ABOUT THE LIVING LIFE IN COSTA RICA BLOG

I (Vicki Skinner - aka "THE Sarong Goddess") created this blog in 2007 to share DETAILED Finds•Lists•Info•Events•Experiences to help bring more EASE to people living in, visiting or thinking of moving to Costa Rica since DETAILS are NOT easy to find!
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Thursday, May 16, 2013

ORGANIC FERIAS•Farmers Markets & Products in Costa Rica


Here's a list or Organic/Healthy living sources including ORGANIC FERIAS • FARMERS MARKETS around Costa Rica that I'm compiling.  Hope it helps!!!


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 DO YOU KNOW OF MORE ORGANIC FERIAS OR PRODUCTS TO ADD?
I'd LOVE it if you have/find anything else to add to this list as I share it with MANY others!!!
 Email me as MANY DETAILS as you can to 
(I'm SERIOUSLY a DETAILS kinda gal so there's no such thing as too much information to me!!)


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 Here's a GREAT RESOURCE for all things "GREEN" • NATURAL • ORGANIC 
in Costa Rica



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AGRICULTURA ORGANICA
The Main Association for Organic produce and coffee from small, family-owned farms and list of Farmers Markets•Ferias.


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FERRIAS / ORGANIC FARMERS MARKET


SAN JOSE:

FERIA VERDE de Aranjuez
(facebook.com/FeriaVerde  •  2-280-5749  •  FeriaVerde.org)

MY FAV!!!  Exhibition space where agriculture is offered free of chemicals and without intermediaries: a producer-consumer relationship, prepared food, craft stalls, local design, green products and services, music, art, recycling, and family workshops. 

WHEN:  Saturdays - 7am-12:30pm

LOCATION:  San Jose-Barrio Aranjuez - 300 meters North (Guadelupe) and 300 meters West (going against Mexico College) of the Church of St. Theresita. Down a steep little hills in a green Sports facilities space.


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FERIA el TRUEQUE 
(aka BARTER FAIR or Paso Ancho)
(facebook.com/FeriaElTrueque  •  8-415-6558  •  8-365 0548  •  FeriaOrganicaElTrueque@gmail.com)

A small EARLY morning organic market (it was the first organic fair) with about 20 vendors.  Note the parking is on a dirt field so in rainy season . . . 

WHEN:  Saturdays - 5-11am

LOCATION:  San Jose-Paso Ancho  -  200 meters Sur/South of the iglesia/church de San Cayetano - behind the Luterana church, diagonal to the tank house (behind the church in Barrio el Carmen)•diagonal a la casa del tanque (detrás de la iglesia de Barrio el Carmen)

Barter Fair Association - APROCO, Association of Organic Producers and Consumers of Costa Rica

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ESCAZU
There are a few smaller ones in Escazu - on
Wednesday morning • Thursday late afternoon and 2 on Saturdays
Details at:
LivingLifeInCostaRica.blogspot.com/2015/01/OrganicsInEscazu.html


ATENAS
WHEN:  Friday - 8am-? (I've also seen 5am-2pm)
Fresh vegetables, fruits, cheeses, herbs, chutneys, jellies and jams, spreads, eggs, German and Italian sausages. Many specialty items must be pre-ordered or they run out fast.
LOCATION:  Atenas - 100 meters South of the Cruz Rojo, on the right side. There’s usually an Organico sign out front on the driveway. 
http://costaricarealestate-atenas.com/2011/01/15/atenas-costa-rica-useful-information-organic-feria/

SAN RAMON - 3 puestos dentro de la Feria de SAN RAMON (Alajeua)  -  FRI. noon-8pm and SAT. 5am-1pm
     50mts norte de la Universidad de Costa Rica

GRECIA  -  Feria en Finca Grecia  -  1er  SUN. de cada mes de 8am-noon
     Familia Rodríguez. San Luis de Grecia

Mercado Ecológico El Guayabo, NICOYA  -  Todos los días de 6am-6pm
     Del hospital La Anexión 400mts sur

3 puestos Coronado Bandera Blanca  -  Abierto los SUN.  5am-1pm
     Centro Agrícola de San Isidro. Diagonal a la parada de bus

