An organic fruit and vegetable garden
The fruit and vegetable garden produces organic food that is eaten by the members of the co-op. We grow corn, tomatoes, papaya, bananas, plantains, cucumbers, herbs and spices, and many other fruits and vegetables. The food is all grown organically by members of the co-op with help from our many volunteers.
Dairy cows and pigs
The farm typically cares for around a dozen dairy cows for daily milking and 15-20 pigs for meat. The co-op members responsible for milking start work every morning at 5 a.m. when they round up the cows and bring them into the stables for their daily milking. The milk is brought up the hill into the community grocery store where it is ready for sale by 8 a.m. every morning.
A cage-free chicken farm
The chicken farm was started in 2007 as an independent co-op within Coopesilensio. There are 13 members of the chicken co-op, 9 of which are women. The chickens are raised for meat and sold to stores throughout Costa Rica as an extra source of income for the members of the co-op.
An African palm plantation
Roughly 60% of the 1000 hectare land holdings of Coopsilencio are devoted to the African Palm plantation. The fruits of African palms are harvested by community members and are brought to a nearby processing plant. The plant then uses the palm fruits to make palm oil for cooking and to produce cosmetics, skin creams, and dyes. African palms are the dominant agricultural product in the Pacific coastal region of Costa Rica and the Coopesilensio palm plantation is a major source of income for the community.
Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
Coopesilensio works directly with the government of Costa Rica to house and rehabilitate wildlife that has been confiscated from the illigal pet trade. These animals frequently come to us abused and malnourished. They are frequently released back into the wild after regaining a proper level of health at our facility. We currently house spider monkeys, whitefaced monkeys, scarlet macaws, toucans, and parrots.
