I’m wrapping up a fantastic in Chiapas, Mexico, where Ariel Chait and I participated in the annual meeting of CoopSol. Small scale coffee producers from around Latin America got together with the roasters and retailers of Cooperative Coffees to talk about the current state of Fair Trade, best practices in Fair Trade and organic coffee production, and where the future of specialty coffee is headed. Based in San Cristobal de las Casas, we held meetings at CEDECI, a training center for local indigenous people; in the mountains near Acteal, the home of Maya Vinic coffee; and around the picturesque city of San Cris. For Ariel and me, it was a great opportunity to meet a lot of good people and talk about Acopio Movil, the project we’ve been working on at Cal.
Check out the gallery below for some pictures from the week and a video featuring fellow participants.
825 most miles in a day (Tuscaloosa, AL to Keller, TX)
12+ parks (Cacapon Resort State Park, Shenandoah National Park, Hunter Island State Park, Barton Springs City Park, Santa Fe National Forest, San Juan National Forest, Grand Teton National Park, Ochoco State Park, Umpqua National Forest, Crater Lake National Park, Redwoods National Park, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, and others)
8 nights camping
6 nights in an hotel
25 nights with friends
many podcast episodes (This American Life, CarTalk, Stuff You Should Know, and the Writers Alamanac)
While in Boulder I had the pleasure of staying with old friend and jewelry designer Lindsey Cash. We made a short video introduction to Lindsey and her work. Take a look:
Video from my trip down Skyline Drive. The views were incredible, the traffic super light, and there was plenty of wildlife to look at. I saw deer, rabbits, squirrels, turkey, and a black bear. I finished the day at Loft Mountain where I set up camp.