Santa Bárbara, GUANACASTE  -  SAT. 6am-2pm 
     Puesto de Venta Casa del Sol, Santa Cruz

Guápiles, LIMON  -  Feria de Guápiles  -  DAILY 6-10am

TURRIALBA  -  SAT. 6am-2pm
     Al costado del Cuerpo de Bomberos

Sección Orgánica Feria Pérez Zeledón  -  THURS. - 5am-4pm
     En la feria


MAOCO  -  El Movimiento de Agricultura Orgánica Costarricense  226-8914 / 226-6305  maoco1@racsa.co.cr  -  An associations of producers, organizations, people and institutions.  The Movement has developed diverse experiences of production, investigation, qualification, certification and commercialization of organic products, which has given like result a variety of developed experiences, families enabled, efficient productive systems that go from property in organic transition, until consolidated agroecológicos systems.


ORGANIC PRODUCERS (farmers) ASSOCIATION
APODAR - Associasion de Productores Organico de Alfaro Ruiz - 463-2686  463/3057 463-3218 463-3967  apodar_losshogos@hotmail.com (per Susie) - have veges, etc. plants,


ORGANIC FOOD DELIVERY  (they carry MANY other "healthy" things - not just fruits and veges!!)
www.NaturaStyle.com   235-7654 / 386-0092   sylvia.escalante@naturastyle.com 
     Organic foods, herbs, plants, dirt 
     Order BY Thurs. noon for delivery Sat. evening (literally - depends on where you live of course)    (per MKeeler but tell them "Vallarta Vicki" referred you!)  
     I've been using them and I've been pretty happy.  I find their website VERY EASY for me!  Remember these are NOT farms - they are a delivery service so OF COURSE it's going to be more expensive as they get all the products together for you so you're not having to run all over town and back, searching, etc.  You're paying for the convenience (WELL worth it to me!!!).

www.ComercioAlternativo.com    383-5314   info@comercioalternativo.com   110-2070 Sabanilla de Montes de Oca  (more expensive than NaturaStyle)

HiperMas sometimes has a good organic section (not the past 6-7 times I've been there though)
Auto Mercado delivers   www.AMIDomicilio.com   (they have a small organic section)



ORGANIC PRODUCTS IN THE SUPER MARKET
More and more markets are adding more and more organic and healthier things!!  Of course they're more expensive then stuff with additives, etc. but I look at it this way - if I don't start taking care of myself now - how much $$ am I going to have to put out towards doctors, surgery let alone pain!!  NOT!!!  I shell that $$ out now feeling GOOD about it since I started looking at it this way!!

BIO LAND  -  MANY organic snacks and goodies.  Found in most markets (in the "health food" sections).  I LOVE their Sesame Bars!!!
The refrigerated section in markets seem to be adding more and more Soy/Soya products - mainly from Galaxy Nutritional Foods (soy/non-dairy cheeses)
Muir Glen Organic Pasta Sauces
Costa Rican Cocoa Products Company has NON-DAIRY, NATURAL Cocoa Powder (CHOCOLATE!!!)
Soy Fantastico Organic Soy Beverage (I use their vanilla with the above cocoa powder, come to a boil, add some crunched up almonds and voila - "chocolate ice cream"-ish!!!)
Once Again Nut Butters aren't "organic" but they're pure and no sodium or sugar added!!! (I LOVE their Almond Butter to dip my celery in it!!)
Noble Harvest Pan-Pacific Organic Gourmet Seasonings (like Hawaiian Style Spicy Chicken and other tasty flavors to add to things!!)


MARKET WITH VEGETARIAN PRODUCTS - SAN JOSE
Super Sony - Calle 3, between Ave 8 and 10-Downtown (4 blocks Sud Plaza de la Culltura/National Theatre).
I have NEVER seen MORE vegetarian products than here!!!  WOW!!!!  I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!  It's predominately a store for Oriental products (Thailand, China, Japan [the most expensive products.  See if they have non-Japanese products to save some $$], Thaiwan) run by a SOOOOO SWEET Tawainese family!!!  The adult kids speak GREAT English!!!  This is a mecca for Tofu and other delights. Baked tofu, korean style veggie tamals, tofu dogs, tofu chicken, tofu shrimp and crab, bistek, fresh kimchee (HOT), and other "strange things" that will entertain your pallet. Bring a cooler if you plan to by frozen stuff (they have LOTS of options) but its OUTSIDE in the front deep freezer (per mrlee)


HEALTH FOOD STORES  - 
BIO SALUD - They have many natural products and LOTS of imported things including Berkenstocks
Escazu (no longer located here but you can order things from their main office and have it delivered to a store in MultiPlaza)
Curridabat - Plaza del Sol (2-234-2475 / 2-280-7861?)



