Monday, December 31, 2012

Cocoa Picking Season

 

While the snow flakes are falling the cocoa pods are ripening... 

It's the beginning of cocoa picking season!




After they cut the pod open, the wet cocoa beans are collected in five gallon buckets.  The buckets are often carried on foot to the boucan, the cocoa cooperative.  Even the simplest tool, like a wheel barrel, could make the burdensome task of lugging the buckets to the cooperative easier.  It is a day's labor.



First the buckets get weighed.  Then the pods are sorted and then stored in the Sweat Boxes and covered with banana leaves to concentrate the heat during the fermentation process, which takes 6-8 days.  The beans are turned twice daily.





Busy hands at work.




Once the fermentation process is over, the beans are spread out on drawers to dry in the sun.  The drying process can take up to seven days if the conditions are ideal.

                                                                                         


Once they are thoroughly dried, they are packed in burlap bags so they can breathe.        




Bags and bags of beans...




Waiting...

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Women in Action




Pinky crocheting her first bag
out of recycled plastic...





Doris from La Marquis, the village of weavers,
 shaping her pine grass basket.
Pine grass is only worked in this village.




Trish stringing cranes for our L.A. Burdicks holiday fundraiser...





Just learned to crochet...




she is hooked!





These handmade crafts are for sale at L.A. Burdicks in Walpole, NH
or 
contact Dorise 
603-863-6366

Proceeds go to support the women of the cocoa farming community,
 as well as the farmers.






Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Fashion Show Success

Thanks to Ruggles and Hunt
& Burdicks Restaurant

We raised $1,300 for the cocoa farmers of Grenada!

Thanks to
all the beautiful models,
Vicki,
the waitstaff,
and you, the customers, 
for helping make our fundraiser a success!

Saturday, December 15, 2012

The Origami Cranes from Grenada




Thousands of origami cranes were folded by hand
in Grenada by women in the fair trade cooperative of CFFI.
 The crane is a symbol of long-life, happiness, good-luck and
Peace

Wishing you peace and joy
In this holiday season

Find your string of cranes 
at any L.A. Burdicks
or 
contact Dorise
doko@cffigrenada.org
603-863-6366





Cambridge, Mass




Cambridge, Mass





Walpole, NH






Boston, MA




Thursday, December 6, 2012

Panforte!



Don't feel guilty
it's goodness for a good cause...

We can ship or
you can purchase at Burdicks

Contact Dorise