Friends of Kopali Communities - Costa Rica!‏

From Jeff
Greetings Friends!

I am proud once again to present to you, Kopali Communities in Costa Rica! It has been a few months since my last correspondence and update to you all. I hope this note finds you happy, healthy and enjoying the new year wherever you may be! 2008 holds great promise for us all! We've got a lot of very exciting information to pass on to you in this update. As always, should you wish to be removed from this mailing list, do not hesitate to let me know. If you would like me to add anyone that you know, please let me know.


"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, you must build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." ~ Buckminster Fuller


Valle de Machuca
Do you know where your food comes from? In a Kopali Community you can live right where your food is grown and raised. You can have 100s of varieties of organic fruits, nuts, vegetables, roots, teas, herbs and medicinals as well as organic, farm-raised chicken, eggs, freshwater fish, freshwater shrimp and clams, goats milk, cheese, yogurt, etc, etc, etc. Just imagine, we have over 60 varieties of bananas! Not to mention over 3,000 pineapples planted, 100s of pumping mango trees, dozens of avocado trees, cashew trees, orange trees, lime trees and a myriad of exotic fruit trees like guanabana, custard apple, sugar apple, durian, breadnut, breadfruit, passion fruit, mangosteen and many, many more! In this tropical climate, almost everything will grow! We can grow food year round, as we're not subject to major seasonal changes. Each home-site (lot) will be flowering with a bounty of consumable and ornamental plants and trees. At the heart of the community exists an organic nursery and garden (photos attached) which is just about nearing completion. Here is where much of the food our residents will eat is born and will be managed by a staff of farmers and gardeners.

Is the water you drink clean and chemical-free or is it treated with chlorine and other poisonous chemicals so it is deemed as "safe" to drink? At Valle de Machuca your drinking water will be from natural springs found deep under the surface (200 ft). Completely safe and free of bacteria, your water will never treated with chemicals. Only pure, sweet spring water. Water is becoming more and more of an issue world-wide. Clean water is a problem in almost every country as groundwater supplies and aquifers are continuously being drained by the ever-increasing global population - especially here in Costa Rica!! Additionally, global water supplies are being destroyed by irresponsible corporations and governments who refuse to stop polluting. Each home will also be equipped with a rain-water catchment and storage system.

Speaking of water, the wastewater from each home's toilets, sinks and showers, will be piped to an on-site wastewater treatment plant, engineered, designed and built by the world-renown Dr. John Todd. The effluent water will be treated by a Living-Machine, a completely biological and ecological system which uses minimal amounts electrical (solar) power. This treatment plant, unlike the conventional and unsightly industrial treatment facilities, will be beautiful and lush - bustling with life - with butterflies and birds, flowers and trees. A truly safe, responsible, ecological and sustainable way to treat and dispose of human waste.

Do you know your neighbors or do you only see them in passing from time to time? If you wish to live in a safe, secure and friendly environment where you can be part of a genuine 'community' setting, perhaps Valle de Machuca is the place for you? Common areas like the nursery and gardens, the yoga/community center, children's playgrounds and communal lands will be host to several events, concerts, workshops, courses, gatherings, etc. In fact, our first Permaculture Course was just recently held on-site at Valle de Machuca. The students were given first-hand experience on a sustainable, super-ecological permaculture community development site! It was a smashing success. Inquire if you're interested in attending the next course.

Residents of Valle de Machuca will be integrated with the local population and not segregated from them. We wish to honor, respect and partake in the local community's customs, traditions and events. We wish to truly integrate into THEIR culture, not to force upon them with OURS. Kopali Communities has recently formed the 'Comision Vision San Mateo,' a commission designed to connect us and to bond our community together with the local community, to stimulate learning and education and to exchange of knowledge and wisdom. Additionally, this commission's aim is to stimulate economic growth and prosperity in a town so desperately in need. This is a major commitment on behalf of our organization, the future residents of our community and the people of San Mateo.

