June 2010

In this issue

• Newsletter Special - 10% off Nicaraguan coffees
• Recipe of the Month - BRAG Iced Mocha
• Producer Profile - CECOCAFEN
• Customer Spotlight - Emory University
• Sustainability Series - Xeriscape
• Bike Ride Across Georgia (BRAG)
• Community Caravan
• The crew at Sweetwater
• Quote of the Month

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 of Fair 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.

Newsletter Special - 10% off Nicaraguan coffees

Try either of our roast styles - Medium Roast or French Roast (or both!) - of this delicious coffee from our partners at CECOCAFEN in Matagalpa, Nicaragua.  Use code nic10 at checkout to save 10%.  Offer good through June 15th.

*Please note that this discount applies only to retail orders and cannot be combined with any other discounts or special offers.

Recipe of the Month - BRAG Iced Mocha

Ever heard the saying "You can't have too much of a good thing."?  A bold statement, but I think we might agree with that when it comes to the nearly famous BRAG Iced Mocha.  In fact, some folks find them just plain addictive!  So we thought we would send this repeat your way as Geoffrey and Nick "gear up" for another Bike Ride Across Georgia event.  Cheers.

This is our volume production recipe a la BRAG, but we think you'll get the idea!

Ingredients:

* 50% Cafe Campesino Fair Trade, Organic Coffee (BRAG Brew is best!)
* 25% Organic Milk or Half n' Half
* 10% Fair Trade Chocolate Syrup
* 12% Ice
* 3% Fair Trade Sugar

Mixing:
Mix all of the ingredients listed above in a sealed container and shake vigorously. (In the coffee house, we use a cocktail shaker to make single servings.)

Read more about the event itself in our Upcoming Event section.  Purchase some BRAG Brew coffee here.

Producer Profile - CECOCAFEN

CECOCAFEN, the Coffee Cooperatives Central Association in the Northern Regions, is an umbrella organization that promotes and sells quality coffees from nine cooperatives. The basis of their operation rests upon: producing a quality coffee, establishing programs for ecological practices, and offering equitable opportunities for integrated development of their members’ communities. During visits to the region, we consistently witness these three elements at work.  CECOCAFEN started with 500 producers, exporting 700,000 lbs. of coffee per year. Today, more than 2000 families are members, exporting around 4,000,000 lbs. annually.

In the early stages of this umbrella organization, obtaining credit for their members was particularly challenging. However, in the past couple of years, they've made huge strides in better systematizing their credit structure, making it possible for members of CECOCAFEN to cover the expenses of the harvest until they are paid by buyers. When local banks are unwilling to provide credit lines to small procuders, this provides an excellent alternative source of funds. The increased income gained from selling Fair Trade has also allowed community women’s groups to participate in a micro-savings and loan programs, facilitating a variety of production projects and simply putting more food on the table.

Their Fair Trade coffee sales have grown steadily, and so have the numbers of children able to participate in CECOCAFEN’s high school, technical training and university scholarship program. Some 428 children of partners have taken advantage of these programs. These young students are studying careers related to the life in the cooperatives. In exchange, they provide 100 hours of work to the organization. They help provide a service of adult education in the cooperative. In one year, 32 young people helped 375 adults to learn how to read and write.

Cooperative Coffees is proud to partner with CECOCAFEN, and to be able to play a part in creating dignified solutions to the problems these farmers confront on a daily basis. With Fair Trade premiums and development credits, CECOCAFEN was able to purchase the SolCafé processing plant in 1999, equipped with ample drying beds, a complete line of sorting machines and a fully equipped cupping laboratory. Internalizing these steps for processing and testing allows CECOCAFEN to improve quality control and to negotiate significantly better prices for the farmers.

It is an impressive sight - from tiny piles to great pyramids - to see their members’ coffee spread across the drying patios. CECOCAFEN receives each producer’s coffee separately and tests for quality and humidity content. The cooperative is promoting each producer region for its specific characteristics and is in the process of establishing “brand recognition” for their corresponding coffees. The results of their collective efforts speak for themselves.

