Organic Cacao Farm In Costa Rica Is Looking for Volunteers

WE ARE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS!

We are looking for volunteers for a MINIMUM OF 3 MONTHS. We are looking for energetic, motivated and enthusiastic people who are interested in organic farming and sustainable living and would like to work and learn with us. Our farm is designed and run around biodynamic permaculture and agroforestry principles - we aim to work with and to mimic nature wherever possible.

Our volunteer program offers the unique opportunity to live with a Costa Rican family, learn about Costa Rican culture whilst improving you Spanish, give back to the local community and live in a beautiful, rugged and tropical environment.

To find our more about everything we do at La Iguana, take a look at our website - www.laiguanachocolate.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Or get in touch at laiguanachocolate@gmail.com

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SO MUCH MORE THAN CHOCOLATE!

This is a working farm, so although we grow, process and make chocolate, it is not our sole focus. Work here is varied and very much depends on the season and the current needs of the family and farm. Each day we get closer to self-sufficiency, however this does not mean that we have any shortage of projects, ideas and things we want to improve here. Besides Cacao, we also grow avocados, beans, corn, oranges, mangos, lemons, pineapples, squash and have extensive gardens which aim to provide the majority of our vegetables, salad greens and medicinal plants.

We try to keep a good balance in the kind of work we do, at times it can be manual labour, which can be tiring and sometimes a little repetitive but we also spend lots of time in our gardens, making and of course eating chocolate, designing and building additional furniture and buildings using timber from our farm, and there are always ongoing art projects and opportunities to be creative.

A lot of time is spent experimenting and improving our soils, compost, organic pesticides and fertilisers. We never stop learning and our aim is for your time here to be educational, interesting and hopefully inspiring, we are always looking for people who have particular skills or areas of expertise and wish to collaborate with us in realising some of our more ambitious projects.

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INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING?

We accept volunteers for a MINIMUM OF 3 MONTHS and ask for 5 hours work each morning Monday to Saturday, with afternoons and Sundays free.

$12 (7500) colones per day

Prices include three delicious and filling meals a day plus accommodation and free chocolate everyday!

Why do we charge for our Volunteer Program?

Basic living costs in Costa Rica (food, water, electricity) are relatively high, so it is simply to cover these basic costs. Unfortunately we are unable to host volunteers for less.

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LA IGUANA HISTORY

La Iguana is a family owned and run farm that has been producing organic cacao for nearly 30 years. Nestled in the secluded village of Mastatal, Costa Rica, La Iguana Chocolate sits at about 1000 meters above sea level in the lush and rugged tropical environment that is ideal for cacao cultivation.

Juan Luis and Lidia started La Iguana in 2005 with their eldest children Marianna and Jorge, however three generations of the family have worked to establish their organic cacao orchard. Their four children continue to live and work with the family on their property.

The work of the farm fluctuates with the weather - the main cacao harvest taking place during the rainy season (roughly May through November)and the expansion of terrace gardens, bean harvesting, and construction projects taking place during the hot, dry summer season (December through April).

Until recent years, the family sold its fermented, dried cacao beans to chocolate manufacturers. However, after the harvest of 2006, they decided to keep a few sacks of beans and experiment with the manufacturing of cocoa powder and chocolate. The result has been delicious, and gets better every day!

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To find out more please feel free to email us at laiguanachocolate@gmail.com