Financial situation is hard world wide, coupled with a low coffee output this year, and standard tourist visitation; we're on a low financial slump. We're been faced with the same budgetary decisions as many others and have had to lay off workers throughout the farm. Unlike the US and Europe when we lay off personnel, they not only loose their jobs, but also their homes. Since the farm offers everything from lodging, utilities, school, and health clinic. Loosing your job is a bigger deal. Knowing this, makes it even harder to make necessary budgetary decisions. The workers that are laid off are on a seniority basis, the ones who have worked at the estate the longest or who have been with us for generations are, of course, the last to be let go. The migrant or temporary workers are the first, and also the ones who have not set roots at Selva Negra yet. Also when the situation stabilizes the ones who were laid off are the first to be re-hired.

Even though we're forced to trim down our personnel we can't bring ourselves to force them to vacate their homes and leave the farm. We turn a blind eye to the fact that they remain and use the facilities of the farm until they've located employment elsewhere. Also many with families have left their families at the estate, went to find work and visit on the weekends to be together. These are hard times, but we must still stick together and look forward to better times ahead.