Another year, another Specialty Coffee Association of America meeting and another opportunity to promote Fair Trade coffee. This time, at least, it was on our home turf – Atlanta. Samantha gives us her reflections on the show as a first-timer, and Bill provides a wrap up on our post-meeting Fair Trade Partner Forum (and visit with Jimmy Carter) in this issue of Fair Grounds. You'll also find a Community Caravan update (we're busy in the next few months), a Fair Trade Fact, a new trivia question, and a summer dessert recipe. Grab an iced cup of Café Campesino and read on!

(Back to Headlines)

As I rode down the escalator into one of the three enormous buildings which comprise the Georgia World Congress Center, I was impressed by the huge number and variety of booths at this year’s Specialty Coffee Association of America conference. The buzz and bustle of people mingling and connecting filled the air.

"Today’s newspaper," a lady said while handing me a copy of Morning Cup as I reached the bottom of the escalator.

"Thanks," I replied as I stepped into the large convention center and attempted to figure out where the booths for Café Campesino and Cooperative Coffees were located.

This was my first experience at a coffee convention; indeed, it was my first experience at any type of industry-specific convention.

Read on...

(Back to Headlines)

Café Campesino was well represented during an exciting and inspiring post-SCAA forum sponsored by Cooperative Coffees, Equal Exchange and the Fair Trade Resource Network. The three organizations partnered for the first time to host three days of meetings, speaking engagements and fun with producers representing five countries and a number of important non-profit allies from the Fair Trade movement.

On Tuesday, we gathered on the peaceful grounds of the Carter Center in downtown Atlanta for a full day of post-SCAA decompression, sharing and planning. More than 30 people attended the session including producer representatives from Nicaragua, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Peru, and Tanzania. Allies included representatives from Oxfam, International Fair Trade Association, Catholic Relief Services, Lutheran World Relief and Ecologic Finance. A wide range of topics and concerns were addressed, including the proliferation of product certification labels in the coffee industry, leveraging our networks for better public and consumer awareness, changes within the international Fair Trade monitoring system and shared concerns among small-scale farmers and our organizations about the long-term consequences of plantations in Fair Trade systems. It was a very positive experience and a great way to bring perspective and closure to the often-frantic SCAA conference.

Read on...

(Back to Headlines)

As anyone who lives in the South can tell you, seasons change in an instant, and this year has been no exception. Sometime between 2:00 and 2:15 p.m. on May 4, summer started here in Americus, but don’t think that the heat and humidity will slow us down! We’ll be at several different events this upcoming month, as well as participating in causes in which we believe.

Saturday, May 22, we’ll be joining the athletic folks at 8 a.m. for Run Americus, Americus’ own annual 5K run. We’ll be passing out coffee to those who’ve come to cheer on the participants, and to any participants who need a bit of buzz to start.

Tuesday, June 8 will find us partnering with The Sentient Bean in Savannah to serve coffee at the International Festival for Peace and Civil Liberties. The festival will be held in Savannah and is set to coincide with the G-8 Summit being held 80 miles to the south on Sea Island. In addition, Bill will be speaking Monday night, June 7 at the Sentient Bean about globalization and commodities trade. Check out http://freesavannah.com/g8/action.htm for more information about the festival.

In keeping with tradition – and having a good time while doing so – we’ll be serving coffee in the early morning to the barely-conscious bike riders at the 2004 BRAG, June 12-19. The bike ride begins in Toccoa, Georgia, and ends at Tybee Island, just outside of Savannah. Geoffrey, our outreach coordinator, will again be heading things up, supported by J., Victoria, and Alan. This will be J.’s first weeklong BRAG jaunt, but Victoria and Alan are now old hands at this game! We’re delighted to have them back helping out and pleased to have a new face joining the team. Attendees may purchase a coffee bracelet for $25 on their meal form at registration (which is the easiest way, according to Geoffrey) or they can pick one up at the beginning of the ride from the booth. We look forward to seeing you all again!

(Back to Headlines)

We're giving away coffee! 

Think you know a lot about coffee? Then enter our Fair Grounds Trivia Contest. Click here for our question of the month. Entering is easy and it's FUN!

When our judges saw the answer to our last Coffee Knowledge Question they said, "Now those are some really Fair Grounds!" Our winner, Joan Brausch, just said "Whew!" Congratulations, Joan!

(Back to Headlines)

-- Jimmy Carter

• April 2004 Coffee and Community in Nicaragua, Fair Trade in Americus Makes the News!
• March 2004 Fair Trade chocolate, Rosetta's Kitchen
• February 2004 Bill's Return to Guatemala, Guayakí Rainforest
• January 2004 Espresso - What's the Buzz?
• December 2003 Fair Trade: Global Exchange's Fair Trade Challenge; Fellow Fair Traders: SERRV International
• November 2003 Fair Trade: More Than Just a Fair Price; Fellow Fair Traders: Lucuma Designs
• October 2003 Exploring the Coffee Regions
• September 2003 Cooperative Coffees Annual Meeting
• August 2003 Fair Trade Friends: Oxfam America; The Art (and Science) of Roasting Coffee
• July 2003 Exploring Our Origins: Sumatra
• June 2003 Exploring Our Origins: Guatemala; Gayo Mountain Adventure; Dr. Coffee - Cupping
• May 2003 Fair Trade Friends: United Students for Fair Trade; World Fair Trade Day
• April 2003 Exploring Our Origins: Ethiopia; Celebrating Earth Day with Fair Trade
• March 2003 Bill's Central American Adventures, Part 2; SWP Decaffeination
• February 2002 Bill's Central American Adventures, Part 1
• January 2003 My Life as a Bean
• December 2002 Exploring Our Origins: East Timor; Sustainable Development
• November 2002 New Website; Gift Baskets
• October 2002 Interview with roaster Lee Harris
• September 2002 ForesTrade Wins UN Sustainability Award; Exploring Our Origins: Sumatra's Gayo Cooperative
• August 2002 Producer News: Shade Grown; Fair Trade Friends: Atlanta Audubon
• July 2002 Exploring Our Origins: Colombia
• June 2002 Back Roads Journal: Cooperative Coffees and Café Campesino; Exploring Our Origins: Peru; Fair Trade Friends: Music of the Andes
• May 2002 Staff Notes: Cinco de Mayo; Producer News: Visit to Mut Viz; Back Roads Journal: SCAA Meeting
• April 2002 Back Roads Journal: Travels in Fair Trade; Customer Composting Tip