Spring Break is easily one of the best parts of college. You're finally old enough (at least usually by junior year) to woop it up on a beach with 50 of your buds, or decide for yourself to take a much needed break on the couch with a box of Girl Scout cookies. (Gosh, I wish the real world had Spring Break.) But in the event that you have yet to make plans, you can now visit Starbucks' coffee farm in Costa Rica.
What It Is
For the first time today, Starbucks is allowing the public to visit its 240-acre coffee farm with a brand new Hacienda Alsacia Visitor Center in Costa Rica. Specifically, it's located about 45 minutes from San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, and off the slopes of the Poas volcano in San Luis, Sabanilla, Alajuela.
For the past five years, the farm has served as a research and development hub for Starbucks, helping them determine best practices and find solutions to coffee farmers problems. So yeah, that Skinny Vanilla Latte isn't just made with a shot of espresso, some milk and some syrup; there's a lot more that goes into it.
Although a flight there this month will run you well over $500, the ticket to get in costs only $25, which includes a 90-minute tour, coffee tastings, parking, and a souvenir bandana.
The Experience
A guided tour will show visitors the complete coffee producing process, from the nursery, the coffee fields, the wet mill, and the drying patio. All of that includes an inside look at Starbucks' latest findings from top agronomists including new disease-resistant trees and advanced soil management techniques.
Once visitors have seen how it's all made, the tour ends at a café overlooking the farm with a freshly brewed cup of coffee.
Starbucks has made efforts to make sure that their coffee is sourced holistically, meaning that they're dedicated to responsible purchasing practices, farmer support, high economic, social and environmental standards for suppliers, collaborating within the coffee industry, and community development programs. They're doing good in the coffee world, and they hope this new visitor center, now open to the public, gives their coffee drinkers the chance to understand and experience what all goes into their morning cup of joe.