India Rainforest Alliance Arabidecool Estate
As a business woman and resident chauffeur of two tweens, I spend a lot of time driving around this county to different events and activities. This week spring has been dressed in her finest frock: pink and white blossoms cascading from the dogwoods, roses opening in the sunshine, and the azaleas and rhododendrons strutting their bushes of flowers. It’s beautiful out there. In the early morning slanted sunlight the wildflowers glow, and the fields on our way to school are purple, yellow and white like a rumpled floral bedsheet.
Cousins on the playground on a sunny day
This week the weather warmed up. Today we were able to take the chicks outside before we left for school. They practice flying now: first one and then the other startling and hopping into the air. They barely get off the ground, but it’s awfully cute to watch them try. The ducks are a week bigger too, and they love the water: jumping into a shallow dish and swimming. And the geese eat grass happily as long as there is someone around. They’re extremely social, and if you walk away, they follow, while squawking wildly.
I hope that you have something in your life that gives you as much joy as these baby birds have been giving us. Goslings, chicks, and ducklings: they make us smile. Starting our day taking care of them is new to all of us, but we’re learning. I’ve been getting up, brewing my cup of coffee, and heading upstairs to check on the poultry. The ducks and geese are messy, and need fresh food, water, and bedding in the morning. The chicks seem easy by comparison: besides wood chips in their water they’re pretty clean.
Whatever your morning routine, I hope that you have a good supply of coffee. This week we have a new bean for you, from India. We don’t often get coffees from India because most of their crop is consumed in country. This bean comes from Chikmagalur, in Karnataka, near the Baba Budangiri hills. Chikmagalur is known as the coffee region of India, ever since around 1600 when Baba Budan brought back 7 coffee beans from Yemen on a pilgrimage to Mecca. As legend has it, those smuggled seeds were the beginning of coffee in India. There is a shrine to him in the area where this coffee is grown.
This is a fully washed bean, from the Arabidecool Estate. It is Rainforest Alliance certified, and the estate has a forested area set aside, and practices water conservation to protect their environment. This is an area of India where tigers and elephants still roam (thank you Neel for the information!). Can you imagine that? Some of the world’s largest mammals strolling through your coffee farm? That must be something to see. We have roasted this light, and in the cup it is as unique as its origin. It’s sweet with the tang of green apple and caramel. Delicious.
Tomorrow is the downtown Car Show, which is always a fun event. It’s a good one for the whole family, if you’re looking for something to do. It runs from 10 am – 3 pm, and you can find more information here. Then next week we have a fun event in the store: we have a pop up card shop that will run Monday – Friday, from 6-12. These are handmade coffee cards, made by Erin over at the Outside Inn. If you are a coffee lover, these are the cards for you–and you have time to pick one up before Mother’s Day.
You can try a cup of this Indian on us with the code Mowgli* this week. The Jungle Book is Archie’s favorite movie, and since it takes place in India, it seems an appropriate choice for this Rainforest Alliance Arabidecool Estate. Enjoy your weekend, whatever you do, and drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike
*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of India Rainforest Alliance Arabidecool Estate. Code expires on 05.10.18. Limit one free cup per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, 128 S. Auburn Street, Grass Valley, CA. Code/Offer has no cash value.