Three Virginia Tech employees from Dining Services will be flown to Nicaragua paid for by Tech's funds to visit a mountain resort and coffee plantation.
The employees were invited by the farm to stay on the property for five days in November for an exploratory trip to La Hammonia Farm in Matagalpa where Selva Negra Coffee Estate beans are grown.
Airfare for the three faculty members costs $1,778.40, or $592.80 per person.
Other expenses Tech will incur during the trip include gas to get to Charlotte, airport parking fees and possibly several meals while in the airports.
Once in Nicaragua La Hammonia is providing room, board, and food.
Dining Services has formed a relationship with this farm since they purchase so many Nicaraguan beans.
Don Harvey, the Deet's Place unit manager, said Dining Services spends "probably around $4,000 a year" on these beans. This coffee is used in blends at West End Market, Cinnabon, D2, the Vet/Med Cafe and Shultz Express.
"It's one of the things that Virginia Tech does to educate itself," said Associate Director of Dining Services Ted Faulkner. "This is [coffee roasters'] type of continuing
education."
Harvey has been educated in this area by going to barista school, as well as Diedrich coffee roasting school in Sand Point, Idaho.
After taking written and hands-on demonstration exams in front of judges, he became a certified barista, which is a person who makes coffee-based drinks.
The Tech employees plan to transfer the knowledge they'll gain from the trip to any students interested in Tech's coffee.
Over the course of the semester, Dining Services will put on four classes about coffee. The first, called Seed to Cup, will be held at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
The trip will also serve to ensure Dining Services that the Selva Negra estate employees are treated well. They will observe whether the workers receive fair wages and medical care, and they will check on the working conditions at the farm.
"If we're going to buy coffee from these folks, we want to see how it's done," Johnson said. "People write it, but until you see it, you don't know for sure."
"We want to make sure that everything we understand the farm to be is exactly what it is," Faulkner said. "It's kind of our effort here to move to more responsible growers."
In addition to Harvey and Faulkner, Marketing and Publications Manager for Student Programs Holli Drewry is scheduled to go.
Drewry will be taking pictures and video so the three can later educate other faculty and the student body about the origin of Tech's coffee beans.
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"If we're going to buy coffee from these folks, we want to see how it's done," Johnson said. Candace, you didn't introduce Johnson. Who is Johnson?
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Tech should buy the plantation and raise the beans along with Cacao for chocolate? Send down Undergrads for a semester in a 3rd World environment would be a great experience.
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When the university is facing budget cuts why are we sending 4 people on a trip that could be made by one....we are spending almost as much on this trip as we purchase from them in a year....is this really a good use of university resources?
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Bonnie, if they buy $4000 of coffee a year, then the markup to the purchase price would surely cover the cost of the trip.
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Oh no not again. Anyone who thinks budget can be balanced by cutting this trip doesn't know how budgets work. Seriously your education has been a waste. Next we shall be hearing about overpaid football coaches.
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If you think that is bad, do a report on the expense account for Steger and his buddies.
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I'm sure that this coffee trip is so much more important then improving the lack of funds available to campus watch, who continue to run around tech with flashlights they can't see by...and lets not forget their "winter parka" windbreakers. President Strudel....er...Steger... looks like you earned your 1,500$ today making the fly overseas to sample coffees decision!
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If you did some research before you just started talking, you would know this is completely separate from President Steger. This is a dining services effort and it is going to promote sustainability efforts and conserve money by cutting out the middle man.
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