My tribal venture, Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso, opened it's doors on Earth Day, April 22 2005. Since it's inception, we've focused on working togther as equals no matter what the status of ownership maybe. It started off well at the very beginning with just Nate and me. Everyone was very excited to have a coffee shop next door to Lincoln's premiere natural food store, Open Harvest. It was also a good match in other ways. All of our coffee is Organic, Fair Trade, and Shade Grown, the most sustainable way to trade coffee so far. Adding a tribal organization to the retail side of it makes it even more so.

     By the end of May, my future sister in law, Faye was hired on and she became our first co-worker. I thought it would be good to start with someone I was practically related to since it would create a family/tribal tone to the relationships. I could begin management habits which would blur the lines between business and family and create a new equalibrium.

     In Mid-June, we hired on three more co-workers. Spencer, just out of High School, in love with music, and familiar with Daniel Quinn. Christine Jones, who worked at local video store, an english major, and friend of Julie Reynolds who works at another store down the strip. and Deb Weisser, barista extrodinare, and single mother of then 3 year old Jonah.

 Left:Christine Right: Spenser

     Most of our sales came from the morning espresso drink sales, and the evening providided us with a soul with it's live music almost every night. Nate and I worked everyday. Nate working 10 hour shifts and me opening at 5am everyday. I made it a point to be the hardest worker I could be to earn the title of owner and leader. And I try to promote a feeling of happiness and low stress it's very nice here at Meadowlark.

      After awile, we all kind of settled into the day to day, making a living, promoting and striving for sustainablility. There have been some ups and downs but we all are in it together and we all have found something very special, each other.

Faye and Anne my wife                      Nate and Sarah his daughter

     Once our initial loan is paid of, we look forward to getting solar power, a grey water system, and other sustainable utilities to make this as harmless as the bear cave, or the bee hive or the meadowlarks nest. On the ground in the prairie.

Take Care.