Panama Farm Life November 23, 2025
Early morning. Birds heralding the faint rays of the rising sun. No tap, tap tap. Something isn't right. I hear Codi yelp. The jeffe de finca isn't well.
I launch out of bed and switch on the lights. Start to prepare coffee. Codi remains on the ottoman, his chosen dog bed, and looks at me with sad eyes. As the coffee is perking, I begin to inspect him to try and see what might be the cause of his pain. Ah... perhaps a molar that looks decayed. This would not be the first tooth extracted. Codi is about 9 years old. An age considered 'senior' in dog years.
Codi
Gary joins me and completes a full investigation. Can't find anything other than the tooth. I call our vet and make an appointment for a tooth extraction. Here in Panama, veterinary medicine is a protected profession. Gary can't practice legally so doesn't possess tools of the trade. Nor are many of the newest drugs available here. It makes more sense to rely on the available local vet care.
Politics and the state of the world are the key topic of conversation these days. Not only between Gary and myself but with many of our friends from both the U.S. and Canada. The crystal ball is passed around between us all and we stare hard to see any clarity of path forward through the chaos. Nada. Nunca. Social dinners out focus on who is doing what with their assets back home and here in Panama for the best plan to survive the worst, if the worst should happen. As a child of the Jewish diaspora, there is no getting away from drawing a parallel with the current climate and the times during the rise of Hitler. We feel somewhat more secure here in Panama than anywhere else at this moment.
The farm has enjoyed a bit of a hiatus from the flurry of improvements and construction as the rainy season beats down the activity. Not much can be accomplished in the sucking mud and driving rain. That said, the afternoon rains do provide a soft grey sky conducive to relaxation, naps and.... ants in my pants! I am just not cut out for this inactivity! My list of dry season projects keeps my mind engaged and active and I relish the morning rounds to check on our animals as to who is where and how they came through the night. Check, check and... oh, Porky...check! He is always very happy to see me when I arrive with a bucket of leftover vegetables in hand.
 |
| Dry Season Teases |
One evening, I take a last look around the farm from our terrace. The horses all in their stalls, the stall lights on for the night. Our farm worker knows that the lights are important to dissuade bats from bothering the horses at night and also a signal that I know the horses have been fed and cared for before the darkness sets in. In the morning, the lights are turned off and I know the morning feeding and cleaning is done. Hechichera, Amanda's Costa Rican paint and an older mare, is prancing in her stall. Not unusual. She is a bit of a nervous nelly. The light seems to be playing with my eyes and it appears as if she is splashing in water. Deep water up to her hocks. Hmm. An illusion. I return inside the house and go about my evening.
Morning. No tap, tap, tap. Codi has again yelped in his sleep. The vet could not find anything wrong other than that tooth that wasn't quite ready to be removed. The root is solid and the antibiotics and pain reliever seemed to have help the status. Except, he is still in pain with something somewhere. His appetite is off. All we can do is monitor him and keep him comfortable. For now.
Our farm workers yells... Hechi's stall is flooded! He quickly moves her to one of the paddocks and she seems fine. I pull on some clothes and run down to the stall. A water line behind the cement retaining wall has broken and the stall, a large rectangle with a cement pan, has filled with 18 inches of water. The drains, designed to keep the bedding dry, had clogged with rock and hard dirt over 3 years post construction and the water could not find a way out.
Thank gawd we have a list of reliable guys who know how to fix anything. They know us to be fair and reasonable clients. So, when we call for help, they come! Juan Carlos has done much work for us over the years and this repair, to him, was easy peasey. He manually broke through the cement wall and found the break in the plastic water pipe. Within a couple of hours, all was repaired and the new cement drying. The pipe apparently has a manufacturing defect, a weakness in the pipe running lengthwise, a crack very difficult to see when installed. Over time, the water pressure finally split the pipe. As a result, Hechi has a swimming pool instead of a stall. Don't ask why copper pipe isn't used here. It is all PVC. The only copper we could find are the rods we use for electrical grounding.
