Botón de oro
Tithonia diversifoliaA tropical forage shrub with potential to provide protein in ruminant diets. Its nutritional quality depends on regrowth age, growing conditions and the proportion of leaves to stems harvested.
OROSI · COSTA RICA / THE FARM
A working cattle farm in Orosi, Costa Rica.
This is a working cattle farm. Farm life, hospitality and forest are all part of the same story.
SINCE THE 1930s
An authentic rural experience
On this land, Baltazar Fernández and Mariano Guardia began a family farming tradition. The farm returned to the family in the late 1990s and today brings together cattle, rural tourism and conservation.
FINCA QUEVERÍ
A working cattle farm in Orosi, Costa Rica.
This is a working cattle farm. Farm life, hospitality and forest are all part of the same story.
CATTLE
Simmental and Simbrasil
Meet our Simmental cattle, commercial Simmental and the progress of our Simbrasil breeding program.
See the programTAPANTÍ
Protecting forest near Tapantí
Alongside cattle, we protect the mountain forest next to Tapantí and monitor wildlife with camera traps. Explore the conservation project
NAMA Ganadería
How NAMA Ganadería works
NAMA Ganadería is Costa Rica’s initiative to make cattle farming more productive, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help farms adapt to climate change. NAMA stands for Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action.
Healthier pastures, more resilient farms, and a smaller climate footprint.
- For cattle: recovering grass, shade and feed all year.
- For production: a more productive farm, ready for dry spells.
- For the environment: fewer emissions and more carbon stored.
SAF · FONAFIFO · ICE
SAF: Living fences that provide environmental services
A Sistema Agroforestal (SAF) integrates trees with crops or livestock production. On a cattle farm, living fences are one way to put this into practice: trees form the boundaries between paddocks while contributing to the surrounding ecosystem.
FONAFIFO · Recognition through PSA
Through its Pago por Servicios Ambientales (PSA) program, FONAFIFO — Fondo Nacional de Financiamiento Forestal can financially recognize eligible agroforestry systems for the environmental services they provide, subject to the program’s requirements and an approved agreement.
RECOGNITION
Winners of PROCOMER’s Cultiva+
Finca Queverí won PROCOMER’s Cultiva+ with an initiative to explore producing supplementary cattle feed from forages grown on the farm. The project is currently at the proof-of-concept stage, where we are evaluating the production process, nutritional quality, preservation and acceptance by the animals.
From crop to pellet: supplementary feed produced on the farm
We are exploring how to turn Mexican sunflower (botón de oro) and nacedero into a practical, storable supplement for cattle. The proposal combines local forage production, harvesting leaves and shoots, pre-processing, solar drying with biogas heat support, and pelleting.
The proof of concept aims to test the feasibility of this process and determine how to preserve nutritional quality, achieve good acceptance by the animals and assess its costs.
Goals
To be validatedNutrition
Evaluate the protein contribution and quality of the supplement.
To be validatedPreservation
Evaluate a product that can be stored and used later.
To be validatedLocal production
Explore the use of the farm’s forages and energy resources.
The plants we are evaluating
Nacedero
Trichanthera giganteaA forage plant used in animal feeding. We will evaluate its yield and nutritional contribution, as well as its acceptance by cattle after drying and processing.
The nutritional values and palatability of the final product will be verified through laboratory analysis and on-farm trials.
The process in five stages
Proof of concept01 / 05
Production
We grow botón de oro and nacedero to evaluate their adaptation to farm conditions, regrowth capacity and production of usable material.
What do we want to find out?
- How much usable forage can we produce?
- What nutritional quality remains after processing?
- Which wilting and drying method works best?
- Does pelleting offer advantages over dry meal?
- Do cattle accept and eat the supplement?
- Is the process technically and economically viable?
We will first evaluate each plant separately and then the mixtures. Feeding trials will be part of a formulated diet with professional bovine nutrition support.
How we will measure results
Dry matter yieldNot yet measured
Crude protein (dry-matter basis)Not yet measured
Fibre and digestibilityNot yet measured
Moisture and water activityNot yet measured
Pellet durabilityNot yet measured
Intake and refusal by cattleNot yet measured
Storage stabilityNot yet measured
Energy usedNot yet measured
Cost per kilogram of dry matterNot yet measured
Cost per kilogram of crude protein suppliedNot yet measured
Drying removes water and reduces the material’s weight; it does not create protein. That is why we will measure both nutritional composition and the amount of dry matter recovered.
Proof-of-concept status
- Forage characterisationTo be validated
- Harvest and pre-processing evaluationTo be validated
- Drying trialsTo be validated
- Dry meal vs. pellet comparisonTo be validated
- Storage evaluationTo be validated
- Cattle acceptance trialsTo be validated
- Cost analysis and decision on next stepsTo be validated
Frequently asked questions
Is it a complete feed?
We are evaluating a supplement to complement the cattle’s diet. Its use will depend on its composition and the animals’ nutritional needs.
Do the plants contain protein?
Both have potential as protein forages. The content of the batches grown on the farm and of the final product will be determined through analysis.
Are they palatable?
Acceptance may vary with the animal, its adaptation and the processing. The supplement’s palatability will be part of the proof of concept.
Why use solar energy and biogas?
We want to evaluate a combination of energy sources to remove moisture and support drying when solar radiation drops.
Why make pellets?
We aim to make handling and storage easier. We will compare their advantages and costs against unpelleted dry material.
Are there results yet?
The project is at the proof-of-concept stage. We will share results once they have been measured and verified.
Cultiva+ recognises this initiative by Finca Queverí. The proof of concept will now let us evaluate how to turn local forages into a supplementary feed alternative and guide the next steps with evidence.