New Speaker Series: Coffee: From the Grounds Up

March 3, 2:12 PMSeattle Food ExaminerTraca Savadogo

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Yeah, I was a barista.  I thought I knew about coffee.  And then I read "God in a Cup" by author Michaele Weissman and was totally blown away. It was nothing short of a revelation.

As many will tell you, the coffee trade is an incredibly complex business.  Shedding light on the situation is a new lecture series offered by the University of Washington's Alumni Association. The eight-part series, "Coffee: From the Grounds Up", features an all-star line up of experts, examining everything from coffee's place in history to environmental impacts and Fair Trade practices. 

Held in conjuction with the Burke Museum exhibit, "Coffee: The World in Your Cup" (running until June 7th), this lecture series is sure to be an eye-opener. Register for the entire series or individual lectures. 

Here's more info:

From its humble roots as an energy bar in ancient Africa to its current status as the emblem of our modern, global and fast-paced world, coffee has dominated and shaped entire cultures. And it's done so through a surprisingly simple mechanism—keeping us awake.

Join us for Coffee: From the Grounds Up, a savory public speaker series taking place right here in Seattle, the coffee capital of the United States. Complementing a major coffee exhibit at the Burke Museum of Natural History, Coffee: From the Grounds Up is a series of eight lectures and panel discussions featuring some of the world's leading coffee experts and practitioners.

These experts will explore the social, political and ecological lessons that can come from a crop that, more than any other, connects the world's richest and poorest nations.

When: Tuesdays, April 7, 14, 21, 28, May 5, 12, 19, 26; All lectures from 7-9 p.m.
Where: Kane Hall Room 210, UW Seattle (Kane Hall Room 220 for April 21 lecture)
Cost: Admission is FREE, but space is limited and advance registration is requested. Register on line or call the UWAA at 206-543-0540 or 1-800-AUW-ALUM.

Lecture Schedule

April 7 - "Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World"
Speaker: Mark Pendergrast

April 14 - "Direct Trade: Bringing the World Community Together Through Coffee "
Speaker: David Robinson

April 21 - "Why We Love Coffee"
Speaker: Eugene Anderson

April 28 - "A High Quality Cup - Securing Futures by Increasing Coffee Quality"
Speaker: David Browning. Introduction by Tjada McKenna of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

May 5 - "Fair Trade - Using Markets to Empower the Poor"
Speaker: Paul Rice

May 12 - "Brewing Biodiversity: Looking at Coffee as an Ecosystem"
Speaker: Stacy Philpott

May 19 - "Coffee, Sustainability, and Seattle"
Speakers: Representatives of Espresso Vivace Roasteria, Grounds for Change, Pura Vida Coffees, and Stumptown Roasters

May 26 - "Local to Global - Conservation and C.A.F.E practices at the World' Largest Coffee Company"
Speakers: Ben Packard & Peter Torrebiarte. Introduction by Orin Smith, former President and CEO of Starbucks Corporation.