Pilar at 18 months
Amanda and Carlos announce an expected addition to their family. A boy baby due in February and named Andres. A flurry of construction commences to add another bedroom to their house here on the farm. Pilar will become a big sister and our grandparenting duties will soon be expanded. I am called into action to oversee the new construction. All in stride.
Working with our new coffee consultant, the producing trees are... producing! Proper fertilization and fungus control was needed. The yield arrives early this season and our new farm worker is happy to pick what is ready. Now is the time for new construction of a coffee drying house. Similar to a green house, this metal and plastic structure allows for trays of depulped coffee beans to dry and be ready for the next steps of the process. Gary and I are taking on more of the processing steps here on the farm instead of selling all of the cherries. As we learn about the coffee processing and where profit is made and lost, we adjust.
Coffee Drying House Example
Yes, a new farm worker. A decision was made in early September that we needed a farm manager that offered a wider range of skills than our current employee. After sorting through about 100 applicants, Amanda and I interviewed 10 and decided on the best candidate. We needed horse care and training expertise, construction trade skills, landscaping and greenhouse knowledge, coffee farming experience, experience with use and repair of all gas powered farm tools, and having a driver's license a bonus! We found him. Samuel. And glad to have him here. Within his first few weeks, the transformation of the farm is remarkable. I can breathe easy once again.
Samuel is straight off one of the thoroughbred farms in Cerro Punta, his most recent employer. These farms breed and supply race horses for the tracks globally, an industry here in Panama that most are not aware of. He was not happy with his employer and was seeking a better situation with benefits for his wife and two teenage sons. Their loss, our gain.
My mother's words once again come back to me...don't pick your nose in public because someone who knows you will see. Double true for Panama. Samuel is related to Leo our saddle maker through a marriage of their respective cousins. And his first cousin, Luis Eduardo Camacho González, is the attorney for Panama's former President, Martinelli. As I drive through town with Samuel to attend an errand, Leo is parked by the side of the road and sees us. A boisterous greeting ensues yelled out of respective truck windows. Many observers. I carry kleenex.
One of Gary's notable attributes is a persistence in achieving a goal. On the 5th attempt to join the local Rotary chapter, he is finally accepted! Many of the doubting Thomas's now realize that Gary is an asset to the club and not just a stubborn Democrat that doesn't drink! Socializing seems to be a big part of the Rotarian membership here. Not that this is a bad thing...
However, Gary is singularly focused on helping to make a difference in the community for the local families and kids. A project he is involved with provides training for the trades. Skilled labor for general construction here is in high demand. One of the Rotarians began a program, sanctioned by the local education officials, to teach those skills. The first six graduates of electrical basics are now destined for a one day course taught by Panama's officials. After passing an exam, a certificate is awarded. Of course, a fee by the government is involved. Gary provided the funds so these kids can complete the process and then find work.
Lilly
Codi's affliction seems to now be in the past. He is back to his prancing and dancing self and happy to be handed a cookie or some of Gary's breakfast toast. Marta continues to mother the two Jack Russells Lila and Lilly. Lila is now obedient and a snuggler at 4 years of age. Lilly continues to run away when called to come back in the house. Maybe in another 2.5 years she will be more like Lila, The Pillow Princess. Porky is now confined to the stall area near Amanda and Carlos' house with the addition of fortified fencing. With this, Samuel is able to replant our pineapple patch. 
Lila
That crystal ball we expats are all staring at gives Gary and I a moment of clarity and the message is... prepare for the worst...by building additional income streams. Gary and I survey our farm. First, get the coffee production profitable. Next, rebuild the greenhouse and start vegetable production. In parallel, acquire the water use permit for the new well and add additional security to the house. Later next year, perhaps repurpose Confetti's pony palace and build a new 2 bedroom, 2 bath rental house. The planning begins!
Wishing all a very happy Turkey Day and December holidays!
