I was hunched over my roaster yesterday at Skooliepalooza, not expecting much. Honestly, I just needed to roast some cacao beans because I was running low on my stash for a morning cup of cacao. Over the past week, I’d noticed folks here gravitating toward coffee—fair enough, I’m used to being the odd one out with my brew. So, I set up a small table along Vendor’s Row, figuring I’d quietly roast, grind, and sip most of it myself. No big deal.
I left the roaster there for a moment to grab the rest of my gear and the beans from my car. When I got back, I was stunned—there was already a small crowd gathered around the table. The aroma of roasting cacao had spread like wildfire across Vendor’s Row, pulling people in. I guess they liked what they smelled. Some even pitched in, helping to remove the outer husks from the nibs once the roasting was done. Then, we brewed a pot of cacao right there, and I started serving it up. That pot didn’t last long. People loved it—way more than I expected.
It got me thinking about today’s oracle casting—58, The Joyous, and 48, The Well. “Success. Perseverance is favorable,” says The Joyous. And The Well? “The town may be changed, but the well cannot be changed. It neither decreases nor increases.” There’s something poetic here. Cacao, in a way, feels like that well—unchanging at its core, a steady source no matter where I roam. And the joy? It’s in these unexpected moments of community, like yesterday, when a simple act of roasting beans draws people together.
Reflections for the Day: Cacao as a Connector
I’ve been tinkering with the supply chain for Agroverse.shop’s cacao beans for a while now, iterating until we landed on a minimal viable product the market seems to vibe with. But what struck me at Skooliepalooza wasn’t just the product—it was how cacao has this quiet way of building community. I’m usually fine passing through places unnoticed, content with my solitude. My setup makes that easy: I live out of my car, no rent to pay; solar panels cover my power, no utility bills; I use the Overland app to find water, and food banks help with meals. Fuel and car maintenance are my only real costs. Cash flow isn’t a stressor, so I can just… be.
But cacao—it keeps pulling me out of that solitude. It’s like it has its own agenda, spreading itself through moments like yesterday. I chatted with a friend, Chris, the other day about this. I’ve noticed something curious: the folks who resonate most with cacao tend to be women. Not many men seem to connect with it—they stick to coffee or other stuff. And that’s fine by me. If someone vibes with cacao, great. If not, no worries. It’s not about forcing a fit.
Key Observation: Trade-offs and Lifestyle
People sometimes tell me this is a “dream job”—working with cacao every day, traveling, living free. I get where they’re coming from, but it’s not quite that simple. It’s a series of deliberate trade-offs—across logistics, supply chain, and my personal lifestyle. I’m not sure most folks would be happy with these compromises. It takes a specific kind of person to be content doing this just for the sake of doing it. For me, there wasn’t anything better to fill my time, so cacao stepped into that empty space. Once it did, it started driving itself forward, spreading through these small, organic interactions.
Looking Ahead: Simplifying the Cacao Experience
At this point, I’m leaning toward keeping things dead simple. No need to create a bunch of SKUs or overcomplicate the product. I’m thinking we stick to ceremonial cacao—pure, straightforward, easy to consume. The only variation? The farms and their terroir. I’ve noticed each farm’s taste profile is wildly different, and that’s the beauty of it. Let the beans speak for themselves. No need to distort the flavor with additives or gimmicks. Just the raw, honest taste of the land they came from.
Final Thought: What Draws You In?
I keep coming back to The Well from today’s oracle reading. There’s something timeless about cacao—how it remains steady no matter where I go, how it draws people in without me pushing it. It’s not about me; it’s about what it represents. So, I’m curious—what’s your “well”? What’s that unchanging thing in your life that pulls people toward you, even when you’re not trying? Drop a thought if you’ve got one.
- Cacao
- Community
- Lifestyle