Help Set a World Record May 10 - From the WFTD Action Guide

How does the World’s Largest Fair Trade Coffee Break Work?

For WFTD 2008, we will set the world record for the World’s Largest Fair Trade Coffee Break. On May 10, 2008 at 3 pm Eastern/Noon Pacific. people across the country will take a break to enjoy a cup of Fair Trade coffee or other Fair Trade beverage. We will be setting a new record that will serve as a benchmark for futres years’ challenges!

Participating in the World’s Largest Fair Trade Coffee Break is a great way to communicate the solidarity of the Fair Trade movement in the U.S. and celebrate those who produce the things that we buy.

So to join in, use this page, the tools in the WFTD Toolkit, use the WFTD Action Guide to shape what happens, and use the WFTD Media Kit to engage the media. Your event can be as big or small as you choose. What’s important is that you are COUNTED!

Who can participate?

Anyone. So long as you are serving Fair Trade beverages that are certified by TransFair USA or produced by a member of the Fair Trade Federation, we invite you to join in and BE COUNTED. Invite people to your home. Host an event at your church, synagogue, or mosque. Integrate the Break into your local Farmer’s Market.

TAKE A FAIR TRADE BREAK
tc’s first annual
WORLD FAIR TRADE DAY
SATURDAY, MAY 10TH
all day at Unity, Higher Grounds, and Oryana
official TC’S LARGEST FAIR TRADE COFFEE BREAK is at 3PM at unity

Come join in these local events to celebrate the movement to make trade fair. Learn about the benefits of fair trade (FT), and taste the difference that respect, love and dignity can make in chocolate, coffee, olive oil, fruit preserves, bananas and other fair trade products.

Unity FT Marketplace
will be tasting free FT coffee, chocolate, etc all day, as well as holding a drawing for a $25 gift certificate to the store full of FT fashion, toys, books, and beautiful/useful home decor. join us here at 3PM for the official
TC’s largest fair trade coffee break
Lets get the whole town together to join in this awesome celebration
113 E State St. (in the alley behind the City Opera House) 929-4228  http://unityfairtrade.com/

Higher Grounds and Oryana
all day will be tasting free fair trade coffee, local FT fruit preserves and other FT goodies.
Come check out their SALES on FT products in honor of WFTD
Oryana: 260 E.10th St. (at Lake st)  947-0191  http://www.oryana.coop/
Higher Grounds: 806 Red Dr., Suite 150 (the old state hospital)  922-9009  http://www.highergroundstrading.com/

* for more information, contact Chelsea at chelsbay@gmail.com

What is Fair Trade?
Fair Trade is an alternative way of doing business, one that builds equitable, long-term partnerships between consumers in North America and producers in developing regions. Fair Trade businesses commit to:

• Paying a fair wage in the local context.
• Offering employees opportunities for advancement.
• Providing equal opportunities for all people, particularly the most disadvantaged.
• Engaging in environmentally sustainable practices.
• Being open to public accountability.
• Building long-term trade relationships.
• Providing healthy and safe working conditions within the local context.
• Providing financial and technical assistance to producers whenever possible.
This criteria was established by the Fair Trade Federation.

Its official! At long last Higher Grounds Trading Co. has made its debut in the world of beer. That’s right, Shorts Brewing Company has concocted quite the mean Coffee Creme Stout using our Mayan Magic Espresso Blend. Last night I had the pleasure of sipping on a few as we rented a bus and made the 45 minute trek to visit Joe Short and his crew and celebrate the achievement.

Notes of chocolate with a creme - like body fill the mouth as that all-to-familiar dark roasted coffee flavor graces the aftertaste with each sip. If you are in Bellaire, be sure to stop by and enjoy a pint. If not and you want to learn about the similarities between beer and coffee, visit our other blog, Bean Activist, and read the article by our good friend and expert on all things beer, Chris O’brien. Its aptly titled…….wait for it, wait for it, ………….. “Beer and Coffee.”

Up she goes . . our new home in Traverse City is coming together, with the help of some friends and some mighty fine builders from MAM contruction and the Minervini family. Ray Minervini, the visionary behind the Grand Traverse Commons, is a true gem . . . someone who makes you feel honored to be in his presence. His vision for the Commons is to create a “polyculture of people”, like a healthy garden full of people who complement and strengthen one another. Because of the jubilant nature of the Minervini family, most folks attracted to live and work at the Commons are cultural creatives, passionate entrepreneurs and children of all ages. This place emits energy that could put the Northern Lights out of business. Sometimes when I comment that I can’t wait to see what our little community will be like in 5 years, Ray reminds me that we should look forward 200 years or 500 years. What will it look like then? I can’t say for sure but I certainly feel as though a bit of magic was bestowed upon us as we have come to know and love our new home in Building 53 (the old laundry building).

