Meet the Growers!

Wednesday, September 29, 2004

We are very excited to welcome Rigoberto Augustin Ramirez and Roberto Ramirez Lainez to Mother Fool\'s for a presentation about Coffee.

They are two of the growers that supply us with coffee. Their story is fascinating, former guerrillas, they acquired their land as part of the peace accords that ended the Guatemalan Civil War seven years ago.

We will be cupping some of the coffee from their farm starting at 6pm. They will be leading a discussion of organic coffee growing, fair trade issues and presenting a slide show.

This event is free and open to the public.

Rigoberto Augustin Ramirez and Roberto Ramirez Lainez are members of Santa Anita la union in Colomba Guatamala. Santa Anita is the source for Just Coffee\'s Guatemalan coffee.

Santa Anita is a collective of 33 families growing coffee, banannas, avacadoes and community on 100 beautiful acres in the costal mountains of the pacific coast. They were able to acquire this land as a part of the peace accords that ended the civil war there 6 years ago. Previous to becoming coffee growers, this group fought with others (who are now also on parcels of land growing food and community) for indigenous rights and land reform, and against descrimination and injustice.

Among their achievements in 5 years of maintaining this land are, organic certification, fair trade certification, a primary school and pharmacy onsite, and they just opened their ecotourism project. they have converted a building and are now able to accomodate visitors and have built a small kitchen and dining area to serve meals. The 100 acres they sit on are full of trails, creeks,tropical beauty and there are several palapas from where one can sit and enjoy the weather and view of 2 volcanoes.