In the future, CECOCAFEN will try to be more competitive, since the growth in both the fair trade and the organic market has attracted bigger producers. They will try to increase the productive yield of their plantation to lower costs of production, maintain coffee quality, and improve the standard of living of their members. Also, they would like to increase their sale of coffee and reach better prices for it. They will also try to diversify their production.

Buy CECOCAFEN's Nicaraguan coffee at 10% off through June 15th.  Remember to use code nic10 at checkout for your discount.
 

Customer Spotlight - Emory University

Emory University is one of Café Campesino’s newest customers. A private research university with more than 12,000 students, Emory describes its community as being “inquiry-driven, ethically engaged,” and committed to working “collaboratively for positive transformation in the world.” Its main campus is in Atlanta, but it still maintains a campus in Oxford, Georgia, where it was originally founded in 1836 that today instructs about 750 students. Café Campesino came on board at Emory’s main campus earlier this year in the Cox Hall Food Court, which offers students, faculty and staff a wide selection of foods from local producers. Offering local or sustainable foods is a part of Emory University’s vision to source 75 percent of its food for hospitals and cafeterias from local or sustainable food sources by 2015. In addition to Cox Hall Food Court, you can also find Café Campesino coffee in Cannon Chapel and at the Green Bean Coffee Cart, a student-run coffee cart that is committed to Fair Trade.

Café Campesino is thrilled to be at Emory University and building relationships not only with Emory Dining, but also students, faculty and staff. In fact, Café Campesino welcomes its first Emory intern this summer, rising senior, Caroline DeMitchell, who will be working on our newsletter archiving system as well as organizing a Fair Trade Book Club in Atlanta. Thank-you Emory for introducing us to Caroline and for keeping Fair Trade and sustainability at the forefront in Atlanta!

Sustainability Series - Xeriscape

It is estimated that for most of North America, over 50% of residential water used is applied to landscape and lawns. How many of us have seen the sprinkler system at the bank watering on a rainy day? Or witnessed a similar system that waters the street as much as the lawn?

Because water is now considered to be an increasingly expensive and limited resource, it is important to look closely at our needs for water and possibly reevaluate some of our uses. ‘Xeriscape’ design refers to landscaping with techniques that will reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental irrigation. While originally developed for drought afflicted areas, the principles of xeriscape landscaping can be applied in any geographic region of North America - to any space (commercial or residential), to any size (large or small) and the benefits abound!  Xeriscape saves water; actually reducing water use on a landscape by as much as 50-75%.

Because water requirements are low, correlating maintenance is minimal.
The use of native plants eliminates, in large part, the need for chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Healthy organic soil should provide ample nutrients for plants living in their natural climate zone.  Additionally, these plants will provide a natural habitat for native wildlife and beneficial insects.
While a landscaped yard can improve property values, xeriscape offers investment protection with drought proofing and low maintenance.
By reducing the size of turf areas, xeriscape design decreases fossil fuel emissions from gas mowers and other equipment.

Implementation requires you keep in mind the fundamental purpose of water conservation. Then:
1) Plan: analyze the property, looking for ways to maximize the use of any natural precipitation and incorporate drought resistant plant varieties. Consider: cardinal direction, large trees, fences, walkways, structures, areas of sun and shade, any natural contours, drainage and runoff.
2) Work on building healthy soil capable of draining quickly and storing water. Compost is critical in a water conserving landscape for these properties. Exceptions to this are cacti and succulent groupings that prefer sandy soils with fewer nutrients.
3) Reduce the size of turf areas as much as possible and consider native grass varieties. Curved swaths will maximize the efficiency of conventional sprinklers.
4) Use appropriate plantings in appropriate areas. By grouping together plants with similar watering needs, you can establish zones of differing water amounts and capitalize on efficient water use.
5) Mulching your plants (several inches) is a vital follow-up for moisture retention, temperature control, preventing erosion and blocking out weeds.
6) Irrigating with soaker hoses and drip-systems helps deliver water directly to the base of the plant, encouraging root absorption and reducing evaporation.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of xeriscape is that by practicing these principals, you will establish a beautiful landscape you can feel confident in leaving while on vacation, even in the heat of summer!

