Hawaii is one of those unique places on this earth where a fully off the grid, sustainable life seems not only possible but almost easy. Not that I think for one minute that farming itself is easy but that this climate allows for ease in incorporating those types of changes into your lifestyle. There is no heating or cooling here, and because of the hight cost of water most people have catchment tanks that collect and reuse their rain water. At Dragon's Lair our water is then heated by solar panels on the roof of the house. And then there is the food situation. The growing season is year round so you can live off your land without having to rely on canning or preserving. The more I read about the state of our food and land this is becoming all the more tempting. Now of course your trade off for this kind of life is that cost of living in 35-40% higher in Hawaii than the rest of the US. Ouch!
But having a direct relationship with the food I am eating has caused me to think even more about where our country is headed. I find it troubling that the big corporations control so much of the world's food as well as the patents on our seeds. Humans and animals are being poisoned from the chemicals that are being sprinkled over crops and are now contaminating the earth's water, soil, and air. Disease causing bacteria are building immunity to the antibiotics that are administered to livestock in factory farms while those farm animals are living in miserable conditions. GMO's are everywhere: 81% of soy, 40% of corn, and 73% of canola is genetically engineered. Billions of tons of fossil fuel are used to transport our food from one end of the earth to the other and sometimes back again contributing to global warming. Monoculture crops are being subsidized by the government and we are losing diversity, depleting the soil, and putting the land at risk. And family farms are going out of business.
All of this can cause a person to become pretty hopeless. Thankfully the slow food movement, organics, the local food movement and lots of organizations and books are making people aware of how their choices effect not only the enviroment but our health. You can see again why a life in Hawaii is so appealing with the ease of sustainability. I read something the other day that gave me a bit more hope and put a smile on my face. A Federal judge in Califormia set precedent when he ruled that the USDA's approval of Monsanto's genetically engineered "Roundup Ready" alfalfa was illegal. The Judge called on USDA to ban any further planting of the GE seed until it conducts a complete Environmental Impact Statement on the GE crop. Yeah for the environment. There is hope yet.
5.29.2007
Real Women Drive Trucks
That's my ride and for those of you who have missed my goofiness and uncanny ability to embarass myself, boy do I have a picture for you. Imagine if you will, your's truly over here, used to driving a Jetta trying to drive this pickup. I thought I would make you all chuckle by telling you of my adventure trying to get this sucker up the driveway. First of all can someone please explain to me the difference between H2 and H4? And I think there's another gear on the 4 wheel drive shifter thing but I couldn't be bothered since it was a different letter. The grade of the farm is seriously intense and you cannot hope to get up or down without 4 wheel drive. This posed a problem for me since I didn't even know how to get it into 4 wheel drive. I finally put it in H4, whatever that means, and was up the drive in no time. Then when returning I had to back into the parking spot. I put it in H4 again and went for it, except I was in drive not reverse and whoops there's the fence. So I put it in reverse and took a deep breath. And this is where I would like to have words with the previous owners of this farm. Why did they plant the coffee trees so close to the parking spot? Lining it none the less? I successfully parked that behemoth but I gotta tell you the twig borer are not going to be the biggest reducer in viable crop...the new truck driver will be.
5.28.2007
"The War Prayer"
This blog is the perfect place to lay my passions, convictions, and political beliefs on the table. But on this Memorial Day I thought instead of preaching about non violent social change and everyone's right to freedom and autonomy I would allow Mark Twain to do the talking.
Here is a poem Twain wrote in response to the Spanish American War.
"The War Prayer"
It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and spluttering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spread of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers and mothers and sisters and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with happy emotion as they swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts, and which they interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears running down their cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and country, and invoked the God of Battles beseeching His aid in our good cause in outpourings of fervid eloquence which moved every listener. It was indeed a glad and gracious time, and the half dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt upon its righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning that for their personal safety's sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more in that way.
