 No, the Peace Coffee crew doesn't think work is a grind. Quite the opposite, in fact. We revel in what we do to further social justice in the world. Rather, the grind is a part of our work, grinding our beans to make the most delicious coffee imaginable. And it's something we do for play, as in the Peace Coffee Grind at the the NSC Velodrome. Read about it in this month's Peace Spokes. Also in this issue, you can read about the unveiling of our cool custom contraption at the Minnesota State Fair, an introduction to Minnesota Oxfam Action, a new Roaster's Corner and a Crafty Corner featuring a totally cool burlap sun hat. We mix play and work all the time at Peace Coffee. In fact, Stacy, Meagan and Lee are in Peru right now visiting the Pangoa Cooperative. We're promoting our coffee as part of Eat Local America month (big shout out to the National Cooperative Grocers Association, the organizers of this event). We've also just started tweeting for the cause -- follow us on Twitter. We'll keep you up to date on some fun events and turn you on to new things and experiences. Grab a Peace Coffee, read on and enjoy...   This year at the Minnesota State Fair we are excited to unveil the ultimate cheese curd fat burner: a custom-fabricated, bicycle-powered coffee grinder! Pedal power alone spins the burrs of this coffee grinder, producing the perfect grind to brew a delicious cup of our Guatemalan Dark Roast on the spot. Pedal Power is the theme of our booth this year and, once caffeinated, fair goers can explore the global and local sides of our business. Check out our bike delivery trailer to find out how many trees it saved/hugged while hauling beans to our local accounts (a small forest of 178 last year!). Get a quick, carbon-free tour of coffee growers with Map My Beans, an interactive guide to the faces behind your morning cup. And, if all that’s a bit much, hop back into the saddle to grind another round of coffee for your friends! You can find us and the infamous bike powered coffee grinder, every day of the fair, from 9am to 9pm at the Eco Experience in the Progress Building. (Back to Headlines)    August 29th & 30th Races start at 6:30 PM each night The National Sports Center Velodrome is bringing top cycling talent from around the region to Blaine for two days of track cycling as part of the 2nd Annual Peace Coffee Grind. Racers will compete in teams of 2, with one racer in the race at all times. Teammates throw their partner into the race using high-speed hand slings. The Peace Coffee Grind brings Minnesota’s rich cycling history screaming into the present. In 1896, Minneapolis hosted the first international 6-day bicycle race. The Peace Coffee Grind brings that race format back to the National Sports Center Velodrome. Want a taste of the action? Watch the highlights from the 2009 MN State Madison Championship: http://blip.tv/file/2464893. For more info: http://www.nscsports.org/velo. (Back to Headlines)   Peace Coffee will be joined at the MN State Fair by our friends from the Minnesota Oxfam Action Corp. They are a local volunteer group, affiliated with Oxfam America, working with a dozen other action corps across the United States to fight for equitable solutions to climate change. Volunteers with the Oxfam Action Corp lead a coordinated charge to improve national legislation and deepen local community resources for fighting poverty and injustice. At the fair they will be sharing information on Oxfam’s efforts in making trade fair and in helping those hit worst by natural disasters. If you are interested in learning more about the OAC or joining in their monthly meetings please contact them at minnesota@oxfamactioncorps.org. (Back to Headlines)  Sue Murphy, Peace Coffee's crafter extraordinaire, is always up for challenge, which is what this burlap sun hat turned out to be. Instead of using a jute bag she chose to use one of our stiffer bags made from the fibrous fique plant. This was a great choice for the brim part because it helps keep the appropriate shape for a sun hat. She then put a soft canvas band inside the hat so that the tougher material wouldn’t irritate the skin. This is a first rendition of the hat, which we think is quite flawless, but Sue has already begun making improvements on the next version. In the meantime, Anna Canning, one of our "roasting cowgirls," can be found modeling this stellar sun hat while she roasts and packages coffee in our roastery.
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