Fall Blend
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2024 Fall Blend is a fully washed coffee from Kenya blended with a naturally processed coffee from Guatemala. It is a post-roast blend; the Kenya is dark roasted, and the Guatemala is light roasted. The resulting cup reflects a medium roast, has a full body, hints of juicy plum, and an apple acidity.
This fall, we highlight the Eastern Monarch Butterfly. The Monarch butterflies you see here in Maryland during the late summer and early fall are about to start their tremendous fall migration to Mexico
Did you know Eastern Monarch Butterflies will fly between 2,000 to 3,000 miles to an overwintering location in South-Central Mexico? Given the right conditions, monarchs can fly over 100 miles in a single day, traveling up to two months to complete their journey. In the whole world, no butterflies migrate like the Monarchs of North America. But this grand migration is under threat. Deforestation in Mexican forests, coupled with the conversion of grassland to farmland, the use of herbicides and pesticides, and a reduction of milkweed across the butterfly's flyways in the U.S., all come together to create the perfect storm for these tiny creatures.
Fall Migration:
Monarchs in Eastern North America have a second home in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. They spend the winter in oyamel fir forests at an elevation of 2,400 to 3,600 meters, where the mountain hillsides provide an ideal microclimate for the butterflies. The annual migration of North America's monarch butterfly is a unique phenomenon. Monarchs only travel during the day and find a roost at night. Many of these roost locations are used year after year, often in pine, fir, and cedar trees. Researchers are still investigating what directional aids monarchs use to find their overwintering location. They appear to use a combination of aids, including the Earth's magnetic pull and the sun's position. In Mexico, monarchs cluster together to stay warm. Tens of thousands of monarchs can cluster on a single tree. Although monarchs alone weigh less than a gram, tens of thousands weigh a lot. Oyamel trees can support the clustering of butterflies, but sometimes branches break!
Spring Migration:
As spring arrives, Monarchs migrate back north, seeking milkweed to lay their eggs and nectar plants to eat. Milkweed is essential to monarchs: It is the only plant on which they lay their eggs and the only food source for baby monarch caterpillars. However, the increased use of herbicides in agricultural expansion and the paving over of land for urban growth has destroyed millions of acres of milkweed—so much so that migratory monarchs are now classified as endangered.
Conservation:
You can join the monarchs' migration journey and help these incredible butterflies—and other pollinators—by planting native nectar plants and the correct milkweed species in your backyard.
Northeast Region Milkweed Species:
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) - Well-drained soil
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) - Damp, marshy areas
Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) - Well-drained soil
Whorld Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) - Prairies and open areas
Poke Milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) - Woodland areas
There are also various parks and organizations that collect citizen science data on migrating butterflies. Learn More about Monarch Migration and how you can get involved:
Maryland DNR Monarch Migration
Maryland DNR Monarch Butterflies
