Q&A CONVERSATION WITH CORINNE MATTHEWS:
Regenerative Hydroponic Farmer, Educator, Environmentalist, Mom, & Native Meals Advocate
M.F. Espinoza (M): Might you share some highlights out of your background story and inform us concerning the journey that led you to start out farming?
Corinne Matthews (CM): I used to be born and raised in New York and my household is from Costa Rica by means of Jamaica. Costa Rica is my ardour place; that’s that’s love, that’s leisure, that’s life, that’s every thing for me, and all of this farming for me is follow to start out my actual life in Costa Rica.
I knew I used to be going to homeschool my son in 2020 earlier than the pandemic began. And so, in Might of 2020, we have been supposed to start out our homeschool 12 months in Costa Rica. After which the pandemic occurred, and people plans went out the window…
We left in Might [of 2022] and stayed for 2 months; it was like one of the best two months of my life. My first job was as a center faculty instructor. I’ve a science background and love environmental science, one of many topics I taught. We talked lots about various things within the setting. Costa Rica is an incredible place as a result of it has so many alternative ecosystems and climates you can be in. We ended up visiting numerous completely different locations, however my favourite locations have been the permaculture farms.
It was superb to see what occurs when you do not attempt to battle towards Mom Nature and work together with her. You do not see that pale brown mud that so many farmers attempt to develop in. It is so stunning and peaceable; you’ll be able to hear the angels singing once you see these farms! However after all, in the USA, we battle towards every thing, proper? We wish to provide you with our personal means, and no person else is aware of something higher.
So, I actually fell in love with that mannequin. After seeing what was occurring in 2020 when it comes to the meals provide chain in a rustic like ours — the place all people must be consuming three or 4 meals a day with out subject — [I find it unacceptable that] now we have people who find themselves ravenous.
[Additionally,] a few of the extra standard preservatives which are used [in mass-produced foods] …they do not actually know what impact they’ve on human consumption. And I am like, what? What? Why are we utilizing them if we do not know what they do to folks?
That was actually the motivating issue behind me beginning to develop meals.
