Finca Sonador

The Finca Sonador (also known as Longo Mai ) is a settlement in the vicinity of San Isidro de El General in southern Costa Rica.

History

The Longo Mai movement has its origins in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and France. From young people of the generation of '68, the first settlement was founded in 1973 in France ( " Longo maï " says the Provencal as much as " may it be long "). In the foreground the living together was based on self-management and agricultural self-sufficiency. In addition, a variety of social and political projects were carried out. As in 1979 had to flee many Nicaraguans from the terror regime Anastasio Somoza, the cooperative decided to buy the Finca Sonador in Costa Rica. The idea was to provide the refugees the land available to them and thereby enable an independent life.

After the victory of the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, most of the Nicaraguans returned the Finca Sonador back to their home country. Refugee families from El Salvador took their place, also landless Costa Rican peasant families settled ( including indigenous of the Bribri and Cabecar strain ) and a few Europeans. Today, the village population is mainly Salvadoran origin. Roland Spendlingwimmer, founding member of Longo Mai, oversaw the project from day one.

Many Europeans come and help on the project with, among other things, social servant of the Austrian Service Abroad.

Agriculture

Cultivation includes corn, beans, yuca ( cassava ), bananas, platanos ( plantains ), cocoa, meat, milk, eggs and fruit and covers the majority of its needs. For selling mainly coffee and sugar cane are produced. Half of the area consists of protected primary and secondary forests - the latter being the last remaining large areas of rainforest in the lower layers of the region.

Other Facilities

There are two shops, a primary school with nursery school and two churches.