Introduction: December 2010
“Baby, it’s cold (err..FREEZING ) outside…” Winter is certainly in the air here in Americus and is putting us in a cozy, caffeinated holiday mood! We hope all of you are staying warm and cozy, too. Gift ideas for the holidays, a festive Christmas beverage and a new “Roasted-to-Order” program in Atlanta are detailed below. Also, December is the month we say good-bye to a loved and loyal employee (it’s here already!?). Rebecca Young, our assistant manager, is off to a new and exciting adventure in Birmingham, Ala., next month. She will be dearly missed at Café Campesino where she has helped grow & develop the organization since she arrived in August 2007. Rebecca, we thank you for all of your work and want you to know that you will always have a home at this little South Georgia roaster. Good luck, Rebecca, and happy holidays to all of our readers!
Introduction: November 2010
Welcome to the November 2010 edition of Fair Grounds . A couple of mentions as we begin: our Bill Harris is currently in Sumatra, Indonesia, visiting with trading partners there in his role as president of Cooperative Coffees and representative of Cafe Campesino. More on that venture when he returns. And we’re excited to tell you that Cafe Campesino coffees are now making their way onto the shelves at Atlanta-area Whole Foods Markets!! A bit more on that in Community Caravan. Also in the Caravan, you’ll hear from our coffee house in Atlanta as well as Sweetwater Organic Coffee in Gainesville, FL. Both of these locations are busy, busy doing what they do in gearing up for another busy holiday season. When the weather cools down, the coffee business heats up and, for that, we are thankful to you all for the support. Our fair trade coffee community relies on continued support from within and without and we want to take time now to give kudos to a fellow fair trading roaster who recently was awarded a significant honor.
Congratulations to Conscious Coffees, a fellow Cooperative Coffees member that was named “Micro-Roaster of the Year” inRoast Magazine’s November/December 2010 issue. This is the second year in a row that a Cooperative Coffees member has been named “Micro-Roaster of the Year” by the magazine; last year Kickapoo Coffee of Viroqua, Wisconsin, received the honor. Way to source, Coop Coffees!
Conscious Coffees is a Boulder, Colo.-based roaster that is on-track to roast 85,000 pounds in 2010, according to Roast Magazine’s article. The article recognizes husband-and-wife team Mark and Mel Glenn’s commitment to roasting almost exclusively single origin coffees (as opposed to blends) and the company’s relentless quest to reduce waste, which includes delivering coffee by bicycle in Boulder, using reusable steel cans to package 12 oz. retail coffees and recollecting and recycling the plastic bags that it uses to package wholesale orders.
A large part of the article is also devoted to Cooperative Coffees. Mark explains how membership in Cooperative Coffees enables him to work directly with farmers, ‘we can be the little guy who might only buy 40 bags of Guatemalan, but I can still work at an in-depth level with farmers because the co-op is collectively buying an entire container,’ he is quoted in the article. Read more from the article online – http://www.roastmagazine.com/currentissue/roy_micro.html – and learn more about Cooperative Coffees, the 23-member green coffee importing cooperative that Café Campesino helped to establish, at www.coopcoffees.com.
And now, before we turn you loose to read the rest of this issue of Fair Grounds, we want point out that we have lots and lots of gift ideas for your holiday shopping pleasure . Fair Trade gifts are such a nice way to promote the socioeconomic justice that this business strives for. We know that you seek that too (along with a good cup of coffee or tea!) Well, we’ve got both and there are lots of combinations to choose from in our gift box category. Lots of coffee accessories as well. Check them out and let us know if you have any questions or don’t see what you’re looking for. And as always, we offer flat-rate shipping of $4.95 for all retail orders. We aim to please your Fair Trade needs. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Cheers!
Introduction: October 2010
Fair is fair. But how do we define it? This month’s edition of Fair Grounds is all about helping to bring some clarity to that discussion. On the heels of September’s successful Fair Trade Federation conference where FT leaders gathered and collaborated, October is Fair Trade Month. From coffee to chocolate to sugar to tea to bananas and so much more, its time to celebrate the growers and producers who bring us quality products and, in return, ask that we consider their time and efforts to be deserving of a living wage. In the strive to pay a better price for Fair Trade merchandise, we need to consider our approach as well as that of others who call themselves fair traders. Our feature article begins a series of looks at the state of Fair Trade. We hope you will read, learn, enjoy, and come back for more as we delve deeper into a subject with deep meaning for millions of people around this world. Thanks for joining us again this month. Cheers to you. And know that we always invite your feedback on these and other discussions. Write to us anyime at info@cafecampesino.com.
Note: We are following developments in Nicaragua and elsewhere following devastating flooding and landslides as Hurricane Matthew stormed through Central America last week. Reports are that hundreds of homes have been demolished. In some cases, entire communities have become stranded with little shelter, food, or clean water. Our thoughts and well wishes go out to those struggling with these events.
