OUR BLOG

To start off the new year, we had many of our friends, both old and new, visit us at the farm.  The table, set for meals, is a sacred space, as anyone who knows Krista and I, and our family can attest to.  The conversations around the table were rich and...

2023 was a year to be remembered for so many reasons.  January, we officially inaugurated the new wet mill, coffee processing plant, custom built in Columbia.  We celebrated 20 years of Spirit Mountain being under the leadership of the Wallace Family. ...

2013 Spirit Mountain from Left to right, Kate, Krista, Keren Chad As the year 2023 gently folds its pages, we find ourselves in that cherished season of Thanksgiving and reflection. November holds a special place in our hearts, for it's a time when our family...

Ever had a dream or a vision?  Something you thought about often, but wasn’t sure it would ever come to pass?  As a youngster I spent a lot of time exploring the woods, imaging I was in a magical world.  If I’m honest with myself, and you, I have to...

In 1995, when Krista and I moved to Santo Domingo, we had no idea what our life in the Dominican Republic would be like, that we wod spend most of our adult life there, eventually becoming citizens and the deep impact this new culture would have on us.  We’ve had...

This September will be an epic month for us all of at Spirit Mountain.  We are excited to welcome a new member of the team, Marcos Lanfranco, a Doulos Discovery School alumni!  Marcos will be working under Krista as the on-site director of our Hospitality...

As a youngster, camping was always something I looked forward to.  For one thing, I like fire.  I was always the kid volunteering to gather wood and build what would be, in my ‘not so humble’ opinion, the best fire in camp!  Most of us, if we’re lucky...

Grant Lestock-Kay spent 6 weeks at Spirit Mountain during the Winter of 2012 building the first Down-Hill mountain bike trail in the Dominican Republic.  It’s a long story, and one worth telling someday around the campfire at the farm.  The trail, El Puerco...

Dear future neighbor,  As the pace of life accelerates and relentlessly threatens the integrity of our families, how do we stay together and creat a legacy worth passing on to our kids? For more than twenty years, Spirit Mountain has been one of those rare...

The morning air is cool and damp, the haunting song of the Rufus-throated Solitaire, Jilguero as we call it here, sung in a distinct minor key, has begun.  The dew glistens as the night gives way to dawn.  Mornings on the farm never get old, even after 20...

e things to do as a family when ever we gather, which is often, is to tell stories that remind us of who we are and where we come from.  Our girls were born in Santo Domingo and grew up in Jarabacoa, spending much of their time learning in the outdoors.  My...

in 2003, when we purchased the farm from Cristino Lopez, coffee had been the primary activity since the early 50’s. Due to the destruction that Hurricane George caused to the Cordillera Central, and specifically to access roads high up in the mountains, Cristino had...

What does it look like to build your dream home on the top of a mountain, in the Caribbean on a coffee farm ? It’s not as difficult as you might think. For starters, we’ve been designing and building dream homes in the Jarabacoa valley for almost 20 years. We are the...

Ever dreamed of owning your own private piece of paradise in the tropics?   As fall quickly succumbs to the grip of winter for many of us, we are already thinking of warmer days.  For me and my family, we have enjoyed the best of both worlds.  I am...

This is our Family Legacy project, 50+ years in the making.  Me and my family have been developing Spirit Mountain for our personal enjoyment and that of our close friends. Because we care so deeply for the natural world,...