Updated May 17, 2010 The 2nd Annual Homeroaster’s Auction is moving along well. In the first two weeks, the group has raised nearly $3,300. Last year’s auction raised over $5,600 for Coffee Kids. Weeks three and four promise even more great items. Companies and individuals from the specialty coffee industry have donated an assortment of top-quality green coffee, magazine subscriptions, grinders, brewers, roasters and much more, with all proceeds going directly to Coffee Kids.
Hottop KN-8288B Coffee Roaster donated by No Quarter Coffee (Retail value $720)
Behmor Coffee Roaster donated by Joe Behm (Retail value $300)
15 lbs. El Salvador Cerro Las Ranas Pulp Natural (RFA) donated by Royal Coffee NY (Retail value $45)
Bacchi Espresso Machine donated by Orphan Espresso (Retail value $395)
3-cup Tokio siphon, Hario Skerton Grinder, 12oz. Roasted coffee (roaster’s choice) donated by Caffe d’Bolla (Retail value $97)
5 lbs. Kenya Auction Lot donated by Café Imports (Retail value $83)
10 lbs. 2009 Panama Finca Esmerelda Especial donated by GCBC member mpoll (Retail value $300)
And these are just a few of the amazing items the group gathered for the auction. Check out a full listing at Home-Barista.com. Most items will include free shipping in the continental US and some will include international shipping. Check the item listing to find out.
Many thanks to all of our home roasting friends and all of the businesses, organizations and individuals who have donated items and their time to make this auction possible.
We just finished the Coffee Kids Reception sponsored by InterAmerican Coffee at the SCAA in Anaheim, California. Nearly 200 people showed up as we honored our partner, Fundación Hijos del Campo (FHC). The organization, which provides scholarships for the children of coffee farmers, is graduating from Coffee Kids this year thanks to their great advances in creating a sustainable program.
At the reception, we screened a video on FHC that was put together by our friend Kelly Kowalski of Pajama Girl Productions. Take a look at the video and let us know what you think. Special thanks to Van Houtte for all their support of Hijos del Campo and the video production and to all of our supporters who helped FHC over the years.
Staff at Coffee Kids are busy prepping for the upcoming Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA) Expo in Anaheim, CA, April 15-18. If you’re planning to attend, visit us at booth #2157 in the expo hall. We’ll have our new t-shirts on display ready to take orders.
We’ll also be selling tickets for the Coffee Kids Benefit drawing. There are three great prizes, including Behmor Roasters, a Mypressi Handheld Espresso Machine from Visions Espresso, and a Tea and Coffee Gift Basket from the Little Bean Coffee Company. Tickets are a suggested donation of $25, or 5 for $100.
If you can’t attend the show, purchase tickets through our website by making a donation here (be sure to enter SCAA in the ‘memorial/gift’ field). You can also donate over the phone by calling 505-820-1443.
On Friday night from 5-7pm in Ballroom A of the Anaheim Convention Center, stop by the Coffee Kids Reception sponsored by InterAmerican Coffee. We will highlight the achievements of FHC of Costa Rica, a longtime Coffee Kids partner that has provided scholarship opportunities to thousands of students from coffee-farming communities. Light refreshments and cash bar will be available.
Coffee Kids staff will also be presenting on a couple panels at the expo. Executive Director Carolyn Fairman will present at, “Ask the Experts: What is the Ethical Coffee Debate,” in Room 207C on Saturday, April 17 from 9-10:15 a.m. International Program Director Jose Luis Zarate will be on the panel of “The Hidden Element in Sustainability,” in Room 207B on Saturday, April 17 from 10:30-11:45 a.m.
InterAmerican Coffee is the sponsor of the Coffee Kids Reception at the 22nd Annual Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Exposition in Anaheim, CA. The event will be held on Friday, April 16 from 5-7pm, in Ballroom A of the Anaheim Convention Center.
“It’s great to have our friends from InterAmerican Coffee on board for this event,” said Carolyn Fairman, executive director of Coffee Kids. “The reception will be a great opportunity for people to learn about our partners in Latin America, and network with others in the world of specialty coffee.”