A Postcard from the Past
A Kopali community is a special community. Anything but a simple 'collection of houses' or a place where people can pretend that they're living on a Mexican hacienda (i.e. most 'gringo' developments throughout Costa Rica!), Valle de Machuca is an authentic look into the history, tradition and culture of this magical country. Our community is located on a 45 acre (18.22ha) farm, formerly a mango and tropical fruit plantation. Unlike most developers who buy farms (fincas) here in Costa Rica only to clear-cut the trees, grade the land flat and build conventionally master-planned, gated developments, Kopali Communities endeavors to maintain the agricultural history of Costa Rica while doing as little earth-movement and tree removal as possible - working with the natural contours and protecting the natural environment. In fact, we have already begun our efforts in reconnecting ancient biological and wildlife corridors which ran through this area many years ago. Valle de Machuca will continue to be a farm, celebrating the past while moving into the future. It will be home to modern and contemporary people, living healthy and sustainable lifestyles.

"Doing more with less" is a basic principle by which we live and work. An example of this concept are the roads at Valle de Machuca. As part of our storm-water management system we have built a connected series of ponds, pools and creek beds to control the water from the heavy rains (which cause erosion damage and which foul the rivers and streams) and another series of ponds and pools to raise consumable freshwater fish, shrimp and clams (aqua-culture). From these ponds and pools we've built, we've excavated a tremendous amount of local rock material with which we will build our roads. Talk about using local materials!! This is just one of the many examples of doing more with less - and keeping it local.


What's Next with Kopali?
It is our hope that by June 2008, we will be ready to begin selling lots in our community. Interest is peaking and is coming in from all over the world. We were recently featured in an article by Costa Rica's largest English-speaking news paper, the Tico Times. We also had an extensive interview published in the Atenas Today, an English-speaking online publication in Atenas (home to many ex-pats from the US, Canada, France, Germany, etc.). We're working with our amazing Costa Rican architect, Rolf Ruge, on the first set of preliminary drawings for our model home. We expect the home to be completed by the end of 2008. Sr. Ruge is a devout naturalist and an expert in organic architecture. If you are interested in purchasing a lot, please feel free to inquire.

The construction of the new edition of www.kopalicommunities.com is now underway. Our good friend and amazing web-designer, Andres Calvo, is hard at work getting it ready for re-launch. On our new site, you'll find interactive elements like an online community forum, discussion and bulletin boards, weekly photo updates from the finca, videos, comments from our visitors, etc. I hope that you all register and check back often!

We're planning the first of many gatherings (an encuentro) at Valle de Machuca now (see below). Please do come if you're able. If you have not already, this will be a wonderful time to really see it for yourself, to feel the energy of this land and the incredible valley in which we've chosen to locate and to have a whole lot of fun! As always, please continue to email me with your questions, comments, thoughts, well-wishes, etc. We love hearing from you all and really look forward to being together soon.


Until next time,
Jeff & the entire Kopali Team!


THE "BUZZ" IS ON
Please join us on April 26th @ 11am at Kopali Communities "Valle de Machuca" and experience the most ultra-ecological development in Costa Rica. This residential community boasts world-class sustainable and organic living unlike any other lifestyle environment ever offered anywhere. Located in San Mateo, less than one hour from San Jose, Valle de Machuca will change your thinking about living healthier and sustainably. After your tour , we invite you to meet our amazing friends and colleagues who will offer brief discussions on 'permaculture in the tropics' while enjoying music into the night around the fire, under a sky full of stars. Bring your camping gear and stay the night! For more information contact us at: info@kopali.com / tel. +011-506-2446-37-01



KOPALI ORGANICS
Reinventing How Food is Grown, Bought & Sold

Check out our sister-company, Kopali Organics. They just launched 10 ultra nourishing, energy packed products including organic fruits, a trail mix, and dark chocolate covered treats (like gogi berry, golden berry, espresso beans and more). All are 100% certified organic, the chocolates are Fair Trade Certified, and the mango is the first ever Rainforest Alliance certified dried fruit. You can find any of these products in your local Whole Foods Market in the US.

Check out their website www.kopaliorganics.com for more on these amazing Superfood Supersnacks