That's right, Saturday night is the night for me. My roomie, Lizzie and I are having a party at our spot to say "Hell Yeah!" to whatever. We just want all of our amazing friends to meet each other and hang out in our spot. THe event will take place on Saturday 8/2/08 after the Grumpy Barista Music Showcase (Greenpoint 4-8). Please email me for the address. I hope you can ALL make it!Ed
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I could not sleep last night – up at 3:30 a.m. My mind would not turn off; knowing that sleep was past I came downstairs to read which turned into working a touch on the computer.There is this fly and it keep landing on my screen; making, I’m sure little pad prints all over it; he will not land on anything else. It’s driving me crazy.Today is the day Beverly works behind the mall over in Dieppe so she will drop me off at Starbucks around 9 and picks me up around 11.I get my reading done and usually someone comes to visit.I think I’m ready to take on the day . . . we will see.
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Nathan and Shirley came up for dinner yesterday but I was out of it with a strong headache. I wasn’t so much fun. Just as well as Beverly, Shirley, Nathan, and Liz talked most about the upcoming wedding.Nathan made coffee after dinner – as you know I drink it black and no sugar – he used my good coffee – but when I took my first sip it was like drinking mud; how much coffee did you use three or four scoops? – I didn’t see the scoop, so I just poured it in. – I got that look from Beverly; you know the look, plain and to the point: take it and shut up. So I did.But the day was a good one overall – weather-wise it was great another not a cloud in the sky type of day, you might say.I’m up early and ready to take on the day. . .
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It looks like it’s going to be a wonderful day out there; not a cloud in the sky.We worked on our garden yesterday for over four hours. The sun was hot but it’s so addictive once you start it’s had to stop; looking good though.I’ve got a lot of work to do this morning in my Studio. Liz was in yesterday cleaning up my bookcase that covers one side of the room. She organized and labeled the shelves so I’ll know what’s what. I’ll now have to find the book I want, but it looks great. She even did it by size.I’m going to have a shower then cook breakfast; sit outside to have it, then I’ll start into the days work.Nathan and Shirley are coming up tonight for supper/dinner. We are planning Veggies and Hamburgers, done on the BBQ. Quite humble; my hamburgers are really good.I love days like this!
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I've never been much of a cup/saucer/spoon/napkin enthusiast. I have seen beautifully unique, rare demitasse and thought, "ooh, cool," but have never been moved to say anything. But tonight- tonight i saw something that changed all that. While scanning a pic of myself nervously holding my breath before my first time competing at wrbc, i noticed a shadow on my minimalist (cheap) white saucers in the corner of the frame. The light in the photo had cast an eerie yet comforting blue-green radiance on them. It matched one of the stripes in my shirt.
At that point, i became strangely driven to find a demitasse cup in that color. The search was a swift one; i found it and stopped dead, silent and captivated. I am enamored like never before. Pairing that color(!!!) with that simplistic shape is what allows it to stand so proudly quiet. Defiantly beautiful, yet nostalgic-- like a a swimming pool, a classic car, the color bathrooms should be painted:
Wow, i can't believe i'm lusting after a cup... after being such a "cup snob" snob. I've only ever seen what's on the inside. I feel like a teenage boy who just discovered girls. I just met the kind of cup that could make whatever it contains sing. Come on, you see it, too- i know you do. Every time you peek into virgin white vessel, you're fantasizing about sliding your big fat crema into it all morning long; making all your customers smile and dance out of your cafe, lovestruck and happy....Wow. That color really did something to me.
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We are not sure if it's going to rain or just stay overcast but I would like to spend some time in the garden this morning weeding. I finished my work early this morning with three phone calls to Paris.Just spending some time with Beverly today will be great; cleaning up the studio along with some office work.Bev has just left to pick up some eggs and milk at the corner store, well I take a shower.Maybe we’ll grab a light lunch out or take in a movie tonight; if we get all our work done in time.
