Author Archives: claudiasquips

The Politics of Coffee

When Equal Exchange arranged this trip to Peru I was excited on many levels. I couldn’t wait to see the coffee growing, help with the harvest, taste the product etc. Delving into the political history of coffee growing in Northern … Continue reading

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Picking Coffee in Peru – or how I spent my summer vacation!

This July I had the amazing opportunity to visit Coyona, Peru with Equal Exchange to harvest coffee with the Jose Gabriel Condorcanqui Co-op (JGC) and to learn about how Fair Trade works in the most fundamental way. The co-op began … Continue reading

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Pura Vida At Home: How the TV Stayed Off Post Vacation

Before basking in the glow of Costa Rican sunshine I must admit that I frequently sat in the glow of our Samsung TV. I can be a serial junkie – when I find my show du jour I will watch … Continue reading

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Pura Vida! part 1

When I signed up for a yoga retreat in Costa Rica last November it was a no-brainer – we were to spend seven days at an eco-lodge that also happened to be a biodynamic farm. The yoga was almost an … Continue reading

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Shade Grown Coffee is For The Birds

No really, it is. There’s even a certification for it from the Smithsonian. The first sustainable coffee congress was in 1996 and the shade issue emerged out of that meeting as a sustainable alternative to ‘sun-grown’ coffee with two certifications … Continue reading

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Humble beginnings

I know it was idyllic. I know not every blueberry for Cascadian Farm is grown on this farm or in this way, but I was impressed with the original Cascadian Farm and the tasty blueberries I ate straight from the … Continue reading

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The Heart of the Matter

I wish this was a post about a lovely memory of my father since Father’s Day is upcoming but after I spent a few moments wondering what the heck I was going to get him one thing immediately came to … Continue reading

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Environmental Restoration – of the Internal Kind

Our main purpose here at MOM’s is to restore the environment. Typically for me it means outward actions of recycling, reusing, and enlightening others on how they can do that too.  So on the flip side, what does environmental restoration … Continue reading

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Weeds. They’re what’s for dinner.

Weeds. Not a single good reference that I can think of. They’re the things most people throw away. They’re things we pay people to obliterate from our yards. In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s words, it is, “A plant whose virtues have … Continue reading

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You Say You Made a Resolution

As we wind down 2011 and look forward to January most of us are contemplating a resolution for the coming year. Whether it’s because we’ve overindulged through the holidays or because we simply want to be healthier, many of our … Continue reading

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