Sunday morning came -- next day the battalions would leave for the front; the church was filled; the volunteers were there, their young faces alight with martial dreams -- visions of the stern advance, the gathering momentum, the rushing charge, the flashing sabers, the flight of the foe, the tumult, the enveloping smoke, the fierce pursuit, the surrender! Then home from the war, bronzed heroes, welcomed, adored, submerged in golden seas of glory! With the volunteers sat their dear ones, proud, happy, and envied by the neighbors and friends who had no sons and brothers to send forth to the field of honor, there to win for the flag, or, failing, die the noblest of noble deaths. The service proceeded; a war chapter from the Old Testament was read; the first prayer was said; it was followed by an organ burst that shook the building, and with one impulse the house rose, with glowing eyes and beating hearts, and poured out that tremendous invocation
*God the all-terrible! Thou who ordainest! Thunder thy clarion and lightning thy sword!*
Then came the "long" prayer. None could remember the like of it for passionate pleading and moving and beautiful language. The burden of its supplication was, that an ever-merciful and benignant Father of us all would watch over our noble young soldiers, and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work; bless them, shield them in the day of battle and the hour of peril, bear them in His mighty hand, make them strong and confident, invincible in the bloody onset; help them to crush the foe, grant to them and to their flag and country imperishable honor and glory --
An aged stranger entered and moved with slow and noiseless step up the main aisle, his eyes fixed upon the minister, his long body clothed in a robe that reached to his feet, his head bare, his white hair descending in a frothy cataract to his shoulders, his seamy face unnaturally pale, pale even to ghastliness. With all eyes following him and wondering, he made his silent way; without pausing, he ascended to the preacher's side and stood there waiting. With shut lids the preacher, unconscious of his presence, continued with his moving prayer, and at last finished it with the words, uttered in fervent appeal, "Bless our arms, grant us the victory, O Lord our God, Father and Protector of our land and flag!"
The stranger touched his arm, motioned him to step aside -- which the startled minister did -- and took his place. During some moments he surveyed the spellbound audience with solemn eyes, in which burned an uncanny light; then in a deep voice he said:
"I come from the Throne -- bearing a message from Almighty God!" The words smote the house with a shock; if the stranger perceived it he gave no attention. "He has heard the prayer of His servant your shepherd, and will grant it if such shall be your desire after I, His messenger, shall have explained to you its import -- that is to say, its full import. For it is like unto many of the prayers of men, in that it asks for more than he who utters it is aware of -- except he pause and think.
"God's servant and yours has prayed his prayer. Has he paused and taken thought? Is it one prayer? No, it is two -- one uttered, the other not. Both have reached the ear of Him Who heareth all supplications, the spoken and the unspoken. Ponder this -- keep it in mind. If you would beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time. If you pray for the blessing of rain upon your crop which needs it, by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon some neighbor's crop which may not need rain and can be injured by it.
"You have heard your servant's prayer -- the uttered part of it. I am commissioned of God to put into words the other part of it -- that part which the pastor -- and also you in your hearts -- fervently prayed silently. And ignorantly and unthinkingly? God grant that it was so! You heard these words: 'Grant us the victory, O Lord our God!' That is sufficient. the *whole* of the uttered prayer is compact into those pregnant words. Elaborations were not necessary. When you have prayed for victory you have prayed for many unmentioned results which follow victory--*must* follow it, cannot help but follow it. Upon the listening spirit of God fell also the unspoken part of the prayer. He commandeth me to put it into words. Listen!
"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle -- be Thou near them! With them -- in spirit -- we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it -- for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.
(*After a pause.*) "Ye have prayed it; if ye still desire it, speak! The messenger of the Most High waits!"
It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.
100 years later and the things he wrote about are being enacted all over again. American soldiers committing atrocities and torture; authority figures extolling the virtue of America 'rescuing' people from tyranny; the religious duty of the White Man to those poor heathens, greed, and exploitation, etc. Ok so maybe I am using this as a platform. But seriously haven't we learned that violence and aggression only leads to increased conflict?
Here is a poem Twain wrote in response to the Spanish American War.
"The War Prayer"
It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and spluttering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spread of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers and mothers and sisters and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with happy emotion as they swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts, and which they interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears running down their cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and country, and invoked the God of Battles beseeching His aid in our good cause in outpourings of fervid eloquence which moved every listener. It was indeed a glad and gracious time, and the half dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt upon its righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning that for their personal safety's sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more in that way.
