Would you quit your job and city life to go and live on a farm? Today, with the amount of pollution in cities, hectic and capitalism fueled work life, most people would like to have a getaway. However, what about going to live on a farm permanently? Not many would choose this life, but today we work most hours of the day just so we can afford basic necessities. What if the gateway we choose as an escape from our hectic life was no more just a gateway but a way of life? Would you choose a life in nature, where the air is fresh and the food is organic?
About half a dozen students from Northeastern University enjoyed this experience at a farm, situated in the rainforest 25 southwest of San Jose, where they are doing their co-ops. At the end of the internships, students emerge prepared to live a sustainable life and also professional advancement in many booming sustainability-related fields. The farm was previously a cattle and pig ranch and it was bought by Joshua Hughes and some investors in 2006. They transformed this landscape into a growing eco-village, farm, and reforesting the region, this project is called as VerdEnergia Pacifica. Verde is a community of people who practice permaculture.
Marc Tobin, VerdEnergia’s Education Director says, “Our approach is based on a deep understanding of nature and the traditional practices of some indigenous cultures who stewarded ecosystems sustainably for thousands of years. We use methods from the schools of thought called permaculture, agroecology, and regenerative agroforestry”.
The students who did this co-op said their experience was very great and important and although life in agriculture may seem peaceful and quiet, they realised the need for creativity, problem-solving, and grit. They also loved the whole farm to table approach and felt it’s healthier, exciting, delicious, and a complete shift in paradigm.
Mayuri Talgaonkar