After being awarded the Pat Cooke Fund last year, I was fortunate to take a trip to Costa Rica during this past  April break.  I brought along my wife and 3 children, and we had an amazing time. 

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The purpose of my trip was to connect with local Costa Rican farmers to learn about growing and farming, and then take the knowledge gained to help my students begin work in the school garden. Through a connection made through a friend here in Boston, I was able to connect with a Costa Rican gentleman named Alexis. Alexis had an interesting back story; pre-pandemic, he worked in the tourism industry as a chauffeur.  When COVID hit, the Costa Rican government enacted strict travel restrictions that limited Alexis' business and impacted his financial well-being.  With few options for work and very little knowledge about farming, he was able to enroll in a government-sponsored program that helped him start a small farming business.  The program was created through a joint effort of private industry and the Costa Rican government to help Costa Ricans citizens create small farms to sell their crops directly to super markets and hotels.   

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My wife, Beth, and I spent the day with Alexis.  Beth is also a Boston Public Schools teacher, and it is also important to note that Beth is fluent in Spanish and was able to help us communicate with Alexis and the other farmers we visited. First, Alexis took us to his family land where he explained about how he got involved with farming.  He described how the Costa Rican government’s program partnered with other countries to plant crops that were once believed to be impossible to grow in Costa Rica, like avocados and chili peppers.  Careful analysis of the soil and the climate and comparison to other countries allowed the government to distribute seeds for crops that would prosper in the Costa Rican terrain.   Alexis shared that his family, who traditionally grew sugarcane, was shocked to see how well the new crops were growing.

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From Alexis’ property, we went to meet Lorena on her farm.  Lorena, like Alexis, had her life upended by the COVID-19 pandemic.  She was a house cleaner until she enrolled in the farming program.  She shared that when COVID hit, she was frustrated and anxious, because she wasn’t sure how she was going to make a living.  The farming program gave her a head start with the materials and supplies she needed to begin to cultivate the land, and she has since continued to make it her livelihood.  

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Lorena was knowledgeable and gracious.  Her farm was a small plot of land, but she shared that it sustains her and her family and that she has partnered with the Four Seasons Hotel and she sells her crops to them monthly.   Lorena really schooled us on the ins and outs of learning how to farm, and shared that anyone can learn how to do it, as she had few experiences with farming prior to the government program.   A few nuggets I gleaned from visiting Lorena’s farm: germination is key, let the plant begin to break the soil in germination before you transfer to the soil, and you will make mistakes -but  that’s how you learn!  Lorena was an excellent teacher, and quite frankly, inspiring.

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1. How have your knowledge, skills, and capabilities grown?

I learned quite a bit about farming.  Some of the lessons are very specific and others are more general.  Here are some of the takeaways.

• Know your seeds and your soil.  Do your homework when it comes to when to plant, how long to germinate, and when to expect to harvest.

• Germination is key.  Don’t start off with your seeds in the ground. Keep them inside to start off with. Don’t put them in the ground until the plants start to break through the soil.

• Keep things organized.  Make sure everyone has a role.  Create systems,  routines, and schedules  so things run smoothly.

• You can’t control the weather, nature, or hungry little animals.  Try to protect your plants, but you can’t expect a 100% success.

• Lorena stressed how she learned so much by just trying, failing, and then trying again.  Learn from your mistakes.

 

2. As a result, in what ways will your instructional (or other) practice change?

 

After meeting with Alexis and Lorena and hearing how their lifestyles and careers shifted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel inspired to help my students get their hands dirty and start farming.  I was hesitant to incorporate farming into my instructional practice because it is an area where I have no real experience or know-how, but neither did Alexis or Lorena.  You just have to make the effort and try, which is a good lesson for myself and my students.

 

3. What is the greatest personal accomplishment of your fellowship?

 

I think just organizing all the logistics.  It felt good to execute the first half of my written proposal. 

 

4. How will your experience positively impact student learning in new ways?

 

Gardening and farming will be a completely new experience for my students.  I’m sure most, if not all, will really enjoy the opportunity to get out of the classroom and work with their hands.  Hopefully, they will learn new skills and gain confidence

 

5. What are your plans to work collaboratively with colleagues?

 

My colleague, Chris Donnelly, runs our school freight farm.  They grow a variety of vegetables and herbs.  I hope to collaborate with him and get my students to work with him in the freight farm and school garden.

 

6. Are there issues or challenges in your school, community or the world that you feel  better prepared to address with your students?

 

In class we are always talking about having a “growth mindset.”  Just because you do not know how to do something at a given point in time, does not mean you cannot learn how to do it.  Lack of confidence is an issue I often see with my students.  So putting them in a position to learn a new skill in a supportive environment will hopefully help them realize that they are talented, resilient, and capable individuals.

 

7. How would you describe to a friend the most fundamental ways in which your fellowship has changed your personal and/or professional perspective?

 

I would say this fellowship experience really showed me that you do not have to be an expert in a particular field or area of study to teach it. There is something very humbling about saying to your students, “this is something I never tied.  Let’s try our best.  See what happens and maybe we will learn a little something and be better off in the end.” 

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Read Jim's Bio and Project