Greener pastures

We have approximately 15 acres of pasture, which is being overrun by weeds, tall grass, and blackberry bushes that are over 6 ft. high. In Costa Rica, when you live in a protected preserve like we do, if you don't tend to your pasture, after 5 years, it's deemed a forest and you cannot chop trees and clear the tall grass to bring it back to its pasture state. So, we figure it's been about 3 or 4 years since our pasture has been properly maintained. It's time to get cracking! So, we had an idea.

We've offered one of our friends from Copey the opportunity to cultivate all our blackberries, which there are many, in exchange for maintaining the pasture: chop what needs to be chopped, clear the tall grass, etc. In return, he gets to keep all monies from the sale of the berries. All we ask, is a bucketful of berries now and then so I can make jam. We're not renting the land... we're just making a trade. We get our pasture back and he gets to make money on the berries he sells. Win/win. We're all happy, happy, happy!

Not everything in life is about making money... as we're discovering. Sometimes, it's about not spending money... it's about trading skills, product or ideas. Our worth... our value is far greater than a monetary sum. And that my friends, is a beautiful thing.