Sunday morning came -- next day the battalions would leave for the front; the church was filled; the volunteers were there, their young faces alight with martial dreams -- visions of the stern advance, the gathering momentum, the rushing charge, the flashing sabers, the flight of the foe, the tumult, the enveloping smoke, the fierce pursuit, the surrender! Then home from the war, bronzed heroes, welcomed, adored, submerged in golden seas of glory! With the volunteers sat their dear ones, proud, happy, and envied by the neighbors and friends who had no sons and brothers to send forth to the field of honor, there to win for the flag, or, failing, die the noblest of noble deaths. The service proceeded; a war chapter from the Old Testament was read; the first prayer was said; it was followed by an organ burst that shook the building, and with one impulse the house rose, with glowing eyes and beating hearts, and poured out that tremendous invocation
*God the all-terrible! Thou who ordainest! Thunder thy clarion and lightning thy sword!*
Then came the "long" prayer. None could remember the like of it for passionate pleading and moving and beautiful language. The burden of its supplication was, that an ever-merciful and benignant Father of us all would watch over our noble young soldiers, and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work; bless them, shield them in the day of battle and the hour of peril, bear them in His mighty hand, make them strong and confident, invincible in the bloody onset; help them to crush the foe, grant to them and to their flag and country imperishable honor and glory --
An aged stranger entered and moved with slow and noiseless step up the main aisle, his eyes fixed upon the minister, his long body clothed in a robe that reached to his feet, his head bare, his white hair descending in a frothy cataract to his shoulders, his seamy face unnaturally pale, pale even to ghastliness. With all eyes following him and wondering, he made his silent way; without pausing, he ascended to the preacher's side and stood there waiting. With shut lids the preacher, unconscious of his presence, continued with his moving prayer, and at last finished it with the words, uttered in fervent appeal, "Bless our arms, grant us the victory, O Lord our God, Father and Protector of our land and flag!"
The stranger touched his arm, motioned him to step aside -- which the startled minister did -- and took his place. During some moments he surveyed the spellbound audience with solemn eyes, in which burned an uncanny light; then in a deep voice he said:
"I come from the Throne -- bearing a message from Almighty God!" The words smote the house with a shock; if the stranger perceived it he gave no attention. "He has heard the prayer of His servant your shepherd, and will grant it if such shall be your desire after I, His messenger, shall have explained to you its import -- that is to say, its full import. For it is like unto many of the prayers of men, in that it asks for more than he who utters it is aware of -- except he pause and think.
"God's servant and yours has prayed his prayer. Has he paused and taken thought? Is it one prayer? No, it is two -- one uttered, the other not. Both have reached the ear of Him Who heareth all supplications, the spoken and the unspoken. Ponder this -- keep it in mind. If you would beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time. If you pray for the blessing of rain upon your crop which needs it, by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon some neighbor's crop which may not need rain and can be injured by it.
"You have heard your servant's prayer -- the uttered part of it. I am commissioned of God to put into words the other part of it -- that part which the pastor -- and also you in your hearts -- fervently prayed silently. And ignorantly and unthinkingly? God grant that it was so! You heard these words: 'Grant us the victory, O Lord our God!' That is sufficient. the *whole* of the uttered prayer is compact into those pregnant words. Elaborations were not necessary. When you have prayed for victory you have prayed for many unmentioned results which follow victory--*must* follow it, cannot help but follow it. Upon the listening spirit of God fell also the unspoken part of the prayer. He commandeth me to put it into words. Listen!
"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle -- be Thou near them! With them -- in spirit -- we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it -- for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.
(*After a pause.*) "Ye have prayed it; if ye still desire it, speak! The messenger of the Most High waits!"
It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.
100 years later and the things he wrote about are being enacted all over again. American soldiers committing atrocities and torture; authority figures extolling the virtue of America 'rescuing' people from tyranny; the religious duty of the White Man to those poor heathens, greed, and exploitation, etc. Ok so maybe I am using this as a platform. But seriously haven't we learned that violence and aggression only leads to increased conflict?
5.27.2007
Twig Borers aka My New Enemy
I have been working on this farm for 8 weeks now and it has been a huge learning experience. I came to the painful realization Friday that work on a farm, especially an organic farm, is never complete. For the 8 weeks I've been here I have been charged with the task of weeding, either by hand or using a weedwhacker. We finally completed the 5 acres about 3 weeks ago and it felt great to have accomplished something, to see results from my labor. Friday I was to begin a new project, ridding all the infected trees of the twig borers. I set out at the bottom of the farm and as I began I noticed that the weeds had already grown back around the trees. So much for my sense of accomplishment. Never again will I complain about the price of organic produce.
Now about those twig borers or ambrosia beetle or for their technical name, Xylosandrus compactus...
