| Geography of Coffee Matagalpa Study Tours James Hayes-Bohanan , Ph.D. Bridgewater State College Geography UPDATED February 26, 2008  I am planning to lead another
Matagalpa Tour in
January 2009, again near
the end of the harvest. We have had good trips with Managua-based,
"regular"
tour operators, but we are now in preliminary discussions with
Matagalpa Tours, which will be able to give us an even richer
experience. As before,
this is not a trip for those who need all the comforts of home. It will
be the
trip of a lifetime, though, for students who want a real-world
experience
with coffee, from the soil to the bean to the export processing, and
who
want a first-hand understanding of the sustainable agroforestry in one
of
the most fascinating cloud-forest regions of the world.As with past courses, any student can take the January 2009 class (which will have some mandatory pre-tour and post-tour meetings). The class is conducted in English and no prior geography courses are required, but those planning to take the course would benefit from studying Spanish and taking geography course or two beforehand. |
 Cafezinho in Florianópolis |
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 "To know the unexplored of northern Nicaragua" As the course draws closer, you can get more detailed information and fees and apply to participate by contacting our International and Exchange Programs office: www.bridgew.edu/international. Meanwhile, feel free to contact me with questions about the trip. |
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| The Coffeeland
Landmine
Victims' Trust connects the coffee industry to landmine victims
throughout
the coffee-growing areas of the
world. Unfortunately, this
includes the Contra War area of
Nicaragua. I look forward to
working with the Trust during the 2009 study tour. Our journey will
take us back to Ben Linder's grave in
Matagalpa, but this time we will also go to the Ben
Linder café in Leon.
This café was established with
the help of Deans Beans. It
honors the martyred North American engineer
while helping farmers and victims of land mines. It is also a source of
something rare in commercial establishments in Nicaragua: a decent cup
of coffee! |
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