Introduction: September 2010
Welcome to the September edtion of Fair Grounds. We’re excited to tell you the good news that our newly redesigned blog is now officially ‘open’. More on that below in the first story of this newsletter. Its also time to remind you about the great things happening at Cafe Campesino Atlanta in the Sweet Auburn Curb Market including expanded hours and bulk coffee-by-the-pound. Stop by to see for yourself and say hi to the staff there. Angelica, Almeta, and crew are doing a wonderful job in getting the word out about our presence in Atlanta. And you can help by letting friends and family know about it too. Be sure to read more about CC Atlanta in Community Caravan.
Enjoy this edition of Fair Grounds and be in touch if we can be of assistance with your fair trade, organic, shade grown coffee needs. Cheers.
OUR NEW BLOG!!! – FAIR TRADE WIRE
Ever want to know what happens before you get a cup of coffee? (with the coffee, that is…) Well, Café Campesino and Sweetwater Organic Coffees are launching a new blog to chronicle exactly that – the “crop-to-cup” experience. Fair Trade Wire will bring news from the “front lines “of fair trade coffee offering readers insight into the production and harvesting processes, the needs and testimonials of coffee farmers, the meaning of Fair Trade and its application in the production, importing, roasting, and serving processes. Look for our posts this week and next as we report on the Fair Trade Futures Conference , a Sept 10-12, gathering in Boston that brings together hundreds of Fair Trade producers, consumers, advocates and practitioners from around the world.
Also, keep an eye out for our “Reports from the Field”- updates from Tripp, Bill, and whomever else is in-country with coffee farmers. These will be reports about their work and experiences and transcriptions of interviews with farmers. The blog will also hear from other important players in the supply chain – our importer, Cooperative Coffees – our roasters – Café Campesino in Americus and Sweetwater Organic Coffees in Gainesville and our coffee houses – one in Americus and one in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn Curb Market, will also contribute to this blog.
The purpose of bringing all of these perspectives under one roof will be to flesh out back-end of Fair Trade coffee for consumers- to reflect the life that’s behind the daily cup and to offer coffee drinkers the depth they look for when they reach for Fair Trade, organic, specialty coffees.
In addition to a Fair Trade coffee blog, the site will also serve as an archive for Fair Grounds newsletters. So if there’s a Fair Grounds recipe or quote that you haven’t been able to find since 2002 ….you now have a place to find it! Easy Espresso Pumpkin pie, quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson, and so much more – visit, stay, learn, comment and come back to Fair Trade Wire.
Introduction: August 2010
Happy hot summertime to everyone! While the heat in Georgia and Florida has been oppressive for the last many weeks, we hope that you have been finding some relief from high temps where you are. In our desire to create a more moderate and tolerable climate, this edition of Fair Grounds brings to you some cool events and announcements in our Community Caravan, a very cool visit from quite a cool television station, and a cool and tasty treat from the coffee bar that you can make at home in your hopefully cool kitchen. “Roasting with Rusty” is back this month with a face-off that has temperatures rising and, well… read it and find out how the story ends. We’ve got a Newsletter Special and Producer Profile from our partners in Uganda – a cool relationship, we think. Speaking of cool stuff, we are delighted to introduce you to a pair of local, sustainable, natural farmers just up the road from Americus in the Customer Spotlight. And to start if all off, there is a colossally cool trip report (even more to follow in next month’s edition) from Tripp and friends who recently returned from a visit with our good partners at Fondo Paez in Colombia. So grab some coffee (cooled, if you like) and read on. Thanks for joining us for this “hot off the press” edition of Fair Grounds.
Introduction: July 2010
Welcome to our July 2010 Fair Grounds newsletter. We begin this month’s edition with a question: Does $1.91 mean much to you? It’s less than a gallon of gas; it’s about the price of a large cup of coffee at your favorite fair trade, organic, shade grown coffee house; it’s the sales tax on a new blouse or pair of jeans. Not much, right? Well, it may not amount to much in our North American standard of living but to those who grow and harvest coffee for their living, $1.91 is an important number. As of July 1st, we are committing ourselves to paying a minimum of $1.91 per pound of green coffee to the farmer cooperatives that we are in partnership with. That $1.91 minimum is currently 30 cents more than the Fair Trade minimum ($1.61 per pound) that is the FLOsafeguard against a low market price. While we’re not the first to take this step, we certainly hope we aren’t the last either. It’s long overdue that we all address the real needs and the absolute realities that our trading partners endure to provide for their families and their communities. We owe them a better price for the fruits of their labor. And while $1.91 per pound is a positive step, there is still much to do. So let’s call this a first step in our ongoing effort to make trade fair – truly fair. Let’s keep working on supporting the folks who grow great coffee. Let’s keep working on supporting each other. Thank you for joining us in the endeavor.
