Wow, the last two weeks have been nonstop. Two weeks ago I had the fun of being gone with my daughter's class to San Francisco, where we toured the California Academy of Sciences. Then after a night at the Marin Headlands hostel, we headed to Point Reyes for the Earthquake Walk. The kids were amazed by the fence that had moved sixteen feet along the San Andreas fault.
Then this last week was an odd schedule, with school closed Monday for Veteran's Day and again on Friday for poor air quality. Our hearts go out to all those affected by the Camp Fire. Every day comes news of more lives lost, and more tragic stories. At the same time, each day I have also heard stories of helpers, from this county and others around Northern California and even further away. I have so much gratitude for this community and the many ways we come together to help our neighbors.
This week brings both Thanksgiving and the first
Cornish Christmas. We will be open until 9 pm Friday night, so come see us if you're around downtown. You can also find us in the trolley out at the fairgrounds for the
Country Christmas Faire. We'll have eggnog lattes, peppermint mochas, and hot chocolates ready to keep you warm. Both events are rain or shine, so you can count on us being there.
I ran out of time last week to tell you about our
Papua New Guinea Kimel Estate AA. I brought this home to drink because I love the full-bodied chocolate tones it has. The estate is 100% owned by indigenous people, who came together to purchase the plantation in 1979. The estate provides schooling for the children, and medical care for all the employees. Their water comes straight from Mt. Hagen, in the Western Highlands Province, and it is recycled after use.
This week we have a
Colombian for you, that cupped beautifully when we tried it. It has citrus and stone fruit notes, with a twinkling acidity that finishes with a creamy caramel flavor. It is grown by seven farmers: Ciro Antonio Camayo, Maria Teresa Paz, Ramiro Antonio Vainas, Arley Arturo Camayo, Edelmira Camayo, Loborio Zambrano, and Aiber Fredy Vainas. According to our broker, they work closely with:“an export company called Banexport to gain access to technical support for best agricultural practices. Banexport has matched these regional producers because of their shared commitment to exquisite coffee processing and loving care for their farms, which produce complementary profiles (see
Royal Coffee).”
After decades in the coffee business, I am still impressed by the transparency that allows us to know the names of the farmers that grow our coffee. That kind of direct relationship is invaluable, for the farmers and for us. So this week I will drink our
Colombian Cauca El Totoro with thanks to Ciro, Maria, Ramiro, Arley, Edelmira, Loborio and Aiber.
This week we are featuring our cook, Tyler, who is pictured below with his lovely wife Elyse (also an employee). Enjoy reading about Tyler, and I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, full of good food and gratitude. In the midst of so much tragedy brought on by wildfires in this state, it seems especially important to be thankful for all that we have.
--Holly Fike