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The Specialty Coffee Association of AmericaAppoints Emily Oak to World Barista Championship BoardLong Beach, CA. U.S.A. (July 22 2008) —The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) announces the appointment of Emily Oak as the newest member to represent the association's interest on the World Barista Championship (WBC) Board of Directors.Oak is Director of Training and Development for Australian Independent Roasters, an SCAA member and wholesale roaster located near Sydney, Australia. She is slated to serve a two-year term on the internationally-recognized barista competition's board.In addition to four representatives from the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE), with whom the SCAA jointly owns the WBC, Oak joins current SCAA representatives Cindy Chang, of Counter Culture Coffee, Nicholas Cho of murky coffee, and Andrew Hetzel of Cafemakers, LLC on the WBC Board of Directors, These volunteers are tasked with continuing the interest and growth of the WBC on a global scale while building a stronger educational and social platform for the worldwide barista community.Oak represented Australia as a competitor at the 2001 World Barista Championship in Miami. Since then she has served as a WBC judge, WBC regional coordinator for the Asia Pacific region, and chair of the WBC regional coordinator committee, in addition to other professional and volunteer accomplishments in the global specialty coffee industry."SCAA is pleased to select Emily to represent our association on the WBC Board of Directors," said SCAA Executive Director Ric Rhinehart. "We are confident she will provide SCAA with a strong presence within the internationally-recognized specialty coffee organization while also contributing to the WBC's continuing growth and success."“I’m very excited about representing the SCAA on the WBC board,” said Oak. “I have believed in the goals of the WBC since its inceptions and look forward to helping the organization continue to grow.”The stated goals of the WBC are:--To promote the growth, excellence and recognition in the barista profession.--To grow the barista's knowledge of and expertise in the preparation and serving of specialty, espresso coffee through competitions.--To promote the knowledge and consumption of specialty coffee to the consumer through the Barista.--To become globally recognized as the premier world barista event in the coffee calendar.About the SCAACelebrating 26 years of success, SCAA is the world's largest coffee trade association. SCAA members are located in more than 40 countries and represent every segment of the specialty coffee industry, from coffee growers to coffee roasters and retailers. The SCAA's mission is to be the recognized authority on specialty coffee, providing a common forum for the development and promotion of coffee excellence and sustainability. The SCAA's dedication to excellence in coffee is realized through the setting of quality standards for the industry; conducting research on coffee, equipment and perfection of craft; and providing education, training, resources and business services for members. The SCAA's annual conference is held in a different U.S. city each year and is the coffee industry's largest gathering and exhibition.About the WBCThe World Barista Championship was created initially by the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe. The first WBC took place in Monte Carlo in October 2000. The Specialty Coffee Association of America quickly joined and the WBC is now a joint venture among the two sister organizations. The WBC is a nonprofit corporation headquartered in the United Kingdom. Ownership is shared between the SCAE and SCAA. The organization's 2009 event will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, April 16-19, 2008, in conjunction with the Specialty Coffee Association of America Symposium and Exposition.
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Got by coffee and I’m already to take my first phone call. It looks like it’s going to be an interesting day for there is a lot of clouds but they are moving very fast and we have some fog up on the hill.You should see are garden; growing like a madman. Lots of tomatoes and the Zucchini are growing so fast we might pick the first by tomorrow.I have a doctor’s appointment at 9; if it doesn’t take too long, I think I will take a little trip over to Starbucks and have another cup of coffeeWhat's Up! (Europe) July 16 - 17, 2008: http://tinyurl.com/6x8stb
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I had a funny idea to make t shirts that say snarky barista coffee stuff on them (i.e. "Rock Out With Your Macch Out!"). I am selling them. I think they are fun but I don't know that anyone else will. I am going to continue to try to spread the spro-based snark about the land so I will post new designs for shirts and stuff as they are completed. Yay! This is fun! BTW the macchiato I used for the logo was a delicious macch from Gimme!
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So there is a local coffee tour that goes around sampling different brews from shops in the downtown to Pioneer Square 'hood - got a pretty sweet shot of my tamp in there, and even a shout-out to espressoparts.com!make with the clickin' here - http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/143440.aspawesome!!!link opens in new window so you won't have to leave bX. ;)
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Photographer Dorie Hagler has done a number of projects for Coffee Kids. After returning from the Peace Corps in Guatemala in the 1995, the photographer got in touch with Bill Fishbein and Coffee Kids to inquire about creating photos at origin.
Coffee Kids began working with Hagler and she created an amazing body of work documenting the life of coffee-farming families, the conditions in which they live, and the joy that they carry with them.
Visit the Web site, Behind Every Cup, a photo-documentary of the coffee harvest and coffee-farming families. Hagler sells prints of the work and donates 10% of all proceeds to Coffee Kids. If interested, contact her at dorie@doriehagler.com or 505-770-7157
Below is an excerpt from a recent interview done for Coffee Kids 20th Anniversary:
"I took several trips for Coffee Kids and it was an amazing opportunity for a young photographer, that's why I call Bill (Fishbein) my fairy godfather. There are photographers salivating over an assignment like Coffee Kids, but he said yes to me.
