Mighty Rivers Eco-farm, Costa Rica - Jungle Jake's News

Herd of Cows Seen Dining at Salad Bar

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:46:08 -0500

This JUST IN from Jungle Jake... "In observence of Monte's no trespassing order, I sit ensconced behind my telescope on the bank of Deserted River. (The law in Costa Rica says 20 meters on either side of a river is public property). So lately on a star'lit night I watched as Hannah's cows go marching out to pasture and start eating out of this giant salad bar. When a German Red piped up and demanded, "MORE THISTLE PLEASE!" is when I just about fell into the river."

Amazing things actually are happening at Mighty Rivers Eco-farm. Like observing and listening to our animals. Our cows are not just numbers assigned a fixed ration concocted by scientists. They each have names, get plenty of individual attention, and are given a choice in what to eat. Our observation is that when jungle grasses and foliage are replaced by lush, cultivated grass, cows still reach for portions of the sour, bitter or prickly stuff. They show us what their bodies need, especially when they're raised without any artifical hormones and very little antibiotics. Cows are not as stupid as commonly thought.

It is common practice both in rural North America and Costa Rica for farmers to feed their cows a ration consisting of a large quantity of grain, animal biproducts, chicken manure, and hormone altering drugs. We believe it is much more practical and healthy for animals to have a low grain diet and to allow them to graze in fresh pasture grasses which are rotated frequently, insuring that their food is fresh and tender. It's important too, to give them a choice of legumes and large leaf plants such as banana, jute, sugar cane, and shrubbery. Some of these plants need to be cultivated, harvested, and chopped for the animal's consumption. Although time consuming, the end result is healthier meat and milk, improved environment for nature, and animals that live longer.

Whether beef, dairy, poultry, or hogs, we prefer nature's method. It's a beauty to behold, and tastes good, too!!

Read more about SALAD BAR BEEF
Read more about NATURAL DAIRY PRODUCTS

A Lesson in Human Coexistence with Tropical Creatures, Weather, and Plants

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:18:26 -0500

Although richly rewarding, the Mighty Rivers Eco-farm project has not been an easy pull. When we settled here the farm was overgrown in brush amid macadamia nut trees. The nuts turned out to be unprofitable for the elevation in which our farm is located. Our first exploration of the farm grounds ended in our guard dog Monte being seriously hurt in a machete accident. The buildings were unsuitable to live in and were improved while occupied. Our first milk cow purchased locally was the envy of the region, selected for good pedigrees and superior milk quality. To our dismay, Canela succumbed to bat bites and anaplasmosis within a few weeks.

We faced challenge after challenge with climate, pests, bad roads, snakes, fast growing weeds and plant diseases. We suffered loss after loss in adapting to changes in human diet, culture, language, and dearth of sensible advice in areas of vet care, human medical care, and business in general. Not to mention the painful lack of telephone communication from our remote location.

Although a beauty to behold, the jungle is most unkind to humans and domestic animals. In its natural, unmodified state, the tropical jungle, like a snake swallows its prey, will slowly but surely consume any human being attempting to dwell therein. As Costa Rican settler Darryl Cole-Christensen wrote in his book A Place in the Rain Forest, the first rule of survival is to allow some sunshine to penetrate the jungle canopy. Enough ground must be cleared to plant food and build a domocile spared of the dense, wet, darkness of wood and vegetation. Since we were geared to tamper with nature as little as possible, we contacted Christensen at the college he founded called Finca Loma Linda. We sought advice from tropical gardeners such as TICO TIMES contributor Ed Bernhardt, as well as many native Costa Rican farmers who had learned self-sustainability from their grandparents. We consulted plant and animal nutritionists from EARTH UNIVERSITY, who spent endless hours at our farm demonstrating ecologically friendly farming methods. We also gleaned information from CATIE and their large campus library for information on tree planting and soil improvement.

Amid unrelenting nay-saying from native Costa Rican farmers, we imported cattle and horses from upstate New York, and transplanted them to Mighty Rivers Eco-farm. Amazingly, not one animal was lost in the process. We built our herd from this stock, and a mixture of heartier, native animals. We hired pasture designers to help us create a practical feed program for the animals.

Proper research, patience, learning by trial and error, and attentiveness to signals from nature have been key factors of the successful growth of the Mighty Rivers Eco-farm. We have become part of a landscape that attracts a million visitors annually from all over the world. More importantly, we're learning how to tame and capture this awesome work of God's creation, and turn it into something meaningful for humankind to live in, and enjoy. As responsible stewards of the land, we pledge to keep it beautiful.

Our friend and quasi-namesake, the Lapa verde

Sat, 12 Aug 2006 05:12:29 -0400

THE GREAT GREEN MACAW

According to natives, the great green macaw has dwindled in population ever since many of the large Almendro trees (Wild Almond) were taken for their high quality lumber. Guess what we're doing? Planting Almendro trees, a favorite nesting and dining area for the Great Green Macaw, or Lapa. During certain seasons these majestic parrots can be seen flying in pairs in flocks of twenty or so, across our farm.