The female beetles bore holes into the branches of the coffee trees and cause a white fungus to grow (ambrosia), and then she lays her eggs on top of this fungus for her young to feed on once they hatch. The hole-boring process causes the branch tips to wilt, turn yellow, and then eventually die. This obviously creates problems for the coffee farmers because the death of these branches cuts back on the amount of viable crop. The trees are most succeptible to the twig borer during times of drought when they aren't getting the nutrients they need and are therefore stressed. The Kona coffee farmer has been dealing with a drought since 2003 so these little suckers have been reproducing in record numbers.
There seems to be no way to control these buggers. The safest way to help is to keep the trees healthy by frequent watering and fertilization. I am currently trying to get rid of the branches that are already affected. The prominent sign of infestation is premature yellowing of the leaves. Once the branches are located we bend them to test for weakness. If infested the branch will break where the beetle entered and then we remove and destroy them.
If my 8 weeks have taught me anything it's that when all the twig borers are destroyed there is sure to be something else to occupy my days. Maybe I will start unwrapping vines...again.
Now about those twig borers or ambrosia beetle or for their technical name, Xylosandrus compactus...
The female beetles bore holes into the branches of the coffee trees and cause a white fungus to grow (ambrosia), and then she lays her eggs on top of this fungus for her young to feed on once they hatch. The hole-boring process causes the branch tips to wilt, turn yellow, and then eventually die. This obviously creates problems for the coffee farmers because the death of these branches cuts back on the amount of viable crop. The trees are most succeptible to the twig borer during times of drought when they aren't getting the nutrients they need and are therefore stressed. The Kona coffee farmer has been dealing with a drought since 2003 so these little suckers have been reproducing in record numbers.
There seems to be no way to control these buggers. The safest way to help is to keep the trees healthy by frequent watering and fertilization. I am currently trying to get rid of the branches that are already affected. The prominent sign of infestation is premature yellowing of the leaves. Once the branches are located we bend them to test for weakness. If infested the branch will break where the beetle entered and then we remove and destroy them.
If my 8 weeks have taught me anything it's that when all the twig borers are destroyed there is sure to be something else to occupy my days. Maybe I will start unwrapping vines...again.
5.24.2007
My Other Family...the Chickens
One thing that is hard to get used to on the farm are the chickens. Watching the way they move can provoke some great laughter and then at 4am when the roosters start crowing and the hens start clucking they become the object of some serious aggression. I'm almost used to the early morning noises...almost. There are still mornings however, when I can think of nothing better than making some chicken enchiladas. Chickens are funny birds. They sleep in the trees and when the hens lay an egg it's chicken mayhem over here. I've learned a bit about them these last few months. For example I've always wondered what the difference is between the eggs we eat and the eggs that become baby chicks. For any of you that wonder the same I have some interesting information for us.
Domestic chickens lay one egg every 26 to 28 hours (about one egg a day) for a period of 4 to 6 days. If the egg has not been fertilized, then the egg cell within will never grow or divide, and the egg will never hatch. The eggs you buy at the supermarket are eggs that have never been fertilized. If the egg has been fertilized then the embryo inside has already divided several times but remains a group of unspecialized cells. When the egg is incubated at about 37 to 38 °C, the embryonic cells differentiate to form a chick, which will hatch after 21 days. If the chickens are being raised to produce eggs, then the hens are kept away from the roosters, and the eggs are collected as they are laid.
Currently on the farm we have about 20 chicks that have hatched within the last week from 2 hens. They are the cutest things you have ever seen. That is until they grow up to make as much noise as the adults.
Yesterday the chickens provided us with an entirely new form of entertainment. We were able to witness their mating rituals. The rooster called the hen, she laid in the grass, he circled her with one wing raised, and then proceeded to do his business. After he was finished, about 5 seconds later, she continued laying while he stood next to her until he was ready to go again. This continued for about an hour until the hen appeared to be lifeless. I guess we'll know in 21 days.
Domestic chickens lay one egg every 26 to 28 hours (about one egg a day) for a period of 4 to 6 days. If the egg has not been fertilized, then the egg cell within will never grow or divide, and the egg will never hatch. The eggs you buy at the supermarket are eggs that have never been fertilized. If the egg has been fertilized then the embryo inside has already divided several times but remains a group of unspecialized cells. When the egg is incubated at about 37 to 38 °C, the embryonic cells differentiate to form a chick, which will hatch after 21 days. If the chickens are being raised to produce eggs, then the hens are kept away from the roosters, and the eggs are collected as they are laid.