"The reason I think he sent me was because he know about my experience in Peace Corps, he knew my relationship with women's groups in Guatemala and that I wasn't going to exploit anyone. Bill always wants to emphasize the strength and dignity of the people Coffee Kids works with and he didn't want some photographer who would jeopardize that.
"I remember one assignment in Mexico where I was sent to photograph the harvest and I lived with a family for two weeks. But the harvest was delayed. We had made all of these arrangements and it didn't look like I would see any of the coffee harvest.
"So I'm waiting and waiting and I called a friend who said I should just keep shooting and I left my head and realized the gift I was given. I was able to live through what these people deal with every year. When is the harvest coming? Is it even coming? What if there is no harvest?
"But I saw the optimism, their confidence that every thing was going to work out and that you just live from day-to-day. I realized that that's how these people have lived all their lives, but through Coffee Kids work, it makes that waiting a little less stressful. Their entire income is not dependent on the coffee harvest.
"I treasure the pictures from that collection, from that town where I spent those two weeks waiting for the harvest."
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West Java, bringing in the beans!In the blue, hazy hills of West Java, the coffee harvest coincides with harvesting of rice and cloves. Several weeks earlier the daily rainstorms, a constant during the wet season, abruptly eased- giving way to hot, dry sultry days that crackle with heat from mid morning onwards. The showers still arrive, but late in afternoon, as the heat becomes almost unbearable. As stillness descends on the villages that dot the hills, thunder storms begin their inevitable roll down from the slopes above. The sawah (the rice fields) that were green and lush a month before are golden and rustling with a brisk crackle as the rain storms arrive. Before the rain arrives the air in the mountain towns is dry and fragrant, punctuated with the pungent scent of drying cloves, fermenting coffee and the dusty, baking volcanic soils. The mixture of these contrasting aromas is reinvigorating for visitors from the cities on the plains below.The harvest season is one of the most important times for the villagers- gathering, drying and processing their crops for the months ahead is a much anticipated annual event. The effort required to successfully harvest rice, coffee and cloves simultaneously involves the collective efforts of the entire village- young and old. The harvesting often begins before dawn, going on well into the dusk as coffee is picked and carried into the village centres for processing.Most of the coffee is grown along the steep slopes of the river valleys that carry clean water tumbling down from the mountains shrouded in constant cloud. Narrow, single tracks lead up to the coffee trees, predominantly growing as sub canopy below taller remnants of the rain forest that used to cover most of mountainous Java. The climb up to the coffee can be difficult. Steps are cut into the crumbly volcanic soils, but as quickly as these are made, the rains wash them away. For a fit European, the climb several kilometres up can be very hard, exhausting work. The villagers climb these paths daily- not only to tend the coffee trees, but also to cut 70kg bundles of mountain grass to bring down for livestock feed. Barefoot, for added grip and stability, is the best way to go both up- and down these tracks.The coffee is a mixture of Robusta with a very little Arabica grown on the higher slopes. The Robusta is preferred, as it is easier to grown and maintain, and the yields in this part of Indonesia are generally higher. Picking is also apparently easier, with the Robusta cherries growing ripe in handy bunches along the branches of the coffee trees.Climbing up at dawn the villages, with me in tow, work in earnest on picking coffee from a group of trees growing precariously over a river gorge, bubbling with rain from the night before. In the early morning the temperature is still cool, and the shade from the trees overhead and from the ridge above means the mornings work is pleasant. The baskets being filled are made from rattan, and slung on with local, colourfully decorated batik sarongs. The harvesters are all female- mostly in their late 30’s or older. The men are on the lower slopes, harvesting rice without the shade we are getting up on the slopes. The picking is down in a jovial atmosphere. Songs are sung in the local Sundanese dialect, as well as a few spicy “dangdut” tunes in the Indonesian language. Gossip, invariably about husbands or single men, is also common place. The women’s fingers move nimbly and quickly over the branches of the trees, picking mostly the ripe cherries- burgundy in color and bulging with sugar. The sweet smell of some of the cherries that are crushed into the baskets is intoxicating- almost like the aroma of ripe blackcurrants mixed with blackberries. Hands stained with coffee juice occasionally pop a ripe cherry or two into the pickers’ mouth. Delicious and refreshing.By late morning the baskets are mostly full, and we head back down the track towards the road that leads back into the village. We have been picking on a slope that has a road about halfway up it. The road generally follows the forest