Fair Grounds Newsletter from Cafe Campesino

888.532.4728 (tel)
229.924.2468 (tel)
229.924.6250 (fax)
(more contact info)

Keeping the Fair Trade Momentum Going
Harrar Joins Our Coffee Lineup
Producer Profile: Ethiopia's OCFCU
Fair Trade on the Home Front
Café Campesino Community Caravan
National Fair Trade Conference Reminder
Test Your Coffee Knowledge
Quote of the Month
Past Issues of Fair Grounds

The summer heat and humidity aren't keeping the Cafe Campesino staff from spreading the Fair Trade message (though they might just slow us down a tad!). Geoffrey recently represented us at Paddle Georgia, and Lee and Tripp will head to North Carolina in mid-August for a Fair Trade weekend organized by friends of Café Campesino in Highlands. We've also just brought a new coffee into the fold — the intensely flavorful Ethiopia Harrar. You find more on all of this in this month's issue of Fair Grounds, along with a producer profile of the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative, an intriguing article from interns working for the Mexico Solidarity Network, a new recipe, and a brand spanking new crossword puzzle contest. Grab an iced mocha, settle back and enjoy...

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Café Campesino is thrilled to announce the addition of a new Fair Trade, organic coffee to our lineup: Ethiopia Harrar, one of the most distinctive and interesting coffees available in the world! We roast our Harrar to a full city, which brings out the fruity blueberry and apricot characteristics of the coffee. Our Harrar has a medium body and, as one of our good customers put it, a "lush mouth feel.” And, as the coffee cools down a bit, you’ll begin to taste hints of rum and caramel. We hope that you enjoy drinking this truly unique coffee provided by our Fair Trade friends at the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative (OCFCU) whom we have featured in this edition of Fair Grounds and who also supply us with our delicious Yirgacheffe and Sidamo coffees. Order Harrar this month and receive 10% off of the regular listed price. Please use promotion code har705 when prompted at check out.

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Producer: OCFCU – Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union
Founded: June 1, 1999
Coffee: Arabica SHB, Organic Certified by OKO-GARANTIE
Characteristics: A sweet, complex coffee with medium acidity and rich, full body

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and yet it is the fourth poorest country in the world. Coffee farmers there live a very traditional lifestyle, farming less than 5 acres and living in stick houses…electricity, running water and indoor plumbing are rare in rural areas.

more...

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From the Perspective of the Mexico Solidarity Network’s Alternative Economy Interns

Several weeks ago we asked the Alternative Economy Interns at Mexico Solidarity Network, whom we featured as our Fair Trade Partner in the March 2005 issue of Fair Grounds, if they would be willing to contribute to this month’s newsletter. Since the program began in January, Café Campesino has been supplying this group, which includes recent high school grads, college students, union members, mothers and others, with our Fair Trade, organic coffee from Chiapas Mexico to present, along with other items produced by Zapatista cooperatives, at their weekly public outreach events throughout the country. From churches to universities, house parties to music shows, and community gatherings to farmers markets, the interns have been speaking face-to-face with US consumers to distribute Fair Trade crafts and coffee as well as to discuss issues of neo-liberalism, Fair Trade, Zapatismo and the concept of an alternative economy.

more...

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Well, the first annual Paddle Georgia was a resounding success! Thanks to Geoffrey, the folks at Paddle Georgia and the Paddle Georgia paddlers who made this novel event so worthwhile. According to Geoffrey, the Paddle Georgia crowd was not only a pleasure to serve but also extremely engaged and engaging! We look forward to next year’s Paddle Georgia and strongly recommend that anyone who didn’t make it this year sign up for next year’s event. We’ll see you there!

During the weekend of August 12-14, Lee and Tripp will journey to Highlands, North Carolina, home of one of our favorite coffee house customers Bucks Coffee Café, to talk fair trade and sample our coffee to Highlands’ busy community. This “Fair Trade weekend” was the idea of Highlands resident and Café Campesino friend Breta Stroud, who has taken it upon herself to help us spread the word…thanks Breta!

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When: September 30 to October 2, 2005
Where: Holiday Inn-Mart Plaza- Chicago, IL

Thousands of people like you believe in Fair Trade as a model of economic and environmental justice. Many of us will be gathering in Chicago from September 30 to October 2, 2005, for a national Fair Trade conference to strengthen Fair Trade mission-driven organizations and attract customers and activists to the movement.

Over the course of a weekend, Fair Trade organizations, consumers, activists and businesses will:

* Build energy and excitement about Fair Trade among those committed to its principles.
* Bring the principles and practices of Fair Trade businesses, programs and products to national attention.
* Develop relationships and deepen the understanding among committed Fair Trade leaders.
* Reach out to new consumers and constituents, activists, grassroots organizations and allies.
* Create education and action tools for new and committed Fair Traders to become a definable movement beyond the conference.

If you are interested in joining us, please visit http://www.fairtradefederation.org/
2005ftconference/index.htm
where you can learn more about the conference and register to attend. Thanks for your interest.

The National Fair Trade Conference is sponsored by: A Greater Gift/SERRV, Catholic Relief Services, Cooperative Coffees, Equal Exchange, Lutheran World Relief, Oxfam America and Ten Thousand Villages.

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We're giving away coffee!

Think you know a lot about coffee? This month, instead of a trivia question we offer a crossword puzzle. Click here for the puzzle and clues. Entering is easy and it's FUN!

Lee Beasley is the winner of last month's Coffee Knowledge question. He correctly identified 1732 (A) as the year that Johann Sebastian Bach — a big coffee drinker — composed his Coffee Cantata. Congratulations, Lee!

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“Do not vacillate or you will be left in between doing something, having something and being nothing.”

-- Ethiopian proverb

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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 - 229.924.6250
http://www.cafecampesino.com
www.cafecampesino.com/store/index.php
info@cafecampesino.com

Staff:
Lee Harris
Tripp Pomeroy
Bill Harris
Kayci LeRoy

Fair Grounds is designed and delivered by:

Starstruck Design
335 West Gill Road
Gill, MA 01354

Contact Information:
Don Kruger
Lynn Nichols
Phone - 413.863.7752
Fax - 413.863.7752
http://www.starstruckdesign.com

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