Jeff & Jodi Guests
I was well into my 20s before leaving the farm/ranch where I was raised. It’s a life that never escapes you. Spending a day working beside Johanna was a gift – one that provided insight to the value and quality of small production farming in the Dominican Republic.
Bonita Cacao operation is large enough to provide employment for several local workers, all of whom are paid a higher wage than industrial cacao plantations. Income from the sale of ceremonial cacao and its byproducts (nibs, cacao tubes, butter and liquor) also provides a modest living for Johanna as she develops her business. She oversees and participates in the entire farm-to-market process: health and care of each tree, timing for each of the 3 annual harvests, hand-processing the pods, marketing. If you’ve only consumed “chocolate”, realizing the difference between pure cacao and a candy bar can take some time.
Johanna’s cacao is organically grown, genetically pure, and artisanally processed. Two hundred pounds of her cacao will produce about 1000 bars of 45 gram, single origin, heirloom cacao. Additionally, she leads cacao ceremonies and educational programs. It is a labor of respect and love of the land, heritage, and environment – completely in line with the ideals of New Cambium.
コメント