One of the cool things about Direct Trade is the relationships we develop with coffee producers. Last December I went to Popayan, Colombia and visited Nelson Melo. And in the spring, Nelson and his wife Liliana, came to 3CUPS and visited us. We got to learn a lot about how his coffee is grown and he learned a lot about how his coffee is sold.

Well, Kim Elena Bullock from Counter Culture is leaving for Popayan on August 23 to meet with Nelson and the farmers in his cooperative, Organica. I know that La Golondrina is a store favorite, so this is your opportunity to tell the farmers what you think. Send me an email to bbradley (at) 3CUPS (dot) net and I will make sure that it gets to the farmers. It may seem like a trivial thing, but a short story or even a quick message of "thanks" goes a long way in building sustainable relationships.