At the reception, Coffee Kids will highlight The Rural Children’s Education Foundation of Costa Rica, a longtime Coffee Kids partner that has provided scholarship opportunities to thousands of students from coffee-farming communities. Coffee Kids Executive Director Carolyn Fairman, InterAmerican CEO and President Guy Burdett and other special guests will also present a brief program about Coffee Kids work. Light refreshments and cash bar will be available.
InterAmerican Coffee is a strong supporter of Coffee Kids’ mission to help coffee-farming families improve their quality of life. The company is an importer and distributor of high-quality green coffee.
“As an importer and distributor of coffee, the work Coffee Kids does helps us connect with the producers and contribute directly to an improved quality of life,” said Guy Burdett, President and CEO of InerAmerican Coffee.
We are excited to announce the second annual benefit drawing for Coffee Kids with three great prizes from Coffee Kids supporters. The drawing will be held on Sunday, April 18 at 1 pm at the Coffee Kids’ booth (#2157) at the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Expo in Anaheim, CA.
Tickets for the drawing are available for a suggested donation of $25 (five entries for a donation of $100) and participants need not be present to win. Please visit Coffee Kids Donate page and enter SCAA in the ‘memorial/gift’ field. You can also donate over the phone by calling 505-820-1443. Prizes will be shipped free of charge to winners by Behmor, Inc., Visions Espresso and The Little Bean Coffee Company.
Update, 4/16/2010: Today is the last day to enter the drawing online. Please make your donation by 5pm PST! If you’re at the SCAA, stop by our booth and enter the drawing on up until noon, Sunday, April 19.
2nd prize – A Behmor 1600 1lb Coffee Roaster (value $299) donated by Behmor, Inc., of Incline Village, NV;
3rd prize – A fully-packed coffee gift basket with fresh roasted fair trade organic coffees, whole leaf teas and other items (value $175) from The Little Bean Coffee Company of Huntington Beach, CA.
All proceeds from the drawing will benefit Coffee Kids’ efforts to help coffee-farming families improve their quality of life.
On October 9, 2009, I had the opportunity to participate in a debate looking at the future of ethical coffee sourcing at the European Coffee Symposium in Vienna, Austria, which brought together more than 450 influential leaders from the coffee sector to talk coffee.
I shared a panel with representatives from several certifying agencies, including Utz Certified, Fairtrade Foundation, and Rainforest Alliance. A lively discussion ensued after Peter Grffiths presented the topic, “Why Fair Trade Isn’t Fair,” and I think the audience learned a great deal about the need for multiple solutions to this complicated global problem and ways to confront poverty at coffee’s origin.
Our message continues to be that there is no such thing as sustainable coffee. Sustainability is about people and community. Healthy communities produce quality coffee. Healthy communities happen when livelihood issues – such as healthcare, education and sufficient income – are properly addressed. Trade is one way to address issues of income and confront the many issues farmer’s face, but it is not the only way. It is critical that we all work together – certifying agencies, other nonprofits, development organizations, donors and consumers – to confront poverty at origin.
While in Ann Arbor for the Ross Net Impact Conference at the University of Michigan, I visited a few Coffee Kids friends.
The Zingerman’s Community of Businesses is a family of small food related companies in the Ann Arbor area. Each business is operated by one or more managing partners who share ownership and run the business. I met with Allan Liebowitz and Steve Mangigian, managing partners of Zingerman’s Coffee – great guys who showed enthusiasm and interest in helping Coffee Kids.
Stephan Iscoe of Big City Coffee recently signed on as a Coffee Kids business member with his online coffee company. He was gracious and generous with his marketing ideas, interested in Coffee Kids’ efforts and concerned about life in coffee-farming communities. Thanks much, Stephan!
My next stop was at Mighty Good Coffee in downtown Ann Arbor, where I met with David Myers and Barista Matt Roney, sampled a fine Kenyan Peaberry, and discussed our work. David created Mighty Good Coffee Roasters three years ago recently expanded to a retail operation. They ‘twittered’ their followers to stop in the following morning for a fundraiser for Coffee Kids.
An intrepid band of home roasters has put together “Kick it up for Coffee Kids,” an online auction to benefit Coffee Kids. The group is offering over $3,000 worth of items throughout the month of May.
