The Botany of Desire

Often, spinning around in my own washing machine of thought that is usually stuck on Normal cycle; warm|warm, I forget how wonderful it is to encounter new ideas and ways of thinking, especially in regard to tangible everyday things. Plants domesticating humans...fantastic!

Leftbank/Stumptown Coffee Summit

A few nights ago Leftbank held a panel discussion and tasting organized and hosted by Stumptown Coffee Roasters. They brought in coffee farmers and buyers from Kenya, Costa Rica and Colombia and discussed direct trade, development and how Stumptown is spearheading a farm-to-cup culture that is a win-win-win scenario for the coffee farmer, the buyer and finally, the consumer. It was great to hear directly from farmers about how direct trade is helping them improve their lives, their business and their coffee.