What the deuces is Biodynamic Agriculture? It is old-fashioned and newly fashionable sustainable agriculture. The kind of farming practices our grandparents employed until they were unemployed when agriculture turned into agri-business. Now as people rediscover local foods and start showing concern about their local environments, we can resow the seeds of how things really work. In biodynamic farming, the farm is treated as a living organism and all efforts are made to ensure the long term...

  FAIR TRADE ORGANIC SUMATRA GAYO MOUNTAIN

Back in the days of the colonial trading companies, the Dutch traders brought coffee from Ethiopia, its birthplace, to the East Indies or Spice Islands, now known as Indonesia. They tried growing coffee on many of the islands that make up the Indonesian archipelago. Sumatra, the largest island, provided one of the best climates for coffee cultivation....

 

We are down with the Market.

No not that market. The Eastern Market is what I am talking about. Since our economy and free market are foundering why not return to the fundamentals of the true market economy. That is, selling food and drinks grown and produced locally. We are fully supportive of the locavore movement even if it is a bit of a mouthful. As long as we’ve got mouthfuls of Michigan produce in our larder, we can weather any economic turbulence....

 

The 100% Colombian coffee campaign by the Colombian Coffee Federation is one of the most successful attempts at branding a country I can remember. Everyone knows Juan Valdez. Asking for 100% Colombian coffee used to be a sure-fire way to ask for a good cup of coffee. Unfortunately through the years Juan got lazy and the quality of the coffee suffered much like Vinnie Chase’s movie career in Entourage. He was a star before he made Medellin, a bloated, over-hyped over the top movie which tanked. Colombian coffee used to account for 80% of Colombia’s...

Techno and espresso?  Varum nicht as a techno lover from Berlin might say. Great Lakes Coffee Roasting partnered with Urban Bean Co to set up an espresso bar on the concourse and down in the v.i.p. lounge under the amphitheatre.  We acheived a zen-like balance by serving only zen espresso.  No decaf.  None needed for those trying to stay up for the after-parties which didn't begin until well after midnight.  For those who wanted just a cup of coffee we made sure to give them the stupid americano.  Hearts were exercised as we...

"Is it possible that any villainy should be so dear?

“Thou should'st rather ask if it were possible any villainy should be so rich; for when rich villains have need of poor ones, poor ones may make what price they will.”

Yes, it has been a long time since I have posted. I have been traveling quite a bit, to Spain, Serbia and Romania. All the while, drinking espresso and getting ideas for new coffee blends. I had hoped to use the Clover machine to highlight the nuances of these various coffees, but alas a bombshell was dropped a month ago just as I was leaving for...

 

WHAT IS REGULAR COFFEE? How about a Clover coffee? Who is John Galt? Why so many questions?

Recently I have run into two conflicting phenomenon. The first is the growth in people willing to drink espresso straight. The second is people bewildered and asking for “just regular or black coffee.” I will admit that I have been admitting to people who request regular coffee that I don’t know what they are asking for. Is there something confusing going on here where we are conspiring to sow discord among...