Adam has been a part of Sol y Valle’s volunteer program for the past month. Adam is a Software engineer from California. When asked about what brought him to Finca Sol y Valle he said that he was looking for a change, something new and how back at home it felt like he was just going through the motions of his day to day and needed some sense of direction. Through World packers work exchange programs he found Finca Sol y Valle.
A normal day on the farm for Adam consists of everyone waking up around 5am just as the sun is coming up to start work at 6am. At the farm everyone shares the responsibility of cooking, preparing and even cleaning up after meals. This can be an adjustment for some since Sol y Valle is an all-organic plant-based farm. When it comes to preparing meals, it came with a little bit of a learning curve because you get to choose what you would like to cook as long as it’s vegan. Which can be a fun way to get out of your comfort zone try something new.
As a volunteer at Finca Sol y Valle your days start when the sun comes up and end around 1pm after lunch. At the Sol y Valle, they have a set schedule everyday has a theme consisting of things varying from bio-construction, to working in the food forest, fumigation, planting seedlings to mulching and composting. Some days were spent inside working with the many medicinal herbs grown at Finca Sol y Valle. The work can be taxing at times with such a range of things to learn, but he got to learn all of these skills firsthand.
One of Finca Sol y Valle best qualities besides its beauty that Adam will miss has to be the strong sense of community, the tranquility, and the birds chirping that you just don’t get in some big cities. You spend most of your days working with and getting to know these people and they become a very strong support system for you, especially when you are in a new place. And he is very appreciative with the relationship that he created with Dani, Jeff and Anamor during his time at the farm.
Like many volunteers that’s come to Finca Sol y Valle Adam was taking a moment to reflect on what he really wants. At the end of his time at Sol y Valle, Adam feels like he now has a more positive outlook and is optimistic for the future and is excited to continue his personal journey.
Adam with his very dad jokes was a great asset on the farm; always willing to help! He will be missed, and we wish him nothing but the best.
Sofia Rodriguez-Interviewer
Adam Armin-Interviewee
Oh hey it's me 😀