Currently on the farm we have about 20 chicks that have hatched within the last week from 2 hens. They are the cutest things you have ever seen. That is until they grow up to make as much noise as the adults.
Yesterday the chickens provided us with an entirely new form of entertainment. We were able to witness their mating rituals. The rooster called the hen, she laid in the grass, he circled her with one wing raised, and then proceeded to do his business. After he was finished, about 5 seconds later, she continued laying while he stood next to her until he was ready to go again. This continued for about an hour until the hen appeared to be lifeless. I guess we'll know in 21 days.
5.20.2007
Birthdays
I exited my mid twenties yesterday, yup. I love birthdays. They bring an opportunity to examine your life, as Neruda says, "with no witness but the moon." I woke up to the waves crashing on the beach and as I dug my toes into the cool sand I thought about this last year and what it has brought. I am so grateful for the experiences I have had and the people that have been and have come into my life. The day was refreshing. I had some coffee, went for a swim, ate banana macadamia nut pancakes and ice cream of course, read, heard from loved ones, and had a party on the beach with my Ohana or Hawaiian family. This will probably be my only Hawaiian birthday and it was definitely a memorable one. Now the day is over and I am still thinking about what this next year will hold. I wish to let go more, to continue growing, understand more, to love more deeply, listen more, breathe, choose bravery more often, believe more, to surrender, to trust myself, to walk eyes wide open, and to become more of my true self.
5.18.2007
Traveling
When writing about the need to travel Kent Nerburn said, "If we don't offer ourselves to the unknown, our senses dull, our world becomes small and we lose our sense of wonder, our eyes don't lift to the horizon, our ears don't hear the sounds around us, the edge is off our experience, and we pass our days in a routine that is both comfortable and limiting."
Perhaps you have noticed my blogging absence...I have been traveling. I spent this last week hiking and camping across the rest of this island. I can't even begin to describe all of my experiences so I will give a short list of what we got ourselves into.
- driving off road for 2 hours to find 2 remote black sand beaches
- heading to southpoint where the wind has caused the trees to all stretch towards the north
- off roading again to a green sand beach
- camping in Volcanoes National Park
- hiking 12 miles across lava fields
- walking into the woods to find naturally occurring steam baths (think lava hut)
- swimming in volcanically heated pools
- walking 8 miles to an ice cream shop that was closed
- walking through rainforest to waterfalls that drop up to 450 feet
- camping on the beach
There are so many stories and adventures within that list and I am so glad I was able to take some time to see and really experience this amazing place that I am calling home. Since I can't possibly portray this in words please check out my photos at www.flickr.com/photos/farmermeg
Perhaps you have noticed my blogging absence...I have been traveling. I spent this last week hiking and camping across the rest of this island. I can't even begin to describe all of my experiences so I will give a short list of what we got ourselves into.
- driving off road for 2 hours to find 2 remote black sand beaches
- heading to southpoint where the wind has caused the trees to all stretch towards the north
- off roading again to a green sand beach
- camping in Volcanoes National Park
- hiking 12 miles across lava fields
- walking into the woods to find naturally occurring steam baths (think lava hut)
- swimming in volcanically heated pools
- walking 8 miles to an ice cream shop that was closed
- walking through rainforest to waterfalls that drop up to 450 feet
- camping on the beach
There are so many stories and adventures within that list and I am so glad I was able to take some time to see and really experience this amazing place that I am calling home. Since I can't possibly portray this in words please check out my photos at www.flickr.com/photos/farmermeg
5.07.2007
World Fair Trade Day
Just a quick note to let you all know that this Saturday is world fair trade day. Now would be a great time to learn more about fair trade or to make an effort to buy more fair trade products or to encourage some of the companies you give your money to to offer more fairly traded goods.
If you're looking for something to do this weekend head over to Roh's Street for their Fair Play Fest. These guys not only brew and sell fair trade but they are directly involved with the community of Santa Maria de Jesus in Guatelmala. They will be unveiling the first micro-crop from the farmers of Santa Maria. What a great opportunity to see what you're supporting when you support Roh's Street. Stop by and I guarantee that Les will make you an amazing cappucinno. Saturday nights music includes one of my local fav's, For Algernon. If you're lucky maybe Jason will rock out on the ukelele.
