photo by Jonathan Schechter

Good coffee. There is nothing like it in the world. I've had my share of coffee in my travels. I am not a Starbucks kind of guy. But I'll drink that too-- if it's my only available choice.

Coffee goes best with adventure.

Last year, on the upper slopes of Kilimanjaro at an elevation of 17,000 feet, my drink of choice in the frigid pre-dawn darkness before the final ascent to the summit was a rich Tanzanian coffee laced with dark honey and 125 mg of Acetazolamide to combat altitude illness.   And I will never forget a border-crossing trek encamped almost twenty years ago with a small group of Israelis and Bedouins in Egypt's Sinai Desert near an ancient monastary. We huddled under a star-studded sky and sipped coffee from small glass cups. The coffee pot water was brought to a boil on a smoldering camel dung fire.

 Life doesn't get much better than that.

 And as my co-workers today know - and some dread - I need my coffee.  Or give me a cozy roadside cafe  in a small town offering endless steaming coffee in a mug and the local newspaper and I'm happy

Get your mugs ready for the New Year!There is new kid on the coffee block: Worm Dirt Coffee!

Worm Dirt Coffee is a fund raising effort of Project Fish. What is Project F.I.S.H?  It's the involvement of our youth in a long term and continuous community supported sportfishing and aquatic resources education program. Part of their vision is to preserve a natural  heritage that ensures the future of fishing, natural resources and environmental awareness, ethical fishing practices,  fisheries stewardship, and positive developmental activities for children, families and the community.

According to Mark Stephens of Project Fish-Michigan State University,  "It's  a full City Blend with a hint of French Roast ---roasted and packed in Mid-Michigan. The Worm Dirt coffee supplier uses only hand selected 100% Arabica coffee beans." I nudged Mark a bit more and have his word that the title "worm dirt" is simply meant to be an eye-catching slogan for a fisheries related fund raiser.  No worms!  No dirt in the coffee.  I ordered and taste tested a 12 oz bag of Worm Dirt. It's vey good. It's for a good cause and is sure to raise eyebrows if you leave the worm dirt bag on the counter top. 

PURCHASE INFO: If you want to get hooked on Worm Dirt and help create caring stewards of our natural resouces, contact Mark at steph143@msu.edu of explore http://www.projectfish.org/ .  It's $10 a bag plus shipping and if you are interested in selling the coffee directy to aid Project Fish inquire on wholesale prices for larger quantities. 

Happy New Year! Try WormDirt. You'll get hooked. It's "Always Fresh Ground."