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OFF THE WIRE continued from page 21 beneficial if added to extension efforts elsewhere— not just for coffee farmers but in any agricultural setting. "We identified that the dissemination of information through Professor Yarumo is essential," he says, adding, "There is an opportunity to have more of Professor Yarumo." Gomez, who grew up on his family's coffee farm outside of Medellín, Colombia, remembers the impression it made on him to meet the first Professor Yarumo, Hector Alarcon, as a child. "It was very exciting," he says, "he was quite a character." While the present transition to a new Professor Yarumo may require some adjustment for viewers and listeners alike, 35-year-old Chica is poised to bring the professor into a new era of media strategy. "We are working on getting Yarumo more connected to younger audiences through social media," says Samper. "We did this successfully with Juan Valdez and Juan Valdez Café through its Twitter accounts and Facebook followers. We are learning from that experience and updating the format of the Yarumo daily national television show." —Regan Crisp Last September, Rainforest Alliance posted a video to YouTube titled "Follow the Frog." The promotional clip—in which a young professional goes on a social-justice-fueled journey that reaches comical extremes—went viral, and it currently sits at 1.3 million views. The video accomplished the goal of promoting Rainforest Alliance's "Follow the Frog Week," and now that event returns for its third go-around Sept. 16-22. "Follow the Frog" is a social media campaign that aims to draw consumers' attention to the organization's green frog logo while shopping—and to draw awareness that purchasing Rainforest Alliance-certified products helps improve the lives of people in the farming communities with which the organization works. "It's really about engaging with everyone and highlighting that you don't have to go to great lengths to make a difference and have a positive impact," says communications associate Anna Clark. Rainforest Alliance is aiming to spread the "Follow the Frog" word by encouraging partner companies to highlight their support. On the café level, that can mean hosting a "Follow the Frog" event, offering a related promotion or discussing it on social media. And in the social-media realm, most of the posts are sure to be focused on this year's "Follow the Frog" video. CODY CONWAY RAINFOREST ALLIANCE DEBUTS VIDEO AS 'FOLLOW THE FROG WEEK' RETURNS A teaser clip is available now—the theme is the consequences of consumers' purchasing decisions—and the full video will be posted Sept. 16. Clark says the goal is for more people to learn about Rainforest Alliance—which certifies farms and forests and verifies tourism businesses that meet rigorous conservation standards—and its partners. "We work with over 4,500 different companies right now, and a lot of them don't market the fact that they're collaborating with us and that it's having a positive impact," she says "So we try to educate everyone about what they're doing." For more information, including a toolkit for how to get involved in "Follow the Frog Week," visit rainforestalliance.org. —Chris Ryan HEADING SOUTH: Santa Cruz, Calif.-based Verve Coffee Roasters announced plans to open a café and roastery in Los Angeles in a to-be-announced location. | GROUNDS FOR BOOZE: A team of Portuguese and Spanish scientists has made an 80-proof distilled liquor from used coffee grounds. | Stay up on all the latest headlines with our Weekly News Tasting, posted each Tuesday at freshcup.com 22 Fresh Cup Magazine freshcup.com