Having already participated in the other impact activities offered during our stay in Puerto Plata I was very pleased to see a new activity on the list, and it involved my love for coffee, it was a win win. There is nothing I love more to start my day than a cup (or more) of strong black coffee, so when offered the chance to see the process from soil to cup I jumped at the chance. We started our day with a ride through the Dominican Republic countryside and up into the mountains to visit an EcoLodge. Together our group of less than 40 worked alongside some of the locals who are employees by the coffee industry in the DR. Together we planted coffee beans, 700 to be exact! Once they reach a few months old they will be transported from the location we visited to the coffee plantation further from town. Within a few years the plants will begin to produce the coffee beans, the 700 we planted are able to produce approximately 1 ton of coffee per year, and 2.5 million cups of coffee over the lifetime of the plant! That should about cover the consumption for my immediate family!
After planting the beans we were treated to a demonstration of the coffee process in Pedro Garcia, the community where the plantation is located. They use generations old practices of hand picking the beans. They use a hulling machine with a hand crank. They dry them in the sun. They roast the beans on a rudimentary stovetop. They grind them by hand in a giant mortar and pestle. Lastly brew them through a “brewing sock” to produce a darn good cup of organic coffee, which we enjoyed greatly.
Our group also came together to make Berry Borer Beetle traps, we made 30 in a very short period of time. These traps are used in the coffee groves to protect the fruit from the beetle that can damage the crop.
Next, it was time to gather on the mountaintop and enjoy a the local specialty, Sancocho. Sancocho is a wonderful stew of various meats and root vegetables served over rice. It was a great reward after our planting. The avocados picked from the trees around our tables were devoured in no time!
We returned to the ship tired and a bit dirty, but completely satisfied with the day of work and really able to see a tangible result. There is a lot that goes into making that perfect cup of coffee that we so easily take for granted every morning. There’s also a lot that these communities gain for themselves, their families and their environment by preserving the process. When you are ready to Vacation For Good and make an impact on your next vacation click here, I would love to have a conversation with you about how to incorporate this type of impact activity no matter where your vacation path leads.
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