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 Where has the time gone? It's hard for some of the Peace Crew to believe, but it's been 15 years since we started this grand experiment called Peace Coffee! You can read more about this auspicious anniversary and catch up on all our activities in Lee's 2011 Year in Review. And we've got some great news... Bolivian is back to brighten us up and take some of the sting out of the cold winter months. Also in the issue, Andrew talks about the recent IATP Conference in his State of the Plate and we preview the Minnesota Winter Wonderland Art Show taking place January 28th through February 29th at the Peace Coffee shop at Wonderland Park. Warm up with a steaming hot mug of Peace Coffee and read on...   Once again it's been a busy year here at Peace Coffee, so busy that we barely noticed an important anniversary — we've been busy for 15 years now! Fifteen years ago, we started with just an improbable idea — that we could make the coffee trade one that improved the livelihoods of people all along the supply chain. We continue to be inspired by that goal and continue to find new ways to make trade more fair, direct, and transparent.While much has changed since the mid-90s, our commitment to the farmers who grow the coffee has not. Fifteen years ago, fair trade certification didn't exist in the U.S. and, among coffee growers, the idea had barely spread beyond its origins in Central America and Mexico. Now that idea has spread around the world and to supermarket shelves, and we continue to engage in the ever-evolving dialogue about how to make those developments continue to serve the small-scale producers who begun the movement. Read on...    January is a month of new beginnings, a month collectively set aside for resolutions and promises of brighter, better futures. The visions of sugarplums (whatever those actually look like) that have danced in our heads all holiday season seem decadent now; even though the winter chill hasn't subsided, our palates crave something new, something brighter.The Bolivian coffee that our roasting team is proud to unveil this month fits the bill perfectly. It's as bright as the sun off the icicles outside with a delicate body that moves lightly across the tongue. Head Roaster Derek's notes from the lab are effusive about the layers of complexity in the cup: tasting the brew as it cools from piping hot, the cup reveals a range of shades of citrus from marmalade to the oranges from navel to mandarins that fill the fruit bowl this time of year. We've been eagerly awaiting these beans for months, and we're not disappointed! Exceptional quality isn't an accident — before you grind your beans, take a moment to notice how perfectly formed they are (in the words of our Quality Control team, “A very pretty coffee”), the result of careful picking, sorting and processing all the way to the roastery. The pleasing blend of tart and sweet flavors have lead to comparisons to a good green apple — just right to get you going in the morning with a caramel roll. It's currently the elixir of choice propelling the bike delivery squad across the frozen tundra and keeping them warm all day long. Most of our staff have dubbed it their current favorite coffee, which means that the bags we have won't last long.   Ok, so I’m going to lose points on "original title" this month as I stole the title of this piece from a conference IATP hosted last week, but sometimes the collection of certain words in a certain order speak so well to your thoughts they simply mustn’t be rearranged. So, what has IATP been doing to address the “state of the plate?” I’m glad you asked.Last week, we gathered more than 300 people, many of them health professionals, food activists and community members, to talk about the food system’s effect on public health. The highlight was hearing Dr. Kelly Brownell — internationally renowned obesity expert — speak as the keynote. I was also fortunate to have the opportunity to sit down with him for a short video interview about his talk and stance on combating the obesity epidemic. For more, see Ben Lilliston’s recap of the event on the IATP blog. Obesity and its increasing prevalence is definitely not new to the national conversation around food. A relatively new contender for the food community’s attention, nanotechnology, is surfacing again as IATP, along with five other groups, have entered into a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Association (FDA) for a failure to regulate nanoparticles. For a refresher on what nanotech is, and why it’s finding its way to your plate, read my commentary, “Waiter, There’s a Newfangled Technology in my Soup.” For more on the lawsuit, check out Steve Suppan’s report on IATP’s blog. More FDA-related news this month as the agency has announced a ban on unapproved uses of a class of critically important human antibiotics — cephalosporins — in food animals. The news, while a victory in the fight to protect the effectiveness of antibiotics and human health, still left much to be desired. Read my summary on Think Forward for more on the ban and why the FDA’s work isn’t over on antibiotics and farm animals. Andrew Ranallo is the Communications Associate at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. He finally signed up for the mastering coffee at home class at the Peace Coffee Shop in February and is excited to proselytize his friends and family on how to make a good cup of coffee.   Wood-cut Print Show by Artist Carye Bye/Red Bat PressJanuary 28th through February 29th Artist's Opening Reception, Saturday, January 28, 4-7pm Peace Coffee - 3262 Minnehaha Ave S, Minneapolis Minnesota-born & raised, but now based in Portland, Oregon, artist Carye Bye of Red Bat Press is thrilled to return to her hometown to share her latest work. It's a collection of prints inspired by childhood memories of Minnesota winters, her parents’ love of skiing, and watching her nephew play in the snow. Stop by on Saturday January 28th to meet the artist and maybe get a few hand-printed valentines for your sweetie(s). The Minnesota Winter Wonderland prints will be on view at Peace Coffee until the end of February.  "Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face." ~ Victor Hugo Peace News is a monthly publication from the crew at Peace Coffee. ph 612-870-3440 ph 888-324-7872 fax 612-252-1821 info@peacecoffee.com Upcoming events and other fun stuff: Like us on Facebook & follow us on Twitter |
