The Best Trip of My Life
Randy Richard
LSU Ag Leadership Class XVII
Was I just tired? Did I just have brain fog, or was I actually traveling atop a mountain through the clouds? It was the latter or maybe all three. LSU Ag Leadership and Development Class XVII has just returned from its international trip to Panama and Costa Rica. It was a fun filled trip that included a stop at one of the seven new wonders of the world, the Panama Canal; a marvelous miracle of ingenuity that shaped trade across the globe. Both countries had busy cities full of life with people going to work either by bus, motorcycle, car or bicycle respectively. The service we received from both countries was second to none. Outside of the cities spanned a diverse landscape of crops, livestock, mountains, rivers and jungle. Coastal areas were enriched with fresh seafood markets and beautiful beaches. Central America was a place filled with unique sights and sounds. It made me wonder who could have created such a paradise. As I gazed at the exquisite views inside several cathedrals we visited, I had no doubt only God created such beauty and life. Robert Duncan, fellow class member, asked the priest of the Metropolitan Cathedral in San José to bless Class XVII. That was a very special moment for all of us.
The natural beauty of Costa Rica is stunning, often blending natural surroundings and agriculture together seamlessly. Part of the landscape here is a working palmito (heart of palm) farm. Mixed in with the trees are ornamentals and fruit trees, designed to attract wildlife.
Agriculture dominated the useful land even amongst the mountains where coffee and sugarcane are grown and harvested by hand. We saw tiny waterfalls, creeks and raging rivers that cut through the mountains. Water rushed its way down to ultimately join either the Caribbean Sea or the Pacific Ocean on the other side. Some waterways were crystal clear while others carried sediment and were a familiar murky color.
Pineapples require extensive labor to both plant and harvest. A team of 12 workers can plant about two acres a day, which is more than 5,000 pineapples! Like the US, Costa Rica relies heavily on foreign farm labor, most of which comes from Nicaragua.
Our director, Dr. Bobby Soileau, briefed the class prior to the trip about the food. We were expecting to have the same old same old cuisine each day, beans and rice. Though we had our fair share of that, I was presently surprised by the variety of new foods I tried and the wonderful new flavors my tongue got to taste. I don’t know how many times I’ve said or I’ve heard someone say “this is good.” The plantain wasn’t my favorite, but I sure enjoyed the beans and rice.
Randy Richard and his wife, Katie, enjoy a piña colada after touring a pineapple plantation in Costa Rica. While the group enjoyed a lot of pineapple treats, the industry here is serious business. This one farm grows more than 6.5 million pineapples a year.
Reflecting on the past three years of building friendships, character, confidence, knowledge and leadership, I realized that the cream rises to the top just like I leaned the best pineapples float. Pineapples must be handled with care. They need to be protected. They are sweet, delicate and precious which is symbolic of my wife Katie Richard. While in the metropolitan areas of Panama and Costa Rica, she was my pineapple. I sometimes felt the need to shield her from harm because of the many homeless men begging us for money or insisting we buy their fake Rolex watch as we walked the streets of Panama City and San José, though I did drop some Colón (the currency of Costa Rica named after Christopher Columbus) into a cup of a homeless man sleeping in the street with not much more than the shoes on his feet. I’m happy Katie had the opportunity to join us on the trip and proud that she earned a spot on the roster of the next class, Class XVIII. We encourage that class to make the most out of the program, to come out of your shell and practice your leadership skills. You’ll be glad you did.
I could go on and on. There was so much about this trip to talk about, but to wrap up this blog, I can say that this was the best trip of my life. It was a well-planned trip jam packed with agriculture, aquaculture, livestock, forestry, markets, trade and unique culture.
Randy Richard, bottom right, watches while Avery Davidson films the process of planting, harvesting and processing pineapples in Costa Rica. The small country is the biggest exporter of pineapples in the world.
LSU Ag Leadership and Development has been a rewarding and fulfilling challenge that has changed me for the better. Because when you think about it, we are supposed to change. Right? Though I don’t think I’ll ever overcome being camera shy. Avery Davidson, an ag journalist with Farm Bureau’s TWILA team, can attest to my nervousness in front on the lens. It’s good to be home. We’ve traveled countless miles by bus, plane and even a few miles by boat where we viewed crocodiles, bats, iguanas, birds and even a lizard that walks on water. Speaking of walking on water, it brought a big smile to my face along with the rest of the class when we saw our leader awaiting us as we came down the escalator upon our arrival at the New Orleans International Airport. Dr. Soileau had to rush home mid-trip to care for a family member due to a medical emergency. He always told us that family comes first and he stands by his convictions, which is most honorable. Dr. Soileau has shown yet another class of 23 what leadership looks like and we think he, too, can walk on water. I can’t wait to see all of you again in February for graduation and to receive my diploma.
There's #nofilter on this pic--the colors of birds and fruit in Costa Rica are just that vibrant! This is a red-legged honeycreeper, feeding on fruit left out on a palmito farm. Wildlife and farming live in harmony here, both of which make for great agro-tourism enterprises as the country sees a boom in tourism. Costa Rica has positioned itself on ecologically-minded practices, while still struggling to make feed its populace.