About

The Monkey Farm: From Monkeys to Men — A Journey of Healing and Transformation
A Farm with a Mission

When people think of Costa Rica, they imagine beaches and rainforests. Few realize the hidden crisis: men lost in addiction, families fractured by trauma, and communities trapped in despair. The Monkey Farm, founded in 2013, began as a monkey rescue but quickly grew into a beacon of hope. Today, it is a nonprofit that transforms tourism into healing — where 100% of proceeds fund faith-based recovery, trauma healing, equine therapy, animal rescue, and wildlife conservation.

From Rescue to Recovery

What started with monkeys soon reached men. Weekly meals for the homeless revealed a deeper need: transformation from addiction. Inspired by Teen Challenge, The Monkey Farm created a 13-month residential program but expanded it with unique foundations: aquaponics, natural horsemanship, trauma healing (ReAct), language learning, chess for cognitive development, family reintegration, and job readiness. This holistic approach doesn’t stop at sobriety — it makes disciples.

Discipleship at the Core

“Jesus told us to go out and make disciples, not clean and sober people,” says founder Vicki Conley. “If we don’t create disciples, we are missing the mark.” Every element of the program flows from that conviction. Men who once lived on sidewalks now care for horses, learn English, mentor newcomers, and return to their families as changed men of God.

Growth and Recognition

The farm has built new dormitories, hired a full-time psychologist, and applied for certification as an official Costa Rican recovery center. It also plans to launch an English-language track for North Americans, offering the same proven program at a fraction of U.S. costs. The Monkey Farm’s model has earned global credibility: TripAdvisor ranks it in the Top 10% of Experiences Worldwide, and GuideStar awarded it the Gold Transparency Seal, achieved by fewer than 2% of nonprofits globally.

The Vision Ahead

The Monkey Farm proves that eco-tourism can power redemption. Each ticket, tour, and donation helps rewrite stories of despair into testimonies of faith and freedom. What began as a monkey rescue has become a movement of discipleship and transformation — a model with the potential to impact communities far beyond Costa Rica.