Introduction: June 2010
Welcome to Fair Grounds, the monthly e-newsletter from Cafe Campesino. As you probably know by now, we have long been a member of Cooperative Coffees – a green coffee importing cooperative, comprised of 23 community-based coffee roasters in the USA and Canada. As part of our work within our cooperative, we sometimes have opportunity to participate in travel abroad to meet and work with our coffee growing friends. As this edition ofFair Grounds was “going to press”, we were all prepared to tell you about the latest travel venture to Guatemala to participate as co-facilitators for a Catholic Relief Services ‘CAFE Livelihoods’ project. But… Mother Nature had other plans. A volcanic eruption postponed the original airplane flight. Then some devastating flooding occurred and, at his point, has sidetracked the entire trip before it began. While there is disappointment in the postponed trip, our thoughts are much more with the folks suffering from the natural disasters of volcano and tropical storm. Blessings to all those affected. We’ll update the situation in next month’s newsletter.
Before we continue with the rest of this June edition of Fair Grounds, we want to say farewell to Jason Foster and Tyler Willis. Both longtime and much-enjoyed baristas at our coffee house in Americus, we sure hate to see them leave. But we understand that opportunities for bigger and better things await each of them and we certainly wish them the best in the adventure. Adios amigos.
Introduction: May 2010
Welcome to the May 2010 edition of Fair Grounds. Another big month in this world of fair trade, organic, shade grown coffee – trips to visit with our producer partners, special events near home and around the state, workshops with like-minded organizations; a plethora of opportunities to spread the cause of Fair Trade. Read more…
Introduction: April 2010
Welcome to the April 2010 edition of Fair Grounds. Fair trade, organic, shade grown coffee via Cafe Campesino (and Sweetwater) continues to be an uplifting experience for us, our communities, and our coffee producing partners and we certainly couldn’t do it without your help. To our customers and supporters far and wide, a perpetual thank you for that support. And for those of you that are closer to our home territory of Georgia, specifically in the Atlanta metro area, we take opportunity to invite you to our venue, Cafe Campesino Atlanta, at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market. The curb market provides fresh, local groceries from a variety of vendors to the downtown neighborhood in which its located. And we’re glad to be there to offer fresh, Georgia-roasted coffee by the cup, coffee by the pound, and delicious prepared foods in our cozy cafe setting that includes an outdoor patio. If you haven’t visited yet, we invite you to stop in and say hi to Angelica, Almeda, Nema, and Maria. Their smiling faces and can-do attitudes are worth the visit. The market is located at 209 Edgewood Ave. SE and is but a hop, skip, and a jump from I-75 (exit 248B) for those traveling through the area. Check out the Cafe Campesino Atlanta website for hours and info. And check out this month’s Community Caravan for more CC-Atlanta happenings. Couple of notes to mention: 1) The Fair Trade Futures Conference early registration deadline has been extended to April 18th. See article for more details about this informative and fun event. 2) The 40th anniversary of Earth Day is April 22nd. Celebrate by conserving, caring, and considering that EVERY day should be Earth Day! And now, on with the April Fair Grounds. Thanks for reading.
Racing for New Orleans
Café Campesino’s Bill Harris (and his bike) are headed to New Orleans in a few days to take part in the 70.3 IronMan competition. Bill is part of Team Enduring Hope and will be biking 56 miles in the half triathlon. The team is going all out in this event to raise funds and awareness for the post-Katrina New Orleans. Much work is still needed to rebuild the places and lives that were upended by the August 2005 hurricane and all funds raised by Team Enduring Hope will go to our friends at Contemplatives in Action who continue to work and serve in the community that they love and live in. Their work to help rebuild structures and lives has been inspirational to us and therefore deserves our support. If you’d like to help sponsor the team, go tocafecampesino.com/donate.asp and enter your pledge.
Best wishes to Bill and the rest of the team. Note that Bill is returning to New Orleans for the first time since Katrina wiped out the entire coffee inventory of Cooperative Coffees. That was certainly an emotional time in CC’s history. Here’s hoping that emotion helps fuel the athletes as they compete and raise funds.
Introduction: March 2010
Welcome to Fair Grounds for March 2010. We want to open this edition with a “thank you” to Maty de Barrios, our Production Manager at Cafe Campesino for the last 4+ years. Maty and her family are leaving Americus as her children prepare to attend college and while we’re sad to see her go, we wholeheartedly support her decision to keep family close. We’re certainly going to miss seeing her infectious smile in the day-to-day here at the roastery as well her “golden” nose for coffee. Best to you and your family, Maty. Thanks for your years of outstanding service to Cafe Campesino and fair trade. Adios, amiga. We hope to see you again soon.