A Special Day in Life at Garden Village
There are many special days that have happened over the course of Garden Villages life. For me as a newcomer, I see evolution at the community happening just as it does in the tropics, life growing at a rapid pace. Yesterday though, was a very special day, as we were graced with a sugar cane press for making juice. I could feel the excitement coming from Susannah when she first told me early in the day that she had purchased the machine, and I was excited to see what it was going to look like. When it arrived the five of us went out to the gait to greet our new prized possession.
To my surprise, although maybe not justified, beings that we are in Costa Rica deep in the jungle, we were greeted with a home-style machine made from an old Vespa motor, a hand crank, wheels for pressing that were welded together using rebar, and a metal frame. I guess I expected it to be different; my American conditioning pictured something a little more professionally manufactured, but a professional look, I guess, is relative to where you are in the world. I would consider this one of the coolest, functional recreations I have ever used.
As an artist, one of my favorite things is creating something new out of what some would consider junk. That is exactly what the cane press is, a genius recreation of old materials, which for many years to come will bless Garden Village with fresh, heavenly cane juice. Now I would imagine that few Americans in their life have ever experienced the taste of this precious juice, let alone the process of cutting it down, cleaning it with a machete, and pressing it. From root to juice we called it. I can’t explain in words how magical this juice is, it would not do it justice, but I can explain how special it is to do these activities as a family. The sweetness that many people describe in their life is fostered here in this community on a daily basis, and that is something that I will hold dear in my heart for the rest of my life.
Brandon Brashers
January 28th, 2015
The Press!
Hand Crank!
Sugar Cane!
Brandon the Monkey Man!