- Farms
- Posts
- People
Resources
El Centro Verde is a place to learn, work hard and have fun in the process.
Depending on the seasons--wet or dry--you can deepen your understanding of Permaculture at work in the highly variable wet-dry climate that is representative of much of the tropics. Wet season perennials and annuals in an evolving agro-forestry system, dry season vegetable gardening, erosion control and water-harvesting/runoff management, erosion control, seed saving, plant propagation, nursery management and much more.
We often have building projects going on and invite you to polish up your abilities or learn with us, from carpentry with local wood, to the ABC's of electrical, plumbing, sheet metal and other skills that will come in handy for a long time.
Interns, volunteers and visitors should be hale and hearty and ready for a life with few frills, but with monkeys in the trees and the beach not far away, a regular destination to cool off after a day of regenerative agriculture with a hands-on approach.
We also have a lending library for those who seek to increase their knowledge base on permaculture, soil management, agro-ecology, etc.
We expect visitors to El Centro Verde to be self motivated, able to work alone or in teams, to be able to adjust to an early routine and be flexible when the situation calls for it. Spanish is helpful but we can help arrange tutorials. Until further notice, visitors are responsible for their own food preparation and purchases.
Depending on the seasons--wet or dry--you can deepen your understanding of Permaculture at work in the highly variable wet-dry climate that is representative of much of the tropics. Wet season perennials and annuals in an evolving agro-forestry system, dry season vegetable gardening, erosion control and water-harvesting/runoff management, erosion control, seed saving, plant propagation, nursery management and much more.
We often have building projects going on and invite you to polish up your abilities or learn with us, from carpentry with local wood, to the ABC's of electrical, plumbing, sheet metal and other skills that will come in handy for a long time.
Interns, volunteers and visitors should be hale and hearty and ready for a life with few frills, but with monkeys in the trees and the beach not far away, a regular destination to cool off after a day of regenerative agriculture with a hands-on approach.
We also have a lending library for those who seek to increase their knowledge base on permaculture, soil management, agro-ecology, etc.
We expect visitors to El Centro Verde to be self motivated, able to work alone or in teams, to be able to adjust to an early routine and be flexible when the situation calls for it. Spanish is helpful but we can help arrange tutorials. Until further notice, visitors are responsible for their own food preparation and purchases.
I spent two weeks with Tom, Goyo and Rene at El Centro Verde. If you like the sound of wooden houses nestled in the Costa Rican jungle, getting up at dawn to the croaking of howler monkeys and iridescent birds to work wood, plant, tend, water, build dry stone walls @font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } or build bridges, well, you get the picture. Tom's mind is worth exploring too, with a wealth of knowledge as deep as his library on sustainable agriculture (agroforestry and pemaculture), the downfalls of not so sustainable agriculture, erosion control, peak oil, climate change, the history of civilisational collapse, how to write crime fiction or the science and the art of surfing amongst baby jellyfish.Then there's the fresh okra, tomatoes, basil, bananas, lemons, cucumbers, pidgeon peas, etc etc etcI could go on forever but I won't. I'd recommend you pick up where I've left off.
Volunteering for Tom Peifer at El Centro Verde was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life! Tom is a natural teacher, and has a way of sharing information in a compelling and humorous way. I learned so much about organic farming, erosion control, irrigation, growing various crops from seed, contour lines, fertilization, and so much more. Tom is a treasure trove of information and El Centro Verde is a wonderful place to visit or volunteer. I highly recommend anyone travelling through Costa Rica to make it a point to stop by for a visit, a short term volunteer opportunity, or a long term internship. You'll be glad you did!
Hello, I'm currently living in Jaco, here in Costa Rica. I'm interested in doing a possible internship, or stay at your farm. I wondering if this may be possible and what my next steps my be to make this happen. Please let me know. Thanks so much for your time. Regards, kyler dressel