Bike Ride Across Georgia (BRAG)

Cafe Campesino is gearing up for the Bike Ride Across Georgia. This will be the 11th year we have taken our coffeehouse on the road. Each morning we will brew up 30-40 gallons of coffee for riders who expect fresh, fair trade, organic coffee as a part of their riding experience. At the end of each day's ride, many will also stop by for an Iced Mocha to replenish some calories and enjoy a well earned reward for riding between 40 and 60 miles.

Geoffrey has already arrived in Americus to order supplies and get all the gear ready. He will be joined this year by Nick Gizzi, a newcomer to the BRAG coffeehouse experience. Nick worked at Pascal's - a coffeehouse supplied by our roastery in Gainesville, Florida - Sweetwater Organic Coffee - so he is not a newcomer to fair trade. If you're on the ride, be sure to stop by and congratulate him, for he has just become engaged.  The wedding will be later this summer.

Cafe Campesino will again this year be donating 10% of our coffee sales to the Dream Team. The BRAG Dream Team is a group of middle school students from cities across Georgia.  BRAG sponsors the Dream Team on its annual cross-state bicycle ride in June. Since its inception in 1994, an average of 10 middle school students from low-income families have been selected to participate on the Dream Team and have received bicycles, helmets, shorts and other accessories, complimentary meals and waived registration fees. Learn more, and make a donation to this great 501(c)3 organization on the BRAG website .  You can also support the Dream Team by ordering some BRAG Brew on our website.

We look forward to seeing all our BRAG friends again as well as meeting some new ones. The event runs from June 5-12 and you can read all about the ride here.

Community Caravan

To begin this month's Caravan, we bring your attention to an exciting opportunity that one of our friends and allies is participating in.  The Harvest of Hope Foundation, based in Gainesville, FL, has been entered into the running for a $250,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project.  Check out more about Harvest of Hope and support them with your vote - www.votehoh.com   Their work to supplement needs within the migrant community is valuable stuff and this grant would make a huge difference in the lives of many.

Americus:
Lots of visitors this month to the roastery and coffee house.  We love that!  Groups from Berry College (GA) and the University of Portland (OR) were in to tour the roastery and talk fair trade/social justice as part of their civil rights tour via a multi-day stay at Koinonia Farm.  And a few nights ago, the coffee house "set the stage" for a Playwright's Showcase event sponsored by Sumter Players, our community theater group.  We also hosted the Leadership Sumter group as part of the local Chamber of Commerce.  This group of local business leaders dropped in one morning for a tour and discussion with Tripp.  Also, our friends and supporters from Emory University visited to talk and film about fair trade and organics.  We look forward to seeing the video they are producing.  And we had our first country music concert in the two years of our coffee house.  Chase Bean, an Atlantan with Sumter Co. ties, played and sang several of his tunes that are part of his recently released first album.  Congrats to Chase and thanks to all who continue to visit us.  We appreciate your interest and your enthusiasm for fair trade and organics.

Atlanta:
May 10- Café Campesino Atlanta debuts at Decatur’s Saturday morning Farmers Market! Now Café Campesino Atlanta will be selling coffee, teas, baked goods, and whole-bean coffee at Decatur’s Wednesday and Saturday Farmers Markets. Check us out!

May 22- Café Campesino Atlanta joined a group of Sweet Auburn Curb Market vendors to participate in the 9th Annual Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association Festival. Held downtown, outside of Social Restaurant, the festival was a hit, offering live music, food and festival fun from 11 a.m. until midnight. Thanks ADNA for having us participate!

May 23- Café Campesino Atlanta and the Sweet Auburn Curb Market served as a hub for the hundreds of Atlanta Streets Alive participants who took to a closed-to-traffic Edgewood Avenue to walk, bike, run and otherwise play in the streets on Sunday afternoon. The event was a hit, especially for winners of Café Campesino’s “Hula-Hoop for Iced-Drinks Contest” who hula-hooped their way to a free refreshing beverage. Special thanks to bluegrass band Maynard Terrace for keeping the Curb Market hoppin’!

