Half a Year of Roots: What We Have Learned
Six months in, a short list of what we have learned about roots, wood, people, and ourselves.
The biggest lesson is that the project knows more than we do.
Summary
- After half a year of working with roots, several lessons stand out.
- Patience, honesty, and respect for the material are the core ones.
- We are still learning, and expect to be corrected.
Key takeaways
- Going slowly has been the right call.
- Local knowledge outweighs outside plans.
- A good idea becomes a good project through repetition.
It has been about six months since this journal began. In that time, we have dug roots, dried them, turned them, and sent some on their way. Here is what I think we have learned.
1. Patience is not optional
Everything about the process rewards slowness. Drying, turning, sanding, finishing. Every time we have tried to speed something up, we have regretted it. The roots set the pace.
2. The material outranks the plan
We began with a plan to make bowls. The roots had other ideas. Over and over, the lesson has been that what we want matters less than what the material allows. Letting go of a plan is easier when you trust the thing in front of you.
3. Local knowledge matters more than I expected
Marvin, the turner, and the pickers know things I do not. Early on, I made some decisions without consulting them, and learned the hard way. Now I ask first.
4. Honesty is a competitive advantage
It is tempting to oversell. We have tried not to. We say we do not know what causes the streaks. We say we cannot claim exact ages. We say our flavor lab is still being built. People seem to respond well to that. Trust, it turns out, is built by admitting what you do not know.
5. The story is not a gimmick
I worried that telling the story of the burned roots would feel like marketing. It does not, because it is true. The people who respond to it are the ones who care about how things are made.
6. Small things matter
The cloth bag, the serial number, the Verify page, the care guide. These small touches cost time, but they make the object feel complete.
7. We are part of a larger story
The finca, the factory, the roastery, the lab, the workshop. All of these are connected. Working on one has changed how I think about the others.
What we still do not know
We do not know how large this can become, or whether it should. We do not know what all the leftover wood will become. We do not know how the flavor work will unfold.
But we know the next step in each case, and that is enough to keep going.
Looking ahead
The second half of the year brings the end of the rains, the preparation for harvest, and more building. We hope you will keep following along. For the very first chapter, see The Morning We Almost Burned a Century of Coffee Roots.
Common questions
What is the biggest lesson so far?
That the material and the people who know it should lead, and the plans should follow.
What are you working on next?
Finishing the patio and bodega, preparing for harvest, and continuing to build the lab and the archive.
Keep reading
Every piece is one of one.
Browse the specimen archive and acquire the piece that speaks to you. Each is catalogued once and sold once.