- Osa Conservation
- >
- Sustainable Agriculture at Finca Osa Verde
An Overview:
The Osa Verde Farm (Finca Osa Verde) is an 10-acre experimental project to transform a pesticide heavy, ex-cattle ranch into a working organic farm and agroecological system. The site will serve as a testbed and eventual regional model to transform unsustainable farming practices into viable systems that support a biodiverse and healthy environment; in terms of both the surrounding wildlife, environment, and the fresh produce from the farm.
The Osa Verde Farm forms a key piece of the holistic ‘Conservation Campus’ which also hosts a Biological Station, BioLodge, 3,000 hectares of private reserve and well over 20km of trails through a variety of wet tropical forest and coastal habitats. Through the creation of organic and efficient food systems that create viable and wildlife friendly habitat, we can better protect and conserve the Osa Peninsula while providing enhancing the livelihoods of residents
Our farm is a learning and training site for local communities and international persons interested in productive, sustainable farming practices. By employing agroecological practices, Finca Osa Verde is investigating effective and efficient approaches to transform degraded lands & unsustainable food systems into productive and viable systems that benefit the flora, fauna, producer and consumer.
We work to ensure that our methods and products are:
Photo Credit: Bryan Rhynes
Working towards a more sustainable system:
The Osa Verde Farm aims to become a working model for the region, where we can demonstrate sustainable agriculture and integrated farming techniques that can be easily adopted by local farmers. These techniques will provide incentives to enhance the native abundances of flora and fauna while improving livelihoods and positively impacting the community. The farm is not only a site for food production but will also be a platform for demonstration and dissemination of best practices. We want to teach others that agriculture and conservation can go hand-in-hand. The incorporation and integration into our conservation teams Botanics Project and Restoration & Rewilding Network will promote organic and sustainable agroforestry to local landowners engaging in rainforest restoration efforts. This will enhance the likelihood that restoration efforts will be long-lasting as opposed to short-lived & reconverted.
We work to:
Why we do it:
Currently:
As the Osa Verde Farm operates jointly with a conservation organization, we are in a unique position to explore many different aspects of agroecology and permaculture. We are working to reach local farmers, ranchers, and community members by inviting them to trainings and events where they can learn about rotational crops, composting, seed-banks, crop biodiversity, and the role that native species bring to an agroecological system.