When Don Guillermo Speaks

Excerpt from a conversation with Guillermo, a coffee grower in Antioquia, Colombia. Recorded April 26, 2013. Guillermo and I are … More

From Sod to Brimming Silos

Interview with Gloria Muñoz, recorded May 15, 2013 in Chinchina, Caldas, Colombia If you could just say a little more … More

Arabica coffee (the smooth mild stuff) grows best in volcanic soil at least 1400 meters (~4500 feet) above sea level. … More

30 some years ago the UDSA standardized the definition of organic for the purpose of regulating the production and sale … More

I’m back. I’m back on the grid and in the grind and on the payroll and in the system. I’m … More

The following is my story, as per early December 2012. (And I didn’t even have to translate it!) I’m sitting … More

Just over two weeks have lapsed since I got off the plane from Colombia. And every day has reminded me … More

People become what you tell them they are, and if someone tells people that they live in the land of … More

Tell me your story. Don’t retell me what someone else has said about you, has told you about yourself, tell … More

In Colombia I’ve spent about as much time in offices as I have out in cafetales. This project very early … More

No direct trade coffee farm is complete without the coffee shelf. The requisite installation includes bags of beans from all … More

Because sometimes you need a break from coffee* This isn’t about tea or chocolate (although I do kind of love … More

…a magic formula…and an application. The Formula: Back in Juan’s World: Factor 90 and again in Worth I mentioned a … More

I feel like I’ve written about this several times- maybe in former blog posts or on examiner.com or just in … More

Coffee pricing anywhere along the line is pretty much guesswork, but comparing numbers up and down the production chain … More