Adding to basket
Maria Teresa is a farmer who works very hard to support her family. She cultivates plantain, yucca and papaya plants, which are the most heavily consumed staples in the region. She lives near the Arenal Volcano in the northern zone of Costa Rica, and began planting pepper plants 10 years ago. Her crops are doing very well, thanks to support from a local agriculture initiative program. Maria Teresa works with her partner, and their children are now grown and live on their own. Her farming and hard work have helped support her family, and she is a very humble, hardworking person who wants to grow her operation with Propica (the company that purchases her peppers and crops).
Fifteen years ago Maria Teresa came to the region, and received a parcel of land in a settlement with the Agrarian Development Institute. She has raised a family and farmed her land through much effort and hard work, and her family has lived off the income she has made selling her crops. She has her own house, and has worked to support her children in their pursuits.
Presently, she is growing papaya and plantain crops, and is living off money from the sale of her produce. The local agriculture program Maria is a part of is encouraging farmers in the northern region to plant pepper crops, a crop that Maria used to cultivate several years ago. She wants to get back into growing peppers, and hopes this will help her generate additional income and increase her farming operation to better support her family.
As a farmer with much experience, Maria Teresa has her own land and a stable business. She wants to venture into planting peppers, a crop that she grew a decade ago, and she hopes to sign a contract with Propica for the purchase of her produce.
Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteer anonymized. View original language description.
