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Since arriving in Panama two weeks ago, I have gotten a behind-the-scenes look at Kalu Yala and am very impressed at the hard work being done here. I am excited to be an intern for the next three months and look forward to fulfilling my duty in helping to develop an economically viable, sustainable farming system.

Being a finance major, my background in agriculture is very limited. However, I know that I can combine my business background with my interest in the “organic movement” to produce a guide for wholesome food systems in Kalu Yala.

Orientation week provided me with tons of information about the different focus points of the interns and employees. Whether it’s agriculture, marketing, forestry, waste systems, real estate, or social media, it’s all being done here through the collaboration of our individual areas of focus. Collaboration is key because we can see how our individual research and ideas overlap. I find that being able to read reports written by Kalu Yala members throughout the previous months really helps create a sense of awareness and understanding. Accountability is maintained through a project management worksheet and weekly checklist, viewable to all through Google Docs. It is refreshing to work for a company that is not about hierarchy, but  about learning from one another.

The first week of work has been a bit all over the place on my end as I am constantly improvising my semester goals. I began my week at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and started researching the basics of  agriculture in Central America. I quickly realized that the inability to speak Spanish not only affects my ability to take a taxi by myself, but also limits the amount of available material I am able to understand and use as a resource. Nevertheless, I found some great introduction material to tropical agriculture. I look forward to trying all the new and exotic fruits and vegetables I am currently reading about. Identifying all the native plant and animal species is a current and ongoing task.

I have also been researching the fundamentals of sustainable agriculture and will be working on conducting a market analysis for organics in the tropics. This week I will begin visiting several grocery stores in Panama City and simply record the sales prices. During the next three months, it is my goal to provide Kalu Yala with thorough information of the potential of the farms while considering the benefits, constraints, and alternatives. I will be looking at the entire value added distribution system and evaluate the distribution chain from raw production, to processing and packaging, and finally, point of sale. A large part of my research will be based around previous models created, Niman Ranch, for example. Ultimately this information will be used to determine the potential economic performance of sustainable agriculture in Kalu Yala.

I’m looking forward to planting the seeds for a successful farming program in Kalu Yala! Being a part of this bold movement is going to be very rewarding.