Daisy's Coffee

stray dog
old coffee sun drying
Diasy´s coffee shop sign
huge bug

Daisy´s coffee plants
scenery walking up the mountain


The picture I was talking when the guy tapped me

coffee

hydrangeas


roaster

our bus drove up most of the way and this is where we got out to walk.


huge flying ant

According to the Global Exchange website, the U.S. consumes 1/5 of the entire world's coffee, making it the largest consumer in the world. Today we went to Daisy Rodriguez Coffee farm and Del Cafe Tal, her coffee shop. Recently, Daisy's coffee was awarded the best coffee in Costa Rica, number two in Latin America. Her coffee is so good that she can sell it for $15 a pound. I bought a pound for $10 today, discount! We all got a taste and I thought it was very delicious. Her coffee plantation was gorgeous, but it was a long walk, uphill, to the top of the mountain, where her plantation was. There were hydrangeas lining the side of the road some of the way. A very beautiful blue. Jamie asked Daisy if she had the hydrangeas to test the acidity of the soil, but she said that her neighbor planted them and really didn't know what he was talking about. They call hydrangeas something else and didn't know the English translation.
Daisy has seven employees year round, and 70 (from Nicaragua) around picking season which starts in December. Nicaraguans in Costa Rica have the same connotation as Mexicans to the U.S. They are harder workers and cheaper labor. She also has a herd of stray dogs, very cute and friendly dogs.

Even though Daisy has a small coffee farm, that she bought 10 years ago, she has quality coffee and does not receive prices for her coffee that are less than the cost of production like other small plantations.

Unfortunately she was not able to maintain an organic coffee plantation that she tried out for four years. She quit her organic plantation three years ago.

Fair Trade assures consumers that the coffee we drink was purchased under fair conditions. According the Global Exchange website, to be Fair Trade certified, an importer must meet stringent international criteria; paying a minimum price per pound of $1.26. This is supposed to provide technical assistance such as help transitioning to organic farming. Fair Trade can only help companies that agree to the criterion, which mostly means larger coffee dealers like Starbucks.

The coffee plants, today, had white flower blooms and some had the red berries. We picked a few of the berries, opened them up, and found white coffee beans. I put the bean in my mouth and it didn't taste anything like a coffee beans, it was actually kind of slimy, but still hard. I have some gorgeous pictures that I will hopefully be able to post once I figure out my camera situation.

The weirdest thing happened to me while I was taking pictures of the mountains. I was standing on the sidewalk, close to a driveway and as I was taking the picture a car hit me! (it tapped me). Why couldn't the guy just honk his horn if I was in his way, which I don' t think I was. He could have gotten into the drive without hitting me! No bumps or bruises, just a weird experience.