June 1- Caroline DeMitchell, a rising senior at Emory University, begins her summer internship program with Café Campesino. Caroline will be helping to develop a newsletter archiving system for Café Campesino as well as leading a Fair Trade Book Club in Atlanta. Thank-you, Caroline!

June 17- Fair Trade Book Club starts in Atlanta. The book club will discuss 6-8 readings over the summer that explain Fair Trade principles, the coffee industry and production processes, and address some of the current challenges facing the Fair Trade movement. The Book Club is being organized by Emory student Caroline DeMitchell, who is working with Café Campesino this summer as an intern in Atlanta. To participate or learn more about the Book Club, contact Caroline at carolinedemitchell@gmail.com.

June 19- Café Campesino Atlanta co-sponsors the opening event for Lot and Parcel, an exhibition of Atlanta neighborhood maps designed by more than 20 local artists who each have a particular connection with a specific area of Atlanta. The purpose of the exhibition is to celebrate the individual parts that make up the whole of Atlanta and bridge the gap between artists and the communities where they live, work and create. The opening will be held from 7-11 p.m. at The Goat Farm, a creative workspace in west Midtown Atlanta. The exhibition is curated by the creator of the blog, The Pecanne Log, and the executive director of the visual arts website, Burnaway.

Sweetwater Organic Coffee in Gainesville, FL:
Sweetwater celebrated World Fair Trade Day on May 7th with a Fair Trade Coffee Break in their newly revamped lobby. They served freshly made pastries and bagels from Northwood Bakery and a variety of freshly brewed Sweetwater Organic Coffee. Everyone had a delightful time.

On Friday, May 14th, Sweetwater held their very first Customer Appreciation~Open House Celebration and World Fair Trade Day Event. Delicious sandwich platters from Blue Highway Pizzeria along with tasty cheeses and fruits from Dorn's Liquors made for a nice spread with desserts from Fresh Market top it off. Beverages of the evening included fabulous organic red and white wine, Sweetwater Organic Coffee, and Midnight Oil Beer brewed at Swamphead Brewery located right here Gainesville, Florida. This particular beer is brewed using our Midnight Oil coffee!

For the event, we had door prizes which were donated by many of our local businesses who support us and who also attended our little soiree. From Cafe Campesino and Cafe Campesino Atlanta, we had several make the journey to help celebrate in our first Open House. We had fresh, homemade brownies made by the wonderful ladies at Mosswood Farm Store in Micanopy. Some of our guests included Storm Roberts from WKTK Radio in Gainesville, Dragonfly Sushi, Salon La Di Da, Wild Iris Books, the Original Pizza Palace, Alternatives Global Market Place, Harvest of Hope Foundation, 8th Ave Bike and Coffee House, Pascal's, along with many family and friends.

It was a wonderful celebration and would not have been possible without the support of our customers, families, and friends. Thank you everyone for all that you do!

Sunday, May 30th, Sweetwater will be participating in the EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE COMMUNITY CELEBRATION put on by Hogtown Homegrown. This has been a month long drive to encourage our community to support and eat local. There will be more than a dozen local organizations and businesses with info and samples including a family game of kickball. Hogtown Homegrown encourages and supports local and we thank them for that good work.

The Union Street Farmers Market continues to bloom and boom!   Even though the weather is warm, shoppers just can't resist the temptation of Sweetwater coffee!
 

The crew at Sweetwater

(l to r) - Amanda Adkins with son Leathem, Isha Elkins, Tina Adkins, Jim Caskey

Quote of the Month

Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing. - Redd Foxx

Fair Grounds is produced by:

Café Campesino
725 Spring Street
Americus, GA 31709

Contact Information:

Orders and General Information
Phone - 888.532.4728, 229.924.2468
Fax - 229.389.4814
http://www.cafecampesino.com
info@cafecampesino.com

Staff:

Cafe Campesino Roastery & Coffee House in Americus:
Nancy Aparicio
Dave Campbell
Rusty Cheek
Marco de la Paz
Nema Etheridge
Bill Harris
Geoffrey Hennies
Joe Johnston
Jaimie Minich
Tripp Pomeroy
Stacie Smith
Rebecca Young