These days, everyone seems to be talking about empathy–how to feel more of it, what to do with it, and … More
Category: A Just Valuation
About that $18 Cup of Coffee
About that $18 cup of coffee in Brooklyn that went viral. What’s up with it? Why does it cost $18 … More
The Importance of Inefficiency and the Danger of Detail
Specialty coffee is overwhelmingly inefficient. This inefficiency might be the one unilateral criterion that makes certain coffee special and … More
Fat Neighbors
Some people have more money, resources, good looks, connections, and formative educational training than others. That’s life. In the case … More
Coffee in 2016
It’s a new year and there is everything to look forward to in life in general and especially in world … More
Celebrity Farmers
Way back in the post Division of Decision I suggested that we don’t always know what me mean by the … More
When Coffee Connects
Vague generalisms like “coffee connects people” or “coffee shops are a third space that builds community” are tired clichés. … More
Action, Impact, and a Dose of Serendipity
From the trajectory of its debut month, 2015 seems to be the year of serendipity. One such example came yesterday … More
Mutually Supportive
In the previous post in Spanish, I tell the story of arriving on my friend’s family farm in the mountains … More
Antioquia La Más Educada
Hace un mes asistí la conferencia, (o si prefiere “el evento”) del SCAA, la Asociación de Cafes Especiales de Estados … More
Not As Easy as Pie
I had the privilege of attending Michael Sheridan’s “Millions on the Margins” farmworker panel at SCAA. The aspect of the … More
Seriously Seed to Cup
“Seed to cup” is the coffee industry’s equivalent of “farm to table,” a much used phrase intended to describe one … More
You Can Feel Good About Potenciana Cafe
It’s Monday morning. It’s rainy and gray and dreary out. There are lots of coffees that claim to save the … More
The Question No One Really Wants to Know the Answer to
At the Ground to Grounds coffee tasting/coffee talk event in DC a few weeks ago, a woman was flipping through … More
The Best Way to Go Broke
Yesterday I checked a big ticket item off my “being a freelancer in 2014” to do list: I got Obamacare. … More