For more info check out their website...www.rohsstreetcafe.com
I wish I could be there!
If you're looking for something to do this weekend head over to Roh's Street for their Fair Play Fest. These guys not only brew and sell fair trade but they are directly involved with the community of Santa Maria de Jesus in Guatelmala. They will be unveiling the first micro-crop from the farmers of Santa Maria. What a great opportunity to see what you're supporting when you support Roh's Street. Stop by and I guarantee that Les will make you an amazing cappucinno. Saturday nights music includes one of my local fav's, For Algernon. If you're lucky maybe Jason will rock out on the ukelele.
For more info check out their website...www.rohsstreetcafe.com
I wish I could be there!
I miss...
I had a hard time falling asleep last night. My mind would not slow to the Hawaii pace that my body has grown accustomed to. And so I lay awake thinking of how excited I am to see Steve this week and just how much I miss the other things in my life, the things that can't get on a plane to come visit.
I miss Monday nights at mom and dad's. I miss sewing with my mom and then enjoying her talent for cooking the most delicious meals. I miss chatting with my dad and learning from his wisdom mixed with the perfect amount of wit. I miss my brother's laughs; infectious and a reminder that we are still children somewhere inside. I miss looking up from the busyness of the Emporium to see my best friend working away on her next brilliant idea. I miss thoughtful meals prepared with Steve; the way we care for one another through nourishment. I miss Tuesdays at Tuckers and Saturdays at Findlay and Sunday brunch with Elisabeth. I miss the gentle hum of the LaMarzocco. I miss making Bill the perfect cappucinno, and sharing espresso readings with Jon. I miss Nancy's spirit. I miss the choreographed dance my fellow baristas and I perform as we move through a rush. I miss Rachel's smile and Shane's hand gestures. I miss Amy's humor and Drew's style. I miss Adrienne's spunk and energy. I miss walking by to see Tony roasting late into the night filling the city with our version of aromatherapy. I miss hikes with Kenya and snuggling with Stella.(my dog and cat) I miss the ease of shared laughter with close friends. I miss walks to Kentucky and bike rides to Northside. I miss Riverside and Song Long and Melt and Udipi and Slims and Aglameses and LaTaqueria Mexicana...
You want to know what I really miss? BATHS!
If I didn't mention you it's not because I don't miss you it's because this was my stream of consciousness associated with my insomnia.
I miss Monday nights at mom and dad's. I miss sewing with my mom and then enjoying her talent for cooking the most delicious meals. I miss chatting with my dad and learning from his wisdom mixed with the perfect amount of wit. I miss my brother's laughs; infectious and a reminder that we are still children somewhere inside. I miss looking up from the busyness of the Emporium to see my best friend working away on her next brilliant idea. I miss thoughtful meals prepared with Steve; the way we care for one another through nourishment. I miss Tuesdays at Tuckers and Saturdays at Findlay and Sunday brunch with Elisabeth. I miss the gentle hum of the LaMarzocco. I miss making Bill the perfect cappucinno, and sharing espresso readings with Jon. I miss Nancy's spirit. I miss the choreographed dance my fellow baristas and I perform as we move through a rush. I miss Rachel's smile and Shane's hand gestures. I miss Amy's humor and Drew's style. I miss Adrienne's spunk and energy. I miss walking by to see Tony roasting late into the night filling the city with our version of aromatherapy. I miss hikes with Kenya and snuggling with Stella.(my dog and cat) I miss the ease of shared laughter with close friends. I miss walks to Kentucky and bike rides to Northside. I miss Riverside and Song Long and Melt and Udipi and Slims and Aglameses and LaTaqueria Mexicana...
You want to know what I really miss? BATHS!
If I didn't mention you it's not because I don't miss you it's because this was my stream of consciousness associated with my insomnia.
5.05.2007
Why I do what I do
The consumption of coffee has attracted controversy since it's beginning. Most people are shocked to know that coffee is the second highest traded commodity, behind oil. Coffee! The beverage that most people rely on to start their day, or as a vehicle for social interaction, or use for intellectual stimulation is more important globally than most care to think about. But this is why I do what I do. Sure I love the atmosphere of the coffee shop and being a part of customers' lives but I am driven first and foremost by a passion for social change. There is so much talk and debate about the best way to work in this business. Do you buy fair trade or organic or from origin or whatever is cheapest? Everyone thinks they have the answer and in my opinion not many are doing it right.
