Coffee is an amazing agricultural gem. Coffee is often sited as being the second largest traded commodity in the world after petroleum. Coffee has an amazing, rich and complicated history. It has journeyed from Africa through Yemen to Indonesia and then on to the Americas. Coffee has been fought over, coveted and exploited. It was and has been inevitably linked to colonial rule and it subsequent aftermath. Coffee has been a powerful elixir in religious ceremonies. It has been the bottomless diner cup baked on hot plates drenched in milk and sugar. Coffee has been the wonderfully nuanced specialty beverage that people search the world over for. One could spend their entire life learning about coffee: the history, the botany, how it’s processed and handled and traded, about roasting, blending, packaging, grinding, brewing and one would never learn all there is to know. That is part of why coffee is so wonderful, there are so many mysteries to explore.

Below are some articles and links. They are an introduction to help you on your way to exploring this great product. We love coffee and love sharing our passion with others.

Certifications: An Introduction (pdf)

Organizations:

Specialty Coffee Association of America
Roasters Guild
Bikes to Rwanda
Coffee Kids
Grounds for Health

Coffee Info:

Coffee Geek
Ken Davids About Coffee

Coffee Forums and Blogs:

Coffeeforums.com
Coffeed.com
Jim Seven (WBC Champ James Hoffman's Blog)
Portafilter.net

Origin Information:

Mesa de los Santos - Colombia
Hacienda La Amistad - Costa Rica
Hacienda La Minita - Costa Rica
Co-op Dota - Costa Rica
Selva Negra Estate - Nicaragua
Rwanda Pearl Project

Certification Sites:

Fair Trade
Rainforest Alliance
USDA Organic
Smithsonian Bird Friendly