FRODO’S CUP IN JULY??  

Traditionally available only between Thanksgiving and Christmas, our holiday blend, Frodo’s Cup, has fans who wait eagerly all year for us to offer it up again.  This year we’re roasting Christmas in July:  You can order Frodo’s Cup now through next Thursday, July 22nd. 

The Hobbits of Tolkien Lore loved food o’plenty:  Their meals were creative, satisfying aaand frequent. Created about 15 years ago, our holiday blend is named for the most adventurous of Hobbits.  Frodo’s Cup is a Medium roasted, full-bodied blend mixed with a delicate combination of freshly ground spices and Mexican chocolate. The aroma is delectably Christmas….  It’s the perfect accompaniment to any feast any time of year.  Splash in a bit of milk or cream — Tim’s favorite way to drink it. 

Buy some simple comfort now:  Order anytime this week, and we’ll ship your Frodo’s Cup out starting Wednesday.  Make sure you get your order in by Thursday afternoon, July 22nd or you’ll have to wait till Thanksgiving!  Available ground for drip only, to accommodate the even blending of coffee and ground spices & chocolates. Mmmm….

Quality Coffee Bringing Equality to Life

CAFE FEMENINO COFFEE PROJECT 

Launched in 2004, the Café Femenino Coffee Project is a social program for women coffee growers in rural communities around the world. The only program of its kind today, it originated in Peru with more than 450 women coffee growers from 50 communities that came together to achieve independence and equality through the production and sale of their own coffee, Café Femenino. Today, the project has expanded to six countries involving over 750 women: Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Bolivia.

This project enables women coffee producers – many of whom are trapped in a cycle of abuse and poverty – to achieve empowerment, build social and support networks, and earn incomes through harvesting and producing their own special, high-quality organic coffees.

The program asks that a portion of the proceeds from all roasters be donated to a women’s crisis organization and/or to the Café Femenino Foundation. In our case, for every pound we sell on the website the Women’s Resource Center in Astoria will receive $1.00.

SOME INDUSTRY STATISTICS

• Coffee is the second largest traded commodity in the world next to oil.

• Approximately 75 percent of the world’s coffee is grown by approximately 25 million small coffee farmers working on just one to five acres of land. 30% of these farmers are women.

• Specialty coffee is one of the highest profile products in the North American market today.

• Thirty percent of the women that produce Café Femenino have been abandoned or are widows.

The initial Café Femenino coffee project was created in Peru through the vision and support of an alliance of organizations: Organic Products Trading Company developed the project for the CECANOR cooperative, along with the direction of Proassa and Cicap. The pre-financing for this project was provided by Cordaid.

Café Femenino Coffee Project: Order some today!

Photos courtesy of Cafe Femenino

We ended up loading about 55 big boxes, mostly children’s books and National Geographics, onto their truck last Saturday.  Aarlie was gracious and loving, and when I thanked her for her work in this world, she said, “You know, the more we do this, the more we realize that nobody ever does anything alone.” 

Aarlie pointed to a small stack of books in a nearly empty box, maybe 12 thin children’s books.  This is what they have in probably the entire village school in the way of books. Their goal was to send a 20 foot container of reading material.  They’re now planning on a 40 foot one!  We’ll post more pictures when the container of books is delivered.  Take a look at the other projects they’re working on in the region by clicking here. That’s Aarlie with the white hair in the middle of the home page photo.

“It is amazing the stuff they find to read. I gave a night security guard a copy of a Harry Potter book and he painstakingly read for hours at a time. Another person found some old newspapers (20 years old) in the trash and was reading them. That was when I knew that any kind of decent reading material would be devoured by those who can read (even just a little).”   The base for New Guinea Traders green coffee and Larry & Aarlie, is in Centralia, Washington.

Thanks to our drop points across the county:  Three Cups Coffee House, Lucy’s Books, Astoria and Seaside Public Libraries, Cannon Beach Book Co, and Jump Start Java in Longview for being so willing to join in the effort.  Thanks to Cindy Lee of the Friends of the Astoria Library for culling about 8 boxes after their sale, and to Rodney Williams of Ocean Park for loading and delivering 48 years of National Geographics! and about 20 years of Smithsonians  (and to Friends of the Timberland Library for getting him in touch with us), and to all who brought books in!  Knowledge is power.

Thanks, hugely, to Aarlie and Larry Hull, for initiating this and all their projects in Papua, New Guinea.  They are the window to that part of the world for us, creating this opportuinty for us all to help.  They may be doing this again.  We’ll keep you posted.  Think Globally, Act Locally! 

Melissa's hallow'ed handiwork - come taste the festivity....