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like Chestertown remember what the area looked like years ago,
and they see how it has changed since then. There was a time
during the summer months when the air was alive with butterflies
and bees, and at night the darkness twinkled with fireflies. Bob-
white quail, ground-nesting birds that are members of the pheas-
ant family, were abundant, and their distinctive call was a familiar
sound to residents of the area.
Nowadays, however, these sights and sounds are no longer
common in Eastern Shore towns. Quail populations have de-
clined drastically, and many other species have dropped off as
SHADE-GROWN COFFEE
Coffee farming is not often classified as sustainable farming. In tropical and
subtropical regions of the world where coffee beans are grown, farmers
often cut down trees to make room for planting coffee shrubs. This prac-
tice has become more common as the demand for coffee has soared, and
the resultant clearing of trees has devastated forest habitats. Environmental
groups stress that a much preferable method of growing coffee is under
shade trees. The plants grow beautifully in the shade, and shade-grown cof-
fee conserves soil and water, as well as providing habitat for wildlife. Shade
growing is how coffee was traditionally grown, as the Rainforest Alliance
explains: “Decades ago, coffee farms were virtually indistinguishable from
the surrounding forest. Traditional coffee-growing methods depended on the
shade of the forest canopy, which supported local wildlife, migratory birds
and better bean quality.”
The Rainforest Alliance works closely with farmers in coffee-growing re-
gions of the world to teach them about the benefits of shade-grown crops.
Those who adopt green growing practices, including leaving forests intact,
can be designated as Rainforest Alliance Certified growers. The farmers reap
the many benefits of growing coffee in the shade and learn from alliance
representatives how to get the most yield from their coffee crops. Also, the
certification carries prestige, which makes the farmers’ products more at-
tractive to coffee connoisseurs who buy them.
Rainforest Alliance, “Rainforest Alliance Certi ed Coffee,” September 24, 2014.
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