Support Local Fair Trade: Discounts & Events on May 12
Pick up the below card at one of the three participating locations & get great deals to celebrate World Fair Trade Day in Atlanta on Saturday, May 12.
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.
Discounts: 10% off coffees & 30% off Fair Trade Handbags
COFFEE: Welcome Bolivia Medium Roast and Guatemala French Roast to our single origin coffee line-up. Meant to complement (not replace) our existing Bolivian and Guatemalan coffees, these new roast profiles offer a new way to experience some old favorites. Enter code spring2012 at your online checkout to get a 10% discount on either coffee until April 23.
FAIR TRADE HANDBAGS: Malia Designs sells handbags that are “designed to carry a cause.” The company aims to create a 
business where everyone – from producers to customers – can benefit from their efforts to bring beautifully designed handbags and accessories to American markets. The company seeks to empower disadvantaged women in Cambodia by providing economic opportunities through Fair Trade. In a country where sexual exploitation is commonplace, this access to sustainable income decreases their vulnerability to prostitution and human trafficking. Malia Designs also aims to break the cycle of trafficking by donating to organizations fighting child trafficking and empowering socially-conscious consumers with the 
information and tools they need to combat this crime worldwide. Enjoy 30 percent off all online orders from maliadesigns.com by typing in the code “campesino” at checkout. Good until Saturday, May 12, World Fair Trade Day.
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
February 2012 Community Caravan
Feb. 4: Almeta Tulloss, our beloved coffeehouse manager at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market, completes her last day before moving on to work for Broad River Pasture Farms in Elberton, Ga., as an apprentice. We thank Almeta for her two years of exceptional work and amazing spirit at our Sweet Auburn coffeeshop. The Atlanta food movement will anxiously await her return and her loyal customers will no doubt miss her smiling face in the coffeeshop. We know we will. Thank you, Almeta!! We love you and wish you the best on your good food journey! Your commitment and enthusiasm inspires us all.
Jan. 26: Café Campesino welcomed a group of visitors from Americus’s Brickyard Plantation. We were very happy to host the group, and hope they’ll come to visit us in Americus or Atlanta before they head north for the hot, summer months!
Jan. 27-28: Café Campesino, Sweetwater Organic Coffees and Café Campesino Sweet Auburn met in Americus to strategize 2012. We are grateful for a wonderful 2011 and excited about the year to come!!!
Feb. 4: Joel samples Café Campesino & promotes the upcoming Georgia Organics Conference at The Fresh Market in Columbus.
Feb. 4: Atlanta Culinary Tours visit Sweet Auburn Curb Market & Café Campesino Coffee Bar.
Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m.: Café Campesino screens the documentary, “Grow!” that follows 12 young Georgia farmers who are energized and ready to make a commitment to the local food movement. Join us for a great film and Q&A afterwards.
Feb. 18: Café Campesino & the Newman Catholic Center of Eastern Illinois University travel to Stewart Detention Center to offer comfort and support to Spanish-speaking immigrants who are currently being held there.
Feb. 24: Georgia Farm-to-School Summit in Columbus,Ga. Learn more about how to get healthy foods to our schoolchildren. www.georgiaorganics.org
Feb. 24: Café Campesino hosts a tour of 50 people from Georgia Organics’s 15th Annual “Plow Forward” Conference being held in Columbus. The group, which will include of food-lovers from across the Southeast, will travel to Café Campesino, Koinonia Farm and Providence Canyon before returning to Columbus for the 15th annual Georgia Organics Conference & Expo.
Feb. 24-25: Columbus hosts the 15th AnnualGeorgia Organics Conference & Expo. Workshops and classes for foodies, farmers, teachers, policy makers and concerned citizens take place over two days in Columbus. Attend the conference and learn what you can do to benefit the local, natural food economy. Keynote speakers include Will Allen and Michael Nischan.
April: Holy Week/Semana Santa: A group of committed Americus citizens will organize a “Pilgrimage for Immigrants” that will represent one of several walks across the state that show support, love and spiritual camaraderie with local immigrant families.
CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: BOXCAR GROCER
Café Campesino is thrilled to welcome Atlanta-based Boxcar Grocer as a new customer. With food justice at the core of its mission, Boxcar is setting new standards in retail grocery in Atlanta. It is committed to bringing locally sourced, sustainable and high-quality products to its Castleberry Hill neighborhood, an area of the city that had been previously underserved by grocery and fresh produce outlets. In addition to Café Campesino, Boxcar purchases from other community-oriented entities that include Truly Living Well Urban Farm, Johnston’s Family Farm, Sweet Georgia Grains and Dr. Bronner’s. We encourage you to stop in (249 Peters St. SW), grab a cup (or a bag) of Café Campesino and get to know Boxcar. Learn more at www.boxcargrocer.com
NEWSLETTER SPECIAL: VALENTINE’S SPECIALS: 14% OFF UGANDA VIENNESE ROAST & A NEW GIFT BOX
The most chocolaty of our coffee line-up, ourUganda Viennese Roast is on sale this month for 14% off. Use code: uganda2012 at the online checkout to redeem your discount. Good until Feb. 17th and it cannot be combined with any other discount. Also, check out our new “Love Birds Gift Box,” a selection of chocolates, 4 bird cards and a pound of our Atlanta Audubon Society Blend Coffee.