So here is a brief description of fair trade:
-the trading of goods that creates relationships between producers, traders, and consumers in a manner that producers work in safe conditions, are paid fair wages, and are mindful of the environment
-it is meant to empower farmers in developing countries to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the land (harmful agrochemicals and GMO's are strictly prohibited), and developing business skills needed to compete in the global marketplace (use of direct trade)
With fair trade becoming such a hot topic and with companies such as Walmart offering products with the "fair trade" label, fair trade itself has come under scrutiny. Here inlies the difference between what we'll call shallow fair trade and deep fair trade. Because this is becoming such a growing profitable industry it's no wonder that the corporate giants are jumping on. Shallow fair trade employs the same principles as corporate business and some including myself are beginning to question whether this is having an effect on the standards of fair trade. Not to mention the price of fair trade coffee is still terribly low. So fair trade as we know it isn't cutting it.
Now there is a move to buy directly from origin. Great idea! But alone I don't feel that this is enough either. See fair trade establishes regulations that in principle are a great starting point. In the end though it should be more than a label. It is an opportunity to change things globally by valuing people over profit. I would like to see individual roasters work directly with the grower co-op's and show a committment to being a part of the lives of the people whose labor allows us all to be in business to begin with. And let's start conducting that business based on respect and relationship.
A great woman and writer wrote that "there can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do." Now you know why I do what I do and what I'm doing here. If I expect to be a part of change I figured the best way to understand a farmer's toil was to experience it.
So here is a brief description of fair trade:
-the trading of goods that creates relationships between producers, traders, and consumers in a manner that producers work in safe conditions, are paid fair wages, and are mindful of the environment
-it is meant to empower farmers in developing countries to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the land (harmful agrochemicals and GMO's are strictly prohibited), and developing business skills needed to compete in the global marketplace (use of direct trade)
With fair trade becoming such a hot topic and with companies such as Walmart offering products with the "fair trade" label, fair trade itself has come under scrutiny. Here inlies the difference between what we'll call shallow fair trade and deep fair trade. Because this is becoming such a growing profitable industry it's no wonder that the corporate giants are jumping on. Shallow fair trade employs the same principles as corporate business and some including myself are beginning to question whether this is having an effect on the standards of fair trade. Not to mention the price of fair trade coffee is still terribly low. So fair trade as we know it isn't cutting it.
Now there is a move to buy directly from origin. Great idea! But alone I don't feel that this is enough either. See fair trade establishes regulations that in principle are a great starting point. In the end though it should be more than a label. It is an opportunity to change things globally by valuing people over profit. I would like to see individual roasters work directly with the grower co-op's and show a committment to being a part of the lives of the people whose labor allows us all to be in business to begin with. And let's start conducting that business based on respect and relationship.
A great woman and writer wrote that "there can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do." Now you know why I do what I do and what I'm doing here. If I expect to be a part of change I figured the best way to understand a farmer's toil was to experience it.
5.02.2007
Imitating Trees
Time seems to move differently here in Hawaii. The days are long and are met with a stillness that upon my arrival was unnerving. For a city girl like me the slow pace made me a bit anxious. Now that I've settled into this strange time space continuum I find it empowering. I spend my days doing work that is filled with silence. It's amazing that if you're used to constant noise how the absence of sound can be so loud. The absence of noise is what strikes you, what causes you to pay attention. I spend a lot of time in the field tearing up weeds and unwrapping vines from the coffee trees. Some of the trees, the ones I call "under attack", take up to 15 minutes to unravel. In that time I find myself thinking about the trees and what it is that may need to be untangled in my own life. I try to imitate the trees, to let go and give myself over to the process and time it takes to become untangled. I have always been someone who spends a lot of time in my head. Im learning that you can be in your head without thinking about your past or planning for your future. This experience is teaching me to be present in my moments.
Most of the farmers I've met have been gentle souls and have had a calm presence. I think their secret is in the ordinariness of their work. The ordinary becomes sacred on a farm. While the labor is intense the reward is a simplicity of spirit and the one thing you don't lack on a farm is time to think. At least not before the invention of ipods.
Most of the farmers I've met have been gentle souls and have had a calm presence. I think their secret is in the ordinariness of their work. The ordinary becomes sacred on a farm. While the labor is intense the reward is a simplicity of spirit and the one thing you don't lack on a farm is time to think. At least not before the invention of ipods.
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