line, below the road, hundreds of metres down, are the rice paddies- golden and brown, teaming with villagers bringing in the harvest. We meet the road and make our way back into the small hilltop town. By now the heat of the sun is almost at its peak.The first thing one sees when entering the town is the matting laid out, for hundreds of meters, by the side of the road. This is still the way the coffee is dried in this part of West Java- under the hot sun for several days before the fermenting flesh is stripped off the cherry by hand cranked machinery. Coffee has been harvested, and milled this way for literally hundreds of years.Before World War 2, many parts of West Java were home to Dutch owned Colonial plantations- growing coffee, rubber, pepper, cloves and tea. After the war was over, many of the Colonists di not return to Indonesia- their plantations were either turned over to the new nations government (where they became part of the Pekebunan/or nationally run plantation system) , or villages by default took over the trees. Indeed some of the best coffee growing in West Java originates from trees the Dutch planted over 100 years ago.The drying of the coffee is critical to producing a green bean that will roast well and translate into a good cup of coffee. To this end the coffee is raked using wooden grading rakes all through the day. The sweet, fermenting aroma drifting off the steaming bed of drying cherries is intoxicating and surprisingly pleasant. The women raking the coffee walk barefooted over the fruit, allowing them to literally feel how advanced the drying process is.Towards mid afternoon, the villages are quiet. The heat drives those doing all but the essential work into the shade of the town hall or the roadside warung (teak stalls with huge tarpaulin verandas). The stillness is punctuates by the approaching rumble of thunderstorms, literally tumbling down from the mountain tops. The coffee workers hurriedly collect up the matting and bring the coffee into the safety of cover. Any direct moisture onto the drying fruit at this stage will introduce either mould or rot into the process, ruining the cup later on. The rain arrives with startling quickness- the hazy blueness of the sky and hilltops is darkened by cloud and a curtain of heavy rain within minutes. In May the rain falls for only an hour, after which the countryside begins to dry out again very quickly. Steam rises wistfully off the slick surface of the roads, and a late afternoon shimmering haze covers the entire valley, right down to the river at its stony bottom.The coffee is hauled out again from under tiled roofs for drying. Many of the children who have come back from school early give a hand, while the men of the village go back to the rice harvesting on the terraces below the villages.By the end of June most coffee trees in this part of West Java will have flowered, flooding the villages and valleys with sweet Jasmine floral aromas. The cycle will begin again, as it has done for hundreds of years. In this part of the world change is pleasantly slow in arriving; the smiles and the happy attitude of the villagers is testament that it is just a myth that living in the small towns of Indonesia is indeed tougher than trying to survive in the heat and crowded suburbs of Jakarta or Bandung.
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I have been seeing this since we have been going to Coffee Fest 4 years ago and I was thinking about 'getting certified' in September. I do not know much about it, however, and wanted your thoughts..1. Is it worth it?2. What is expected?3. Other thoughts?It seems that every certification you can get is just more education so it seems that it would be worth at least giving it a go but I don't want to waste $89.00 for nothing!Thanks for your help.Jason
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I had been talking about coffee quite a lot, and for many years. I thought that those so many cafes should care of their business, including those coffee roasters and so they might be really interested in some new things which can help their business. Now, I recognize that they do not.In the Chinese market, I know that there are chances for those low qualified cafes to exist if no qualified cafes exist. Like, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and many other cities. While in Beijing, due to the existance of Kaffa Cafe and its clients, it is really hard for other cafes to be survived.For our low investment, our business is going very slowly, and there should be no more than ten cafes opened last year. For this year, it seems that it can be around ten, but still not many, for the whole China. It is expected to have around twenty cafes to be opened next year, and probably more, I hope. Such a slow developement may not be a big success, but better than waiting for nothing.After years, what will it happened? Anyway, it is what we have to do, and maybe the best to do. One day, the situation may change dramatically.If anyone would have a business based on our coffee theory for any part of the world, we can transfer it to them in a good way. It is not mainly for the business for us, but mostly for the spreading of our coffee theory and improvement of the quality for the baristas' espresso brewing skills and cafes' coffee drinks.Nobody want it? That is the most thing to confuse me.Take one month and more to have a rest, and get ready for the hard work in September.