I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank our amazing team of friends (Holly, Robert, Gary, the Cheadle’s, Phil, Gerard and many others) for all they’ve done for us. From collecting color swatches to snapping photos to offering a meal and a beer after a long day of work, our friends sustain us and we’ll be forever grateful! Emily (roaster, Jen (production), Karen (head barista/bike delivery), Alita (head barista/events & special projects), Keith (sales/promotion), Mary Lee (sales/mom) and Mary Lou (office manager/chef/mom) - hold on to your hats. You are the best crew a little business could have and I can’t wait to see Higher Grounds TC flourish with your keen intellect and compassion leading the way!

Check out the photos above - these were taken in Mid-May by our good friend and travel buddy, Gary Howe. The construction team, led by the talented and humble Christian Buda, are hard at work framing the walls and bringing the plumbing and electrical infrastructure back to life. Watching the MAM construction crew reminds me of the coffee farmers in the field, they work long days, carefully massaging this old building until she bears fruit. And what a sweet fruit it will be - the most delectable coffee around. We look forward to seeing you in July!

And keep your eye out for Higher Grounds TC new bike delivery service ! Give Karen a honk and wave if you see her peddling around town. Sorry guys, Karen is spoken for.

Ya’ll,Many of you have been asking where to find our coffee in the Greater Detroit Area. Well, within the next week you’ll find a couple varieties on the shelves of Holiday Market. Here’s the story . . . they’ve recently renovated and expanded, which we learned from a kind customer tip, but had their coffee selections completed and weren’t accepting any other coffee lines. Mary Lee, our sales super woman (and my mother-in-law), convinced them to find the shelf space to give our coffees a test run. Here’s where you come in. Stop by and purchase a bag! Better yet, call the manager and thank them for adding a 100% fair trade, organic, roasted-to-order-in-Michigan coffee to their line-up. Consumer democracy in action! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Jody

1203 S. Main Street
Royal Oak, MI 48067
3 blocks North of 10 Mile Rd.
(Exit 16 off I-696)

248 541 1414

It’s been the season of conferences - Co-op American Green Business Conference, Green Festival and the Specialty Coffee Association of America! All that networking, most of which occurs over beers in the late evening, can really wear a girl out. Thank goodness we’re in the coffee business.

So, it all began with the Co-op American Green Business Networking Conference held and the lovely historic Chicago Cultural Museum. I knew I’d have a good time with my pals from Food For Thought, Timothy Young and Evan Smith , and the newest initiate to our Northern MI club, Mimi Wheeler of Grocer’s Daughter. However, I forgot about Evan’s honing device that never fails to attract all the “bad” boys and girls at every conference. Yep, we were the ones in the back of the hall cracking jokes and laughing loudly while some famous Green Business Entreprenuer spilled his or her guts to us. Over the loudly jokes (mostly Evan’s side of the table), I heard some amazing accounts of different business owners, policy makers from Chicago and more. The City of Chicago deserves a huge pat on the back for their work to make Chicago one of the leading green cities in the world. Throughout Chicago you’ll find bike racks and green roofs and legislations promoting green energy.

But on with the conferencing, our motley crew (Tim, Evan, Mimi and I) met some fellow conference compadres in the beer line (where else?) on the very first night and I must admit, we comprised quite the benevolent bunch. Represented were folks from the green diaper movement started in Australia but transplanted to the United States (this should be a movement if it’s not already); a smarty web marketer from California whose family also owns the famous artstore in San Fran, Flax; a spunky woman who owns a green cleaning services in Cleveland; an Utne of the Utne Magazine lineage; and a sweet woman who has a mission to rid the world of single use plastic bags! One of the most inspiring stories throughout the conference came from Ray Anderson of Interface (http://www.interfaceinc.com). His story is one for all of us that believe the “system” as we know it will never change. Visit Interface’s website to read how Ray Anderson, a man who epitomized Southern conservative capitalist values, made an about face in the eighties.

Quick note on the Green Festival - its was a huge success! 30,000 + attendees brave enough to behemoth structure known as the McCormick Center, beautiful weather, great presentations . . . if would could have only harnessed all the good, raw energy from the crowd, Chicago would be electrified for years to come. A quick shot our to our good friends and importing partners from Peace Coffee (Andy, Mel and Mega) and Just Coffee (Matt), it’s always a pleasure to hang out with you guys and thanks for the good company! We will take over the coffee industry, together!