Field Trip!

I went on a work field trip on Tuesday to Sandra Farms in the mountains of Adjuntas, PR -- a coffee plantation where Banana Dang buys some of the coffee they brew in the shop. It's is owned and operated by Sandra and Israel Gonzalez, two adorable retired teachers who somehow have the energy to maintain their land and business, and I only hope I have the motivation they still have when I have in my 60's. It was an AMAZING experience, as I have never seen something like this before.

Here is the view:





Some yet-ripe coffee beans

Israel and Sandra showing us a storage space:


Israel showing T2 some of the beans:


Where they dump and sort the picked beans before dumping down the shoot to be washed:


Israel and T2:

A bags of beans yet to be roasted:

The beginnings of a coffee bean? A flower:


Israel and his bag of beans:

LOVE THIS PICTURE:

Israel and the sugar cane he chopped down for us to try:


Everywhere you turned there was a freakin different plant on this farm. Grapefruit, orange, and avacado trees, sugar cane, BLUEBERRIES...it was insane. It also made me realize that, as much as I deny it, I'm growing to prefer the mountain air and country side to sidewalks and cities that never sleep.