MISC CONTACTS/INFO
Susie (the EM lady) - 203-1148 - She’s MEGA conntected with the organic community.  She works with farmers/consultant - waste treatment and sells EM  (per Katrina)  info@ecosoluciones.co.cr     www.EMRO.co.jp  www.EMtechnologynetwork.com    

My sister Drusilla offers a few natural products although not certified organic. She does sell an organic honey. On her list of "all natural" pruducts is gourmet ice cream, yogurt, drinkable yogurt, cheese, and farm fresh milk and meat. These are produced on an intensely managed small farm which uses almost no chemicals. She has a distribution point in Heredia.  www.MightyRivers.net   /  2765-1116  /  herb_lady@hotmail.com. (per Nathan Lapp  lappnathan@yahoo.com)    Guacimo, Limon  Mighty Rivers San Bosco de Pocora


I work with a non-profit group of women on the Caribean Coast who make chocolates bars of organic cocoa, which includes bars for diabetic persons.  They usually don't sell the powder form because even though they do the work at the biggest organic cocoa farm of Amercia, the owner of the farm has sold all his production up till 2010 in advance and they just can have what they need for they manufacturing purpose and those are just delicious, and they are looking to expand their bars market.  amazilias@gmail.com /  http://amaziliaz.blogspot.com

Environmental Activists - YISKI   yiskicr@racsa.co.cr  - Maria Elena Fournier (pres) - per Susie


ORGANIC FARMS / LAND
Finca El Lago - Experimental Organic Farm   -  Jack Perella runs organic production gardens in Coronado.  Active in networking farmers, gardeners with organic movement. A.P. 663-2200, S. Isidro Coronado 292-1516  jperella@racsa.co.cr  (per Ed Bernhardt - New Dawn)

There are a few going towards San Carlos - after Sarchi

Lots of organic growers in the area near San Ramon, specifically at Bajo Zuniga and the whole canton of Alfaro Ruiz, they use Bokashi method of composting.

www.intertica.com/matt.htm  / cuencarosa@sol.racsa.co.cr -  Has sections of his land for sale in Orosi Valley good for an Organic farm



RESTAURANTS
SAN PEDRO  -  Restarante Vegetariano - It is on the same street that runs past the church and is just before you reach the railroad tracks on
the left hand side if you are coming from the church.

SJ and Mall in Rohmassuer - Vishnu - owned by Hari Krishnas


COFFEE - SOURCES - ORGANIC
www.TesorosDelSol.com   Janet Blakeley  courtney@racsa.co.cr  (CRL HEAD)  We are a collective of small farmers in the highlands of the Central Valley.    Our project produces organic, shade grown, SHB gourmet Arabica coffee, and treats farmers and workers fairly.  CRL are eligible for special discounts.  To get the discounts, REGISTER and choose the membership category (drop down menu) of ¨friends¨.  You will then be presented with a choice of a different product page, ¨Organic Friends¨. 


GOAT CHEESE PRODUCTS
Located in Rio Oro??, Santa Ana before Cuidad Colon  -  Rocio  282-5820
Goat cheese, goat milk ice cream with peanuts or macademia nuts (TOTAL YUMMMM!!!), goat yogurt (per Katrina)   My former taxi driver Pablo (356-1393) will deliver it for you on Sun. for a fee (depending on where you live but he delivers even on the far east side of San Jose)


MILK - REAL FRESH UNPASTEURIZED UNHOMOGENIZED ORGANIC
Tray shared about a farm in Los Angeles where you get milk and actually see the cows and get to know the farmer.  Here I own part of a Tarentaise cow named Butterscotch!  I think it's nice to be able to have a personal relationship with the source of one's food (unfortunately he can't remember the name)


ORGANIC - CHICKEN / POULTRY / POLLO
PROPOKODUSA (or Pokoprodusa)- Ronny  465-0101 - Santa Rita de rio Cuarto  -  Owned by Menonites.  Free-range, NO hormones (per Susan)  (note - I've heard a few times that some staff members don't seem to be the most happiest children!!)


