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Agricultural Fair and Farmer's Market 2008 |
 What do yuca, organic coffee, and black pepper all have in common? They are all grown in the Sarapiquí region. And they were all for sale at the SCLC’s very first Agricultural Fair and Farmer’s Market.
On Saturday December 6, the Center hosted a day-long event dedicated to
celebrating the region’s agricultural tradition, spreading awareness on
organic and local agriculture, and holding a market for local farmers
and families to sell their products. Benefits for areas that support
local agriculture are everything from supporting small and family
farmers in the community to maximizing freshness of produce and
minimizing carbon emissions due to transportation over long distances.
The fair was a step toward realizing some of these goals in the
communities of Sarapiquí.
The Market lasted from early morning to early evening. It not only gave
vendors an opportunity to sell their goods, but also for local families
and visitors to purchase fresh products from members of their
community. 14 vendors participated in the fresh-foods market, and
products for sale ranged from yuca, limes and ayote squash to coffee,
organic composting soil and Bioland organic snack foods. Additionally,
there was a prepared-foods area where vendors sold home-made Tico
favorites such as black-bean tamales and home-made corn tortillas with
meat and vegetables.
To further promote the themes of sustainable agriculture and
consumption, there were afternoon charlas (talks) on three distinct
themes: “Agricultural Cooperatives and Using Organic Compost” led by
COOPESARAPIQUI coffee cooperative, “Eco-Friendly Home Cleaning and
Cleaning Products,” led by FLOREX cleaning products company, and “The
Importance of Organic Agriculture,” led by SCLC high school scholarship
students.
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