Welcome to the Maria Does Things newsletter!
Here, I share what I have been up to, coffee I’ve been drinking, places I have been exploring, and things on my mind!
August 16th, 2026
Welcome to the Maria Does Things newsletter! Here, I share what I have been up to, coffee I’ve been drinking, places I have been exploring, and things on my mind!
Coffee of the week
The standout coffee I had this week was from Gaia in Lewes, DE! I loved it so much, I went twice while I was down in Delaware! Their cold brew was incredible, and I tried a salty maple cinnamon latte that was delicious! I ended up buying a bag of Colombian coffee to brew at home! I love how their coffee is ethically sourced and thoughtfully roasted and brewed!
What I’ve been reading
I just finished Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune. I waited until I was on vacation to read Carley’s new book because her books feel like summer bottled up & there is just something about reading a new Carley Fortune book on the beach that is elite! Our Perfect Storm is definitely my favorite Carley Fortune book so far! I was lusting after Tofino even though I barely knew what it looked like before googling. The love story gave me butterflies and was so beautifully written! 5 Stars, 10/10!
Places I’ve explored recently
Chesapeake Bay
Last week was the first time I really ever spent time on the coast of the Chesapeake Bay, and I really enjoyed my time! We visited Point Lookout State Park and the Point Lookout Lighthouse! The weather was hot and beautiful. I loved collecting shells and rocks, staring at the yellow-orange sand and the blues of the water. We also found a restaurant where we sat back, relaxed, and ate blue crab. Needless to say, I love crab now! Our trip was peaceful and full of nature, great food, and delicious coffee!
Summer coming to an end…
I get really nostalgic this time of year, especially coming fresh off our summer vacation. I love summer and do not want it to end, but I also love fall and cannot wait for all the fall activities. I am trying to ground myself and savor the last of the slow summer days we still have while also planning my fall. Fall is always a busier work season for me, and I am trying to be intentional not to lose sight of doing all the simple fall things I love to do – trying fall drinks at local coffee shops, apple cider donuts, fall lake trips, taking long walks to see fall foliage…the list is almost endless! The next few weeks, I am going to try hard to embrace all the summer activities I can and enjoy the warm weather before August slips away.
Thank you for reading the Maria Does Things newsletter! I hope to write a newsletter each week with what I am up to. I am doing this as a way to stay connected while planning to take a social media break soon. If you would like to share with me what you are up to, what coffee you’ve been loving, what book you are reading, etc., please reach out!
This moment wasn’t planned… but it felt meant to happen 🤍
I found out where our secret trip is earlier than expected — and the excitement is unreal. I only know the country, nothing else. No plans, no itinerary, just trusting the process and staying curious!
I’m keeping it a secret for now (yes, even from you 😌) but I’ll be dropping hints, sharing pieces of the prep, and letting you guess along the way before we go.
This trip already feels special — and we haven’t even left yet 🤍✨
This article is written for Engl 540.01 Course: Creating Digital Content at Marywood University.
On a snowy March day, I drove through the winding roads of northeastern Pennsylvania to get to the Moka Origins Factory. We went for the coffee but left with such a passion for single-origin, ethically made chocolate. After my trips to Guatemala in 2014 and 2015, my passion for coffee has grown into something wonderful. I adore spending my time trying new local/micro-roasted coffees and learning about the coffee industry. Moka Origins was like taking a trip to coffee heaven!
Moka Origins currently has a factory store and cafe in Honesdale, PA. You can visit for a tour of the facilities where they make the chocolate and roast the coffee. You can grab bags of coffee and chocolate there, and you can even order a coffee or chocolate beverage at the cafe! If you are near Honesdale and want to stop by the factory, check out this blog post on what I recommend getting while you are there.
Moka didnt begin as a factory store, though. It began in 2014 in Cameroon as a farming venture.
“Our mission in Cameroon is creating food security, market linkage, and employment opportunities by partnering farmers as well as directly cultivating local food crops and cash crops (such as cacao), and starting a Farmers Field School.”
Driven by their mission, Jeff Abella and Ishan Tigunait, the husband and wife duo that created Moka Origins, grew it into the amazing company that it is today. Today not only have they created amazing programs in Cameroon for the farmers and their communities, but they also have their factory store and sell their chocolate in 40 retail locations across 9 states.
Why talk about Ethical Coffee?
When discussing coffee production and economics, is important to realize that so many coffee farmers and workers are not properly compensated for their work or coffee products. Large coffee companies undervalue the coffee and underpay those involved in the growing and processing process. Talking about the coffee industry and all the steps in coffee economics and production can empower people to make wiser coffee consumption decisions.
Understanding the economics of coffee is the first step in understanding the importance of the work a company like Moka is doing.
What this graphic doesn’t show is how many hands it takes to produce one simple cup of coffee. Here is a simple break down of that process.
Coffee is planted by coffee farmers, taken care of by farmers, then harvested by those farmers.
Then the coffee needs to be processed. This means transforming it from cherry to bean that is ready to be roasted.
For many large coffee companies, the coffee is brought to them to be sold or to brew, or maybe even both.
Then the beans are roasted and packaged. You can see part of this process under stage 3 in the graphic as it relates to the economic process of coffee.
Then someone needs to grind the coffee. That might be to bag the coffee to sell it or the baristas who are brewing the coffee for a customer.
Lastly is the cup of coffee you experience at home or in a coffee shop.
There have been efforts to minimize the number of hands and the number of economic stages coffee passes through. This is the concept of third-wave coffee. Third-wave coffee is the wave of the coffee industry we are in currently. It began in the 2000s with a focus on coffee consumers caring about where their coffee comes from and how it is produced. You can learn more about third wave coffee here: https://essense.coffee/en/waves-of-coffee-explained/
The efforts to decrease the number of people and production through the coffee process is where the idea of direct trade coffee came from. Fair Trade and Director Trade coffee are a part of the third-wave coffee movement. They both call for a more ethical way to produce and consume coffee. If you would like to learn more about Fair Trade and Direct Trade coffee, check out my article here.
Coffee drinkers around the globe desire ethical and high-quality coffee. direct trade coffee has made its way into its own segment of the industry, giving companies an edge in the third-wave coffee industry.
So how does this relate to Moka Origins?
Moka is one of these companies that has chosen to not only produce high-quality coffee and chocolate but they are also producing ethical coffee and chocolate.
“165 million people depend on cacao or coffee for their livelihood. Many aren’t paid a living wage and are stuck in poverty. We’re out to change that.”
Moka Origin’s mission is so much more than fairly compensating people for their work or product. They are working to build strong communities and show people their worth. This is crucial since the coffee industry has devalued coffee products and production for such a long time. Since third-wave coffee is super popular, there is definitely a customer base who really cares about this and wants to buy products that are ethical.
Moka Origins has been a shining example of what direct trade should be. They are connected to a whole community in Cameroon, making sure its people are taken care of in all aspects.
Their whole website is a wealth of information; however, the social impact section provides a map to understanding how Moka Origins is truly helping people with their coffee and chocolate. They give hard-hitting yet digestible facts to begin understanding the complex issues people in other parts of the world face in the coffee and chocolate industries. There are graphics that break down important information for consumers to easily understand. The website provides photos of the people who have been positively impacted by the work Moka Origins has done. The varying modalities they use to convey their story on their website paint a detailed picture of who they are as a company. I highly encourage you to check out their website to learn more.
