planting peanuts
  
  We enjoy hosting curious, independent, and enthusiastic people who are interested in learning about tropical agriculture and rural life in Costa Rica. You don't need previous farming experience, but we appreciate people who are comfortable getting their hands dirty, working outdoors, trying new things, and taking initiative.
  
  Right now, typical daily farming activities include:
  - Feeding and checking on animals (chickens and cattle)
  - Checking gardens and trails for fallen trees or limbs that need to be cleared
  - Working in the coffee plantation (weeding, pruning, cutting grass, planting trees, checking for issues, harvesting, etc.)
  - Maintaining compost piles
  - Feeding the worms and harvesting lombricompost
  - Repairing fences and other structures (chicken coop, corral, etc.)
  - Preparing biofertilizers
  - Working on cacao and vanilla, pruning, mulching, etc.
  - Harvesting fruit, yuca, coconuts, or other crops and processing them as needed
  
  An average day for a volunteer would run like this:
  5:30 am: Wake up, have some delicious coffee
  6:30 - 7:15 am: Feed and check on animals (if not interested in working with animals, could be substituted for other work, or you could sleep in later and work a bit later in the afternoon)
  7:30 - 8:30 am: Get ready for the day (talk over the game plan, get all the supplies together, have a hearty breakfast)
  8:30 - 11:30 am: doing the day's tasks
  12:30-1 pm: Lunch
  1 pm onward: Free time
  6:30 pm: Dinner
  
  Our general expectation is that volunteers contribute 4-5 hours of tasks per day, 5 days per week (M-F), with weekends free to relax or explore.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent
  French: Intermediate
  Italian: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  We are happy to exchange either English or Spanish for French or Italian.
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  Accommodation

  We have a private one-bedroom, one-bathroom cabin available for helpers. The cabin is rustic but comfortable. It has a full kitchen (stove, fridge, coffee maker, utensils, pots and pans, etc.), a desk, and a twin bed. We also have a blow-up queen mattress available. There is internet, but it is a bit spotty because we beam it over from our house. That said, we are happy to lend you space in our house for more stable internet if you need it for a virtual call or whatever else.
  
  Laundry (washing machine and dryer) is available at our house (just 50 meters away from the cabin), and you also have a laundry sink available outside your cabin if you prefer to handwash. Linens and towels are refreshed on a weekly basis.
  
  Note that the house does not have hot water; the water is at natural temperature, which isn't cold, but also isn't warm. It feels great on a hot day and will wake you up in the morning!

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  Your afternoons and evenings are free - most of the farm work is wrapped up by 11:30 am. Currently, the internet in the cabin isn't very strong (we are working on improving it), but it is better in our shared covered outdoor space (rancho), and is perfect for remote work in our house (we both work remotely). We have an outdoor table you can use after volunteering until 10 pm to work from at our house.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have plenty of space for you to park and plug up, and you're welcome to use our covered outdoor area (rancho), which has a full bathroom and kitchen.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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