We are excited to announce that we now have our very own chocolate bar! Made by our friends at BOHO Chocolate of Florence, MA, our "Bicknell's Thrush Bar" helps conserve the winter habitat of Bicknell's Thrushes! Eating this chocolate actually helps the Bicknell's Thrushes that call our Maine mountains home in the summer.
Cacao beans, the basis of chocolate, are grown in the tropics. When produced on a large scale, it is often as a monoculture, depriving the landscape of any biodiversity and necessitating the application of pesticides and other chemicals.
However, when grown on small plantations that preserve native forest, the farms can actually provide habitat for birds and other wildlife. Recently, the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center made Zorzal Cacao in the Dominican Republic it's first certified "Bird Friendly" cacao plantation thanks to their conservation and preservation efforts.
Zorzal means "thrush" and it's named for the presence of Bicknell's Thrushes in winter. Since up to 98% of Bicknell's Thrushes winter in the D.R., it's imperative we find ways to conserve land while also allowing for a healthy economy and fair employment. Reserva Zorzal is a 1,109-acre private bird sanctuary and 130-acre organic cacao demonstration farm in the mountainous rainforest of the Cordillera Septentrional range. 70% of the land has been set aside as forever wild, and Zorzal is committed to reducing climate change and protecting bird habitat through conservation and reforestation.
BOHO Chocolate made these bars exclusively for us using 100% cocoa from Zorzal Cacao. The bars are very smooth, with delicate fruit notes, 100% organic and made just for us in small batches.
Our label features Jeannette's photo of a Bicknell's Thrush here in Maine, and includes an information card about the chocolate and about Bicknell's Thrush. We're connected to the bird, both personally and professionally, and this collaboration exemplifies that.
So yeah, it tastes great, and helps protect birds. No "chocolate guilt" here!
Drop by the store to pick some up, or order it online here: