Los Higuerones Cooperativa
Our Mission
Los Higuerones Cooperative serves to promote better economic, social, cultural, and environmental alternatives for the OSA community. Through our work so far, we have learned that a thriving local community and economy that celebrates and honors the abundance of the OSA Peninsula is not only possible, but is already in motion.
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We strive to reactivate local connections in a way that promotes and celebrates equity, biodiversity, and culture in the Osa. As a project incubator and community hub, we work through accompaniment with local producers to leverage resources in response to the most prevalent challenges facing the region. Through organic co-creation and strengths-based direct action, we are dedicated to fortifying community resilience and regeneration.
Our Origins
In 2020, the first projects surfaced in response to the high need of mutual aid that was present in the Osa during the pandemic. We started with regenerating a physical space where people could come together and connect with each other. Over time, different ways of supporting community members surfaced, such as Manos Cambiadas, Cajas Verde, Cajas de Abundancia, and the Mercado Verde. With the intention of spinning our initiatives off into the hands of community members, we continue to build new projects from the ground up. Initiatives, such as Manos Cambiadas and the Mercado Verde, have developed enough to be taken over by others in the local community and our focus continues to be accompanying these initiatives and developing new projects based on expressed needs and desires.
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Are you curious to learn more about our origin story?
May 2020
August 2020
August 1, 2020
August 2021
We started Manos Cambiadas, reactivating a local tradition that invites volunteers to go out and assist local subsistence farmers with tasks that require a larger team effort to accomplish. Since then, 34 Manos Cambiadas have taken place, bringing together over 100 volunteers to directly support the work of 14 farmers.
We launched our Cajas Verdes, which allows people to order a personalized box containing fresh local produce. Alongside this, we initiated the Cajas de Abundancia, which allows people to donate a Caja Verde to a local family in need.
El Mercado Verde was born. This weekly market created a space for local producers to sell their products while also enabling cross-cultural community connection among vendors and market attendees. It has evolved into being fully run by the producers now.
Everything we do is in service to the local community of the Osa.
Our approach begins with building trusting relationships that facilitate accompaniment and mutual respect. This lays the foundation for us to incubate those projects that we sense will directly contribute to a more equitable, resilient, and bioregional economy that promotes solidarity and trust.
Our dreams for the Osa are always evolving in response to the needs of those living here. We have big dreams about the beauty that this place and the people hold. At the same time,we acknowledge that progress is made through small, consistent actions that are inviting others to join us.
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Get in touch if you are interested in offering support!
Over time, other various community-driven projects have emerged, such as:
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Initiating the process of establishing a production kitchen for local producers that want to offer certified products for collaborating with mainstream stores.
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Establishing a system for the ReGenerOsa Collective that facilitates the transfer of resources from people who love and care for the Osa to those doing essential regenerative work in this community.
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Creating tranquil spaces on site for local people to work, meet up, offer well-being services (yoga, dance, etc.), run workshops, and enable social interactions.
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Like life, our dreams for the Osa are always evolving in response to the needs of those residing here. We have big ambitions, yet we recognize that progress comes through small, consistent actions that invite others to join us on the path towards a regenerative society.
14 +
Local producers supported through our work
100 +
Manos Cambiadas
volunteers deployed
750 +
Cajas de Abundancia supplied to families in need