SEEDS
NEW DAWN   http://thenewdawncenter.org/products.html 
     New Dawn products may be purchased by sending a check payable to Ed Bernhardt BY CERTIFIED MAIL to:  Ed Bernhardt   A.P. 372-8000   San Isidro del General, Costa Rica
Our seeds are organically grown, non-hybrid varieties that can be grown year-after-year in your garden from seeds you collect. Germination guaranteed under normal germinating conditions. Our aim is to promote the use of natural seeds which make up part of the rich bio-diversity tropical food crops. Your seed purchase helps fund New Dawn's educational work in sustainable agriculture for the tropics.

Native Sweet Chile Peppers - perennial bush, good production of sweet peppers.
Native Pumpkin Squash - Can be eaten young like zucchini or mature like a pumpkin.
Vegetable Amaranth - Excellent substitute for spinach in the hotter tropical regions.
Native Basil - Hardy variety with good flavor for salads and meals.
Sweet Cherry Tomatoes - The best tomato for the tropics. Grows well in containers too.
Pigeon Pea - Hardy bean tree that produces a great pea substitute in the tropics.
Jamaican Hibiscus - Beautiful flowers which make a flavorful tea. Edible leaves
Oriental yard-long pole beans - Hardy tropical pole bean for hot climates.
Zinnias - colorful flowers for the garden.
Cosmos - orange variety.
Pau d'Arco tree - Excellent ornamental tree and powerful medicine.
     Inside Costa Rica: 450 colones/packet, postage paid
      Outside Costa Rica: US$2.00/packet, postage paid


ORGANIC DIRT
www.NaturaStyle.com    235-7654 / 386-0092

Pozos de Santa Ana - Flora Vitae - 50 Sur del Automercado  203-4455 - Mervyn Padilla (speaks English) floravitae@racsa.co.cr - nice plants for decent prices surprising.  Has organic dirt and sprays.


ORGANIC - CHOCOLATE BARS
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1134/is_6_112/ai_105371465/print  
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/fundacioncostarricensenaturista
AMAZILIA - 75% organic chocolate bars  Fucona@qmail.com 831-2005 (I met him at Unity 8/05)  255-0873.
Ask for Esteban Brown, he speaks english.  This traditional chocolate is made directly from ORGANICALLY grown cocoa beans from the farm where our husbands and families work. (per Monic Chabot chabote@racsa.co.cr)   fundacioncostarricensenaturista@googlegroups.com 


International Festival of Raw Food Enthusiasts   www.RawWorld.org    Feb. 8-19, 06
RAW WORLD International Festival is a rich gathering of active, fun-minded raw food enthusiasts, including some of the top leaders in the raw community as well as environmental and animal-welfare advocates. According to last year's participants, RAW WORLD is by far THE BEST vacation ever!  Ann Wigmore    800-816-2319 or 707-964-2420


ORGANIC AROMATHERAPY PRODUCTS
BIO BELLA    BioBellaOrganics.com  •  2-262-3752 or 8-393-2401 •  info@BioBellaOrganics.com
     BIO BELLA is a hand-crafted line of organic products made in CR with pure organic essential oils and the finest quality ingredients.  They combine the ancient wisdom of European tradition with the natural healing force of herbs, infused with the high spiritual energy of Latin American soil.  Hand crafted with the intention of reconnecting us with our core being and natural vitality, the high vibration of our organic products create balance, health and beauty from the inside out.
     They're constantly developing new products.  They currently offer the following spa and wellness products:
Refreshing EXFOLIANTS
Luxurious LIP CARE
Balancing AROMATHERAPY SPRAYS
Sensuous healing CREAMS
Relaxing Skin OILS
Tell owner Monika Bingen-Hara that Vicki Connected ya!


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Do you have anything to add/share?????
Email me DETAILS at
LivingLifeInCostaRica@gmail.com



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