SAVE THE DATE: Tour de Farm Southwest Georgia: Nov. 8-10, 2013
Join us for another weekend of cycling through beautiful Southwest Georgia!
This year we will return to Koinonia Farm and spend an evening at White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Ga.
This is a NOT TO BE MISSED event for food-lovers, organics enthusiasts and people who like exploring the world on bikes.
Check our Facebook page this summer for ticket information.
See pics from last year to convince you that you want to attend this year’s ride 
4/30/13: Film Screening + Garden Launch in Americus
Chris and Jenny Jackson of Jenny-Jack Sun Farm in Pine Mountain, Ga., that is featured in the documentary, “GROW!” that is screening at Cafe Campesino in Americus, Ga., on April 30. Photo Credit: Anthony-Masterson.
FARM DOCUMENTARY SCREENING AND COMMUNITY GARDEN LAUNCH IN AMERICUS, APRIL 30
AMERICUS, Ga.- Café Campesino joins a series of locations around the world screening the critically acclaimed documentary, “GROW!” that showcases the work and enthusiasm of 20 young farmers across Georgia who are energizing the local food movement. Film-makers Owen Masterson and Christine Anthony will be on-site for the Tuesday, April 30th screening in Americus that will take place in Café Campesino’s newly established community garden- the first of its kind in Sumter County.
The public is encouraged to attend this free event and bring a picnic, blankets and a general curiosity about community gardens, organics and Georgia’s local food movement. Garden gates open at 6:30 p.m. Mingling and information-sharing begins at 7 p.m. and an outdoor screening of “GROW!” will begin at sunset, about 8:15 p.m.
A 60 minute documentary, “GROW!” shares the stories of young people across Georgia who have chosen the unlikely but energizing career paths of becoming small-scale farmers. “GROW!” highlights young farmers living in Atlanta, Blairsville, Chattahoochee Hill Country, Mansfield, Ranger, Savannah, Winterville, Pine Mountain and other locations across the state. Released in 2011, “GROW!” has received worldwide critical acclaim including 2011 Best American Documentary at the Rome International Film Festival, 2011 Official Selection at the Savannah Film Festival, 2012 Best Feature at the Colorado Environmental Film Festival, 2012 Official Selection at the Reel Earth Environmental Film Festival of New Zealand and the 2013 Earth Award of the Cinema Verde Film Festival.
The film screening will be the first held in Café Campesino’s newly established Community Garden that offers 14 raised-bed plots to individuals in Americus who either do not have access to land or sunlight to grow their own food. Though still in its nascent stages, the Café Campesino Community Garden is meant to be a gathering spot for gardeners of all skill-levels and backgrounds who are eager to learn more about organic farming and local food. During Tuesday’s 7-8 p.m. information-sharing hour, local experts on composting, beekeeping, organic gardening, chickens and heritage-breed livestock will be in attendance to answer questions, promote discussion and share their knowledge with the general public.
Join us at 725 Spring Street in Americus, Georgia, on Tuesday, April 30, or call with questions in advance: 229-924-2468. Watch the trailer or learn about “GROW!” at growmovie.net
CONTACT: Nema Etheridge
nema@cafecampesino.com
Work: 229-924-2468
Cell: 404-558-6221
A group from Emory University’s alternative spring break program visited Cafe Campesino in Americus in March to help build raised beds for the Community Garden. The Cafe Campesino Community Garden is the first of its kind in Sumter County, Ga., and currently offers 14 raised beds to local residents.
Understanding Roya: The Coffee Rust
A coffee leaf affected by the “coffee rust fungus” or Roya. Photo by Scott Umstattd.
Roya- or coffee “rust”- is an orange fungus that grows on the leaves of coffee plants, causing them to whither and fall off. It reduces coffee production and eventually causes plants to die, and it is quickly spreading through Central America. We witnessed the effects of roya during our trip to Guatemala in January, and shortly after our return, the Guatemalan government issued a national coffee emergency, anticipating some 70 percent of its 2013 coffee harvest to be affected by the fungus. Bill, who on the trip visited the same small-scale farm of Chel-based Pedro Pacheco Bop that he visited in 2011, saw a drastic change. “I was shocked. It was not the lush green coffee forest that we saw 2 years ago. His farm was noticeably different.” Roya has affected other coffee growing regions in the past, most notably devastating coffee crops of the British Ceylon (or modern-day Sri Lanka) in the 1800s, and later affecting coffee crops in Indonesia and Brazil and some areas of Central America and the Caribbean as recent as 30-40 years ago. Scientists remain undecided on what is causing the outbreak. An increasingly changing climate- where longer periods of wet and warmer temperatures are reaching high-altitude coffeelands- is one culprit. But John Vandermeer, a scientist at the University of Michigan, believes that an ecosystem damaged by the excessive use of pesticides and fungicides is to blame. For example, a white halo fungus, which has helped to keep coffee rust in-check, has been nearly eradicated through chemical applications in Central America that have also killed off the insects that help germinate it. Coffee industry professionals throughout Central America are looking to get the fungus under control, and small-scale farmers like Pacheco Bop will turn to his cooperative, the Asociacion Chajulense, for expertise and technical help on how to deal with roya. Bill sees this as a critically important role that the cooperative plays. “The coop has technical advisers on staff who are working on this right now,” he said. “And this is an example of another moment where being a part of a larger organization and working together and collaborating is the best way for the farmer to get through this,” he said. The effects of a diminished harvest will be especially bitter for the coffee farmer this year, as the price of coffee has dropped from last year’s near 15-year high. “They’re not getting nearly the amount of supply, so they’re getting affected by the negative trend of production and the negative trend of pricing,” he said. “Just when it looks like it is getting good, then watch out… such is the life of the farmer.” Café Campesino will continue to be committed to learning more about roya and responding to the needs of the cooperatives at origin. “The best thing we can do is support whatever decisions they make,” said Bill.
