Local business owner helps solve coffee crisis one cup at a time

By Barbara Hootman
Black Mountain (NC)News

While pouring an early morning cup of coffee, many coffee drinkers do not realize that small coffee farmers are facing a crisis that could effect the way they start the day.

Amy Vermillion, owner of The Dripolator Coffeehouse in Black Mountain, recently returned from an educational adventure, visiting coffee farmers in the highlands of Nicaragua. Perhaps nowhere in the world has been more affected by the decline of coffee prices than Nicaragua.

"I have a responsibility to know firsthand where my product comes from and to find out about the quality of life of the people who produce it," she said. "I feel like I just had a semester course on international business and coffee trade, and I’m really excited to share what I learned with my staff and customers."

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