After a summer's worth of research, memories and new friendships the time has come to go home. Instantly, 2 months compressed into a flicker of memories and hundreds of pages of questionnaires in my backpack. Undoubtedly this next year will lend much time for reflection as I complete my master's degree in Vermont.
Over the past two weeks I've had the pleasure of hosting my brother and Dad here in the DR, showing them my work and discussing with them some of my preliminary findings. The truth is overwhelming, as the majority of coffee farmers I interviewed are struggling to hold on to their farms and meet their families basic food necessities as they compete in a global commodity market second that only to oil. Despite these challenges, Dominicans have been producing incredibly rich coffees for more than three generations.
On an uplifting note I am confident that my research at the community level will make a difference as much help is on the way through external investment, BUT I WANT TO DO MORE. So following an afternoon conversation with my brother, we decided we would purchase some coffee, paying double the price, but offering the ability to connect our friends and family in the States with farmers directly here in the Dominican Republic. After all, over the course of the summer I've had a number of friends contact me about bringing some of those magical beans home to them and there are some exemplary alternative trade networks out there to follow including one started by my professor, Ernesto Mendez during his time at UC Santa Cruz.
All coffee is whole bean, shade grown at altitudes of 800 meters or more; pulped, dried and roasted at the ASCAJA association factory in Jarabacoa, DR. Coffees may be purchased at the prices below, future supply will be dependent upon initial demand.
Shipped to your home:
$12.99 lb Organic
&11.99 lb Conventional
Burlington or Atlanta Area available for pickup
$11 lb Organic
&10 lb Conventional
Quantity is limited, please contact me directly at: leehgross@gmail or my brother Parker in the Atlanta area at: hoyasoccer15@gmail.com. Checks for purchase should be mailed to:
Lee H. Gross
41 Lakeview Terrace
Burlington, VT 05401