Items include: five home roasters, a top-flight Zass 580, top-shelf specialty greens, industry magazine subscriptions, logo and design work by Dillanos, a gorgeous shop sign to be personalized, coffee preps (Yamas, Chemex, Bodum, Bunn) and lots more. Forty separate items will be auctioned off throughout the month of May.
Special thanks to all of our friends at homeroasters.org and all of the businesses, organizations and individuals who have donated items and their time to make this auction possible.
We’re proud to announce Barbara Smyth of Sunnyvale, Cali., as the winner of the Sonofresco Table Top Roaster drawing at this year’s Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA) Expo.
“I entered thinking I couldn’t expect to win, but rather because I am supportive of Coffee Kids and the opportunity to give back to the people who grow the fine coffees I have been introduced to over the past couple of years. The farmers get so little of what I pay retail, so I made my donation with the best wishes for coffee-farming families and their collective future,” Smyth said after winning the roaster.
Elan Organic Coffee kindly donated the roaster for the drawing. The drawing was held on Sunday, April 19 at 1:30 pm at the Coffee Kids’ booth.
All proceeds from the drawing benefit Coffee Kids’ efforts to help coffee-farming families improve their quality of life. Thanks to all who participated!
We just got back from our evening out and are thankful to all of our friends who stopped by our booth today at the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA) Expo in Atlanta, Georgia. Our reception, sponsored by Interamerican Coffee, had a tremendous turnout with people lined up outside the door. Executive Director Carolyn Fairman and Board President Rob Stephen spoke on Coffee Kids impact, and our partner and friend Fatima Ismael Espinoza, general manager of Coffee Kids’ partner, SOPPEXCCA, in Nicaragua, gave a great presentation on how their partnership with Coffee Kids is extending opportunity to children throughout Jinotega, Nicaragua. We’ll be posting pictures soon, but wanted to thank reception sponsor Interamerican Coffee and C.M.A. Spa of Italy for their generous contribution at the event.
Thanks to all who attended and be sure to stop by our booth (#1334) in the exhibition hall to find out how you can help coffee-farming families improve their quality of life.
The 2nd Annual Homeroaster’s Auction is moving along well. In the first two weeks, the group has raised nearly $3,300. Last year’s auction raised over $5,600 for Coffee Kids. Weeks three and four promise even more great items. Companies and individuals from the specialty coffee industry have donated an assortment of top-quality green coffee, magazine subscriptions, grinders, brewers, roasters and much more, with all proceeds going directly to Coffee Kids.
We’ll also be selling tickets for the Coffee Kids Benefit drawing. There are three great prizes, including Behmor Roasters, a Mypressi Handheld Espresso Machine from Visions Espresso, and a Tea and Coffee Gift Basket from the Little Bean Coffee Company. Tickets are a suggested donation of $25, or 5 for $100. 
On Friday night from 5-7pm in Ballroom A of the Anaheim Convention Center, stop by the Coffee Kids Reception sponsored by InterAmerican Coffee. We will highlight the achievements of FHC of Costa Rica, a longtime Coffee Kids partner that has provided scholarship opportunities to thousands of students from coffee-farming communities. Light refreshments and cash bar will be available.
I shared a panel with representatives from several certifying agencies, including Utz Certified, Fairtrade Foundation, and Rainforest Alliance. A lively discussion ensued after Peter Grffiths presented the topic, “Why Fair Trade Isn’t Fair,” and I think the audience learned a great deal about the need for multiple solutions to this complicated global problem and ways to confront poverty at coffee’s origin. 
The Zingerman’s Community of Businesses is a family of small food related companies in the Ann Arbor area. Each business is operated by one or more managing partners who share ownership and run the business. I met with Allan Liebowitz and Steve Mangigian, managing partners of 
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An intrepid band of home roasters has put together “Kick it up for Coffee Kids,” an online auction to benefit Coffee Kids. The group is offering over $3,000 worth of items throughout the month of May.
We’re proud to announce Barbara Smyth of Sunnyvale, Cali., as the winner of the Sonofresco Table Top Roaster drawing at this year’s Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA) Expo.