Commercio Justo: Guatemala Day One
Our group on their first day in Guatemala. Included in this picture are Faith Fuller of Desktop Documentaries; Ronnie from the Sentient Bean; Richard Haas from Earth Natural Foods in Norman, OK; Bill Harris of Cafe Campesino, Sweetwater Organic Coffee and Cooperative Coffees; David Minich and Sissy Ledbetter of Americus, Georgia; Miguel Mateo of Manos Campesinas; Mike Weaver of Sweetwater Organic Coffee and Dave Campbell of Cafe Campesino. More to come!
What’s the “Shade-Grown Coffee” thing all about?
Photo from: http://birds.audubon.org/species/rubhum1
This little guy is called the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Every spring, he flies 500 or more miles non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico to spend his summer in the Eastern U.S. & Canada. He is commonly found in Georgia and throughout the Southeast, which serve as his breeding grounds during the summer months. When he leaves in the fall, he travels to ecologically diverse forests in Mexico, Central America and South America where he can find food and habitat to spend the winter. Shade-grown coffee farms provide some of this habitat. Increasingly in the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s, ecologically diverse forests throughout Central and South America have been clear-cut, often to grow large fields of one crop that is meant to be produced in large volumes. Some coffee is grown this way. This type of farming destroys the ecological diversity of an area, attracts pests and requires high-inputs of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to keep crops alive. Shade-grown coffee is the opposite of that type of agriculture. It preserves ecologically diverse woodlands that provide habitat for hummingbirds (and other neo-tropical migratory birds), keeps chemicals out of coffee fields and away from farmers and local residents. It also allows the farmer to grow other trees & plants that can be revenue-generating, such as lime , cocoa, and avocado trees, or in the case of Guatemala, cardamom plants. All of the coffees used at Sweetwater and Cafe Campesino are shade-grown. Cafe Campesino is proud to have partnered with the Atlanta Audubon Society to help raise awareness about the role that shade grown coffee plays in preserving habitat for neo-tropical migratory birds. Look for the Atlanta Audubon Society‘s special blend of coffee at AAS events, or purchase it online. Cafe Campesino gives 10% off all sales of this coffee to the Atlanta Audubon Society. Join the Atlanta Audubon Society or your local Audubon group on Field Trips to learn more about birds in your area.
Producer Partners from Sumatra visit April 28-30, 2012
Cafe Campesino and the Americus office of Cooperative Coffees welcome Ujang Hasnan and Iwan Rahmat to Georgia. The son of a coffee farmer, Ujang grew up in the Aceh region of the Indonesian island of Sumatra near Lake Tawar. Ujang learned the international coffee trade by helping to dry process coffee after he had studied business in the Sumatran capitol of Medan. In 2008, Ujang began working with the APKO and ASKOGO cooperatives to process and export their coffees. Iwan Rahmat also comes from a family of coffee farmers. The general manager of APKO, Iwan grew up in Aceh near Lake Tawar and also studied in Medan. He and his family remain members of APKO, which has 800 members in the Aceh Tengah and Bener Meriah regencies. Iwan also represents Sumatran coffee farmers in the Network of Asian Producers (NAP), an association of producers that share best practices and develop proposals to get a better position in Fair Trade Labelling organization governance. Iwan and Ujang will be in Americus Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29 and in Atlanta on Monday, April 30. Look for more information about events and opportunities to meet Iwan and Ujang in the coming days.