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Sunday, I watched, I listened, I absorbed. I was also taken a bit by surprise when Boss Man said, "Now, you make (this much money). When I make you shift supervisor, you'll make (this much much more money)." Then he walked away. Supervisor? Huh? Sweet! Guess he really was in desperate need of rock star staff.Today, I became the master of the cash register, keeping the various coffee pots fresh and full, keeping pastries and bakeries stocked and making sure everything else is clean while maintaining cheerfulness and sanity during rushes. It's not as hard as I thought it would be and was actually rather fun!Boss Man says to keep the fresh coffee carafe open with the grounds & basket sitting on top, and to set it on the counter for a few minutes. "It makes the place smell like a coffee shop". Now that he mentions it, yeah, when I walked in to the cafe I normally haunt, nary a whiff to be smelled. When I went into work, I was bathed in the nearly intoxicating aroma within 5 steps of walking in. Customers kept mentioning that, part of what they love about Escape, is the smell.Tomorrow, Drink Mixology! It doesn't look to hard... I plan on trying my hand at making a bit of latte art too, if I get the chance. It should be an interesting day!Read more…
So my trip was awesome and it was great to see the new coffee works spot (barefoot) and see that the cafe is still there going strong. It was so nice to finally see ritual and meet up with baca and talk about married life, debt and commuting. ... .. . .. . Oh wait!!!!!! Thats right;! None of that happened because after Ride On At Temple i got home and started throwing up. By 2am every hole in my body was leaking or squirting and then the chills and heavy fever.This crazyness continued for two days.Sorry bay area, and all who may have been wondering why i didn't show. Soon my babies, soon.your now recovered :luckyps: Everyone in my house went through this. big f'in bummer.
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I used to be an office monkey. It was...a paying gig, that I slowly grew to hate. I went through 8 years of thankless, meaningless paper pushing for neurotic monkey bosses. It was soul crushing, spirit killing, muse destroying toil. So, when a friend of a friend mentioned his coffee house staff was somewhat lacking in awesomeness, I leaped at the chance to do something...well, at least different that involved something I enjoyed - drinking coffee and hanging out at coffee shops.My husband and I have batted around the notion of owning a coffee shop for some time now. We realized there was probably a fair bit about owning a business in general, and a coffee shop in particular, that we didn't know about. So, getting behind the counter and learning the ropes from the bottom of the ladder upward seemed like a logical first step. I'm amazed by how much I didn't know. The shear amount of chemistry knowledge needed to make an awesome espresso drink, and the science of coffee in general, is simply amazing. Maybe it's because my trainer moonlights as a biologist or maybe it's just the way the business is, but either way, I have more scientific terms running around my head now then ever before.My first day as a barista was last night; I went home tired and a little overwhelmed, but with a tingling sense of satisfaction I haven't felt in an age.Read more…
I recently traveled to Brazil to visit several coffee producer organizations and friends. I went to Poco Fundo and Nova Resende in Southern Minas, to Lajinha in Eastern Minas and to Venda Nova do Imigrante in Espitito Santo (a lovely town founded by Italian immigrants, many of whom arrived to Brazil to work in coffee in the 1800’s).Poco Fundo grows one of my favorite coffees from Brazil. I visited COOPFAM http://www.coopfam.com.br/ and spent time with Luis Adauto, president of the co-op. COOPFAM is a good example of how Fair Trade helps coffee producers around the world. Small-farmers members of Poco Fundo have significantly improved their livelihoods in the last 3 years thanks to the improved prices they are receiving for their coffee (Poco Fundo sells most of its coffee as Fair Trade Certified). COOPFAM invests a good portion of their Fair Trade premium in environmental projects. Several U.S. roasters and importers are part of this successful story that is still being written.In Nova Resende, I visited Coopervitae, a relatively recent coffee co-op formed by small producers and growing in membership every year. Geraldo, from Coopervitae, is one of the nicest persons I have met in Brazil. He is working very hard to improve the livelihoods of small producers in his region and his organization is attracting several new members. I was interviewed in the local radio where I had the chance to talk about Fair Trade and the work we are doing to support small farmers in Nova Resende.In Lajinha, I visited Coocafe, the biggest Fair Trade Certified co-op in Brazil. Fernando, president of Coocafe, has been actively participating in improving the work that we do in the U.S. to promote Fair Trade Certified coffee. He is part of our coffee advisory council formed by around 10 producer representatives from all over the world. Coocafe is investing in training their members in order to improve coffee quality and in technically assisting their members with improved agricultural techniques. In addition, Coocafe is heavily involved in a financial