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Dairy in Costa Rica invites visitors to ‘peaceful place’

By RICHARD SITLER
Indiana Correspondent

SAN BOSCO, Costa Rica — Drusilla Gonzalez describes her family as people of open hearts and open minds. This family, with its Amish heritage, founded an eco-farm on a dead-end road at a point where two rivers converge.

Surrounded by mountains on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, the family of Jacob Lapp created Mighty Rivers Eco-farms. Seven years ago, Lapp and his extended family pulled up roots in upstate New York where they had a successful dairy milking 60 head of registered Holsteins.

According to his Drusilla, Lapp’s daughter, the family was looking for a more peaceful place to live.

“The whole family thing was ... amazing. We did it in faith,” Drusilla said. “My father was concerned with political trends.”

She said that they, “saw freedoms disappearing in the United States.” They started planning 10 years ago, and have been in Costa Rica for seven years.

Lapp grew up Amish, however he left the fold years ago when Drusilla was about 11 years old. When Lapp sold his farming business near Buffalo, N.Y. to move to Costa Rica, they were doing so in the same way their Amish ancestors came to the United States eight generations before.

While looking for a new place to run a farm, the Lapp family already had experience in Central America. Through the years, they took turns serving at a mission in Belize. They helped locals with agriculture. Drusilla met her husband, a native of Guatemala, in Belize.

Lapp chose to relocate the family to Costa Rica because of its history of not having a military. Drusilla said religious freedoms in Costa Rica were a key factor.

For those who are not interested in pulling up roots and relocating to Costa Rica, the Lapp family invites tourists to experience the Mighty Rivers Eco-farm as a visitor.

They have lodging and provide meals so that people can experience the natural setting between the two rivers. Be warned though, Drusilla advised, many people who visit and experience life there do not want to leave.

A busy seven years

Much has happened in their seven years in Costa Rica. Drusilla’s mother died and some of the family members have returned to the United States.

According to Drusilla, the entire extended family did not all come down at once, and not everyone stayed. At first seven family members including children moved to Costa Rica. At one point, six families were living in Costa Rica at Mighty Rivers Eco-farm.
The move was a big step as they were leaving behind a successful dairy farm, and they also had a produce business. The community-orientated family was leaving behind community connections and work they did such as hiring disadvantaged youth to work on their farm.

Drusilla worked for 12 years in New York as a midwife. She said she assisted 600 babies to be born - initially as a student then practicing, and finally as a teacher.

Costa Rica provided new challenges and rewards. Drusilla’s brother, Nathan, bought 44 hectares in Costa Rica. Drusilla describes the farm as a place with fertile soil and is an ideal place for several families. Nathan continues to farm in Costa Rica and also works with Drusilla on the ecology aspect as they look for partners to help preserve the land around them.

Her sister and brother-in-law, Maruricio and Barbara, run the Las Lapas dairy. They milk 14 cows. Another sister, Hannah, is involved in the Lecheria Las Lapas, named for the native green parrots. The Las Lapas dairy produces and processes natural yogurt, cheese and ice cream.

Drusilla runs a business processing natural peanut butter and honey. She buys naturally grown peanuts and only adds sea salt - no sugar. She believes it is the only natural peanut butter produced and sold in Costa Rica.

Conservation work

Drusilla also works on the conservation and eco-development aspect along with her brother, Nathan. They are working to purchase land around Mighty Rivers to conserve a larger area, and have brought in other investors to do so. They have been able to bring in 10-12 families who have bought land.

“That aspect has been really fascinating to me,” Drusilla said.
Drusilla is passionate about their conservation work. She said they have been able to do big things despite limited resources. They have been successful because they have been able to find other like-minded people to join them.

“With limited finances, a person might feel limited in possibilities and in making changes,” Drusilla explained.
She said it is their awareness and presence in Costa Rica that made it possible to be successful in encouraging others to join them in conserving the land.

“We are building - definitely some roots - we have built a community,” Drusilla reported.

Drusilla and Nathan are still looking for people to join them in conserving the land in this part of the world.

Drusilla said there are people involved in the Mighty Rivers Eco-farms from across the United States, from such states as Oregon, Florida, Ohio and Kentucky. She added there are also people from other countries such as the Czech Republic.

11/18/2009