New Beginnings & Changes at Cafe Campesino
Pomeroy Family Going Away Party at Harris Family Farm, March 2012
Late last month, Tripp Pomeroy and his family gathered with a group of some of their near and dear Americus friends to say “hasta luego.” From its start, the Pomeroy Family has been committed to “living the adventure,” Tripp says, and a number of exciting new opportunities awaited the family in the Miami area. While Tripp remains CEO, general management for Cafe Campesino, Cafe Campesino at Sweet Auburn and Sweetwater Organic Coffee has been divided between a general management team that consists of Tina Adkins, Nancy Aparicio, Dave Campbell and Nema Etheridge. The team is supported by staff at all three locations, most notably coffee house managers Karen Montano (in Americus) and Lauren Knight (at Sweet Auburn). If going from a hierarchical management structure to a collaborative one weren’t revolutionary enough, Cafe Campesino is also in the midst of educating its key leadership staff in its financials- making all expenses, costs, income, profits and losses transparent to a group of seven (and eventually to all staff). Known as “Open Books Management,” this finanical training is at the end of its first quarter, and itself serves as an exciting new chapter for Cafe Campesino. Stay tuned for updates, or ask one of the participants what he or she thinks.
A Coffee Love Story & 14% off Madeline Burdine Jewelry until Valentine’s Day
Hand-made heart using bone from White Oak Pastures.
Madeline Burdine loves Café Campesino. And we love Madeline Burdine. She’s not only one of the best jewelry makers in Atlanta (and potentially the world), she also met her fiancé in our sweet little Sweet Auburn coffeeshop.
The two of them consummated their love (for us) when they made the scenic rural drive southward to visit our roastery and our fair town (Americus) a few months ago. We raise our mugs to Madeline Burdine and her fiancée, Bob Smiles (think Field of Greens) and to finding true love in a coffee shop.
Madeline & Bob on their Americus visit- at Bill Harris' blueberry farm!
AND, we extend to all-a-y’all Madeline’s discount on her exceptional “grass-fed,” earth-inspired, hand-made jewelry that incorporates recycled silver, reclaimed copper, and bones from South Georgia’s own White Oak Pasture cows. Visit her Esty shop and get a 14% discount until Feb. 15th. Use coupon code: CAFECAMPESINO at check out.
White Oak Leaf
Little Brown Bird
Fair Trade Certified Makin’ the News
The politics of Fair Trade certification have hit the news. Have you been keeping up? A few links that are worth checking out: Dan Jaffee and Philip Howard’s “Visualizing Fair Trade” project (not a news article but very timely graphs that compare companies’ commitments to sourcing Fair Trade Certified coffee). Other full-length articles addressing the Fair Trade Certified debate have recently appeared in The New York Times, Mother Jones and Grist. National Public Radio covered the story both on radio and on their food blog, The Salt. Read up. Let us know your thoughts. Read our Nov. 18 post or the statement from our co-op (Cooperative Coffees) to know ours!
SOA Watch: Why We’re Committed
SOA Watch: Why We’re Committed
By: Bill Harris
In 1998, Cafe Campesino began as a small trading company grounded in a simple concept: by trading in an open, honest, respectful manner with economically disadvantaged farmers, we could in some small way make the world a better place. Cafe Campesino wanted to challenge traditional win-lose business models and instead help to create and guide a win-win international model for trade. Trade based on mutual respect, transparency, fair and honest practices with a desire to build friendships in coffee growing communities all over the world. A simple but somewhat revolutionary concept. This kind of thinking led us to surprising places – one of them being only 60 miles from our headquarters. As we learned more about why coffee farmers in Latin America were so poor, we learned about land rights and human rights abuses, the civil wars that ravaged Central America in recent decades, and atrocities committed by the military time and time again against peasant farmers in these countries where we buy coffee. And this led us to the gates of Fort Benning in Columbus Georgia. We do not attend the SOA Watch vigil and memorial service every year simply to protest – we attend to support an effort by tens of thousands of priests, nuns, students, and victims to close a small school that is housed within the grounds of Ft. Benning, supported by U.S. tax dollars, and used to train Latin American soldiers over whom we have no control once they leave US soil. Formerly called the School of the Americas, it is now called WHINSEC. While the school clearly taught torture techniques in the past, school officials say they have cleaned up the curriculum and that they now offer human rights courses alongside their counter-terrorism training. We want to see this school closed. Maybe the school has cleaned up its act; maybe at this point closure would only be a symbolic gesture. But symbolism carries tremendous weight – especially with the families of the thousands of innocent victims of this school’s graduates. Our country stands as a beacon of hope for so many from Latin America and beyond. We have asked hundreds of thousands of fellow citizens for sacrifices in the name of fighting terrorism, yet we continue to train foreign soldiers in dubious tactics that have directly led to the terrorism of villages and farming families. Why keep this school open? US taxpayers supporting a school that trains foreign fighters and have been directly connected to thousands of murdered victims in Latin America. . . It makes no sense. We have stood at the gates in support of the effort to close this school for 11 years, serving coffee to the masses, and we will continue to do so until it is closed.