co-op that provides credit to thousands of coffee producers in the region.The trip to Espirito Santo and Eastern Minas was very long. Traveling in Brazil can take forever when moving around coffee regions. In Espirito Santo, there is a producer organization called Pronova, that is doing a remarkable work in improving the quality of the coffee produced in the region in order to improve the lives of hundreds of producers. Since this region is not as high as other coffee regions in Brazil, Pronova members semi-wash their coffees in order to improve the cup characteristics (most of the small coffee farmers I visited in Southern Minas process their coffee using the natural method). Pronova is implementing great projects trying to empower women in the region and to improve coffee quality and the environmental practices of their members. Every year, working with the local government and some industry partners, they implement a quality competition that takes into accounts social and environmental aspects (the coffees and the farms are evaluated not only on the characteristics of the cup but also on how the producers implement a set of environmental standards such as the Fair Trade standards). I have not heard of other competitions like this one but I think it is a great example for other regions. Jackie , Pedro and Evair at Pronova are doing an amazing job to improve the lives of coffee producers in their region.This trip was a great chance to keep learning from several producers about the challenges and opportunities they are facing and to share with some amazing people from one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
While consumers in the United States fret over gas prices, a food crisis threatens millions around the world. Coffee Kids staff visited with families in the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca, Mexico and learned about the effects of the international food crisis and how they are confronting the problem.According to women working with Coffee Kids partner organization FomCafé in Oaxaca, they have seen prices for basic products such as corn, oil and rice more than double since October of 2007. The price of many vegetables has increased 50% or more.“Before 2008, families spent about 60% of their income on food, but today families are spending almost all of their income on food. Salaries have not risen, money being sent home is lower, and work is scarce in many rural communities,” said José Luis Zárate, international program director at Coffee Kids. Families in the United States spend about 10% of income on food.Prices for common goods:Cooking Oil (liter), which cost US$1 in October, is now US$2Corn (kilogram), which cost US$0.28 in October, is now US$0.47Rice (kilogram), which cost US$0.70 in October, is now US$2Coffee Kids partners, the Association for Research and Training of Southern Mexico (ICSUR) in Chiapas and FomCafé in Oaxaca are working in rural coffee-growing communities to build capacity and reduce reliance on the annual coffee crop, which does not provide enough income for families. Many of their efforts are also helping families deal with the food crisis.Women and men working with ICSUR in Chiapas are learning to raise and sell mushrooms and chickens to diversify their income and bolster family diets. Women working with FomCafé are learning about organic gardening, cultivating food for their families and selling the surplus locally.“Many of the women commented that thanks to these projects they have access to fresh, organic foods for their families, something they couldn’t afford otherwise,” Zárate said. “The same is happening with the women working with ICSUR in Chiapas. Without these productive projects, it would be difficult to afford meat or eggs.”While food security is the major issue families in Mexico are confronting, ICSUR and FomCafé also promote projects in health care, education and economic diversification.Check out photos from our latest visit on our Flickr page.
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has done a number of projects for Coffee Kids. After returning from the Peace Corps in Guatemala in the 1995, the photographer got in touch with Bill Fishbein and Coffee Kids to inquire about creating photos at origin. 
Coffee Kids partners, the Association for Research and Training of Southern Mexico (ICSUR) in Chiapas and FomCafé in Oaxaca are working in rural coffee-growing communities to build capacity and reduce reliance on the annual coffee crop, which does not provide enough income for families. Many of their efforts are also helping families deal with the food crisis.Women and men working with ICSUR in Chiapas are learning to raise and sell mushrooms and chickens to diversify their income and bolster family diets. Women working with FomCafé are learning about organic gardening, cultivating food for their families and selling the surplus locally.“Many of the women commented that thanks to these projects they have access to fresh, organic foods for their families, something they couldn’t afford otherwise,” Zárate said. “The same is happening with the women working with ICSUR in Chiapas. Without these productive projects, it would be difficult to afford meat or eggs.”While food security is the major issue families in Mexico are confronting, ICSUR and FomCafé also promote projects in health care, education and economic diversification.Check out photos from our latest visit on our Flickr page.
