An Entrepreneur Extraordinaire

Many years ago a young man, Adriano Cabrera, arrived in the Galapagos with only one sucre (the currency at the time) in his pocket. He was determined to make a life for himself, and he began to farm and work. Now, at 84 years old, he is still running his business, and it is the most extraordinary farm I have ever seen.

First, he showed us how he extracts sugar juice from sugar cane. It is a process done by hand, using a large piece of wood that he turns by hand. At times he would use a donkey to turn it, but frequently he or his family would turn it themselves.

Then he takes the sugar cane, ferments it with a bacteria for 24 - 48 hours, boils it, collects the condensate and creates alcohol that is 50% proof. He makes two different kinds - anis and regular - but I have no idea what to call it - maybe a liqueur? We tasted it, and it had quite the kick, at least to me. His still looks like it belonged in the swamps of Kentucky during Prohibition.

He also grows coffee, and he showed us how he dries the coffee beans (originally they look like red cherries)in the sun for several weeks, then he crushes the beans to get the husk off the beans. Using a hand fan, he then separates the husk from the bean. Finally, he roasts them over a small fire while pushing the container back and forth over the fire. He does what he calls automatic, using a rope that keeps it swinging. Once they are roasted, he bags the beans for coffee. Don really liked the coffee, and hence, we are taking home two bags of it.

We were treated to bananas fresh off the tree (similar to eating pineapple in Hawaii - much better than eating them in Kansas), and we learned a little about his production of chocolate, too. One interesting aspect of his farm is that his crops are intermixed. This avoids many pests that might take out a whole crop if planted together, and it allows for the mixing of tastes in the fruits.

Such a fascinating business, still done the old-fashioned way - and quite successful doing it that way.