Community
Community
Pedaling Peace Coffee Since Day One
Peace Coffee and bikes go way back together. We actually started bike delivering our coffee before we could afford our own roasting machine, but two roasters and a few delivery vans later, bikes remain central to what we do. We ride to work, we ride for work, & sometimes we ride for fun after work—in short, we collectively spend a lot of time in the saddle. Cycling Is How We Roll One of the most sought-after jobs in the company is bike delivery—lots of people want to pedal beans for us, and we’ve gotten all sorts of applications, highlighting the super powers and strong legs required to do the job. We have two full- and one part-time bike delivery rider each hauling an average of 1800-2500+ pounds and clock around 70 miles per week. A small fleet of custom-made trailers from Bikes At Work (out of Ames, Iowa) helps us tow the load—one advantage to such a wide load is that cars will often give you a little extra room! The weight limit for each trailer is 400 lbs. (about as much as a piano, for reference.) As for the weather, there seems to be no obstacle too great to prevent our bikers from getting coffee to our accounts: un-plowed streets, snow banks, ice, and extreme heat– no problem! If anything, the harsh winter days often mean our delivery bikes get the trails all to themselves. Our Bike Racing Team In addition to being an integral part of our distribution system, we also give love to bikes by sponsoring our own bike racing team. Currently numbering just over 40 people, we’ve been supporting (and caffeinating!) the team since 2006. Members of all ages, genders and abilities compete in a range of events, from Mountain biking, Cyclocross, Gravel, Road, Tri, Running, and even Cross Country skiing. During the season from April-October, team members will compete in nearly 100 events—winners who place on the podium get to take home a bag of Peace Coffee in addition to their prize! In the off-season, members can be found riding and training all over the state. One of the many members of our bike racing team powering through to get to the finishline. Click here to check out their website and learn more about them and see how you can join the team. They’re always looking for fresh legs! A Bike Loving, Coffee Drinker's Dream Job Cyclist leaving our roastery to deliver our delicious, organic, and fair trade coffee all over the city. We’re proud to see the number of companies (coffee, bread, honey & others) that are delivering by bike these days—it’s long been one of our goals to demonstrate that it’s a truly sustainable delivery system, for the planet, for the business, and, most importantly, for the bikers themselves. It’s definitely a very physical job! When asked about why they do the job our bikers say “There are so many perks to this job. Starting with the obvious being outside and mingling with the city and taking in the sights during all types of seasons and weather is so amazingly beautiful. We also get free coffee, a free workout, occasional client pastries, replacement parts, the chance to work with great people, and to top it off we get paid with full benefits. Not too shabby.” To learn more about what a day in the life of a Peace Coffee bike courier is like, check out this video we made back in the day! Outstanding infrastructure & fun local bike culture make the Twin Cities a place that we’re proud to call home. We’re often out at local rides and bike events serving up the original energy drink—if you see us, stop by and say hi!
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Owamni's Food + Mano's Campesinas Coffee
The Power of Indigenous Hands In October, Miguel Mateo, a staff member from the Manos Campesinas co-op, visited our roastery in Minneapolis. If you’ve ever enjoyed our Guatemala Single Origin, you’ve had his coffee. Peace has proudly partnered with Manos Campesinas since 2000. They are our longest-term trading partner, which is one of the reasons why we wanted to make his visit extra special. So on his last night with us, we took him to the much-lauded Native American-owned restaurant Owamni, where his Guatemalan single origin is served. In the late 1800s, Guatemala began to focus on coffee as a major export. Indigenous communities had been growing coffee, but government land reforms meant that land ownership was taken from them and incorporated into large plantations. Although not all were forced to leave their communities, many were forced to work on the plantations, which had previously been in their ownership. Over time, some Indigenous people were able to buy back their lands and continue to grow coffee, and many of these farms are now owned by members of Manos Campesinas. This is a point of pride for Miguel, picking cherries when he was young and growing up on his parent’s coffee farm demonstrated to him the value and importance of land sovereignty. More than just a meal Owamni: By the Sioux Chef is the James Beard-award-winning restaurant is located near the banks of the Mississippi in downtown Minneapolis. Christina Sierra, the restaurant’s manager, explains the significance: “Owamni means ‘where the waters fall and churn together’…they’re known as St. Anthony Falls now, but they were a sacred waterfall back with our ancestors.” Owamni celebrates North American Indigenous food and cuisine, serving up modern dishes through a decolonized lens, omitting the use of colonial ingredients such as wheat flour, cane sugar, and dairy. The restaurant was founded in 2021 by the Sioux Chef, Sean Sherman. Today, it operates as a for-profit subsidiary of Sherman’s nonprofit, NATIFS (North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems). “By choosing to work with Indigenous suppliers, we’re celebrating Indigenous people from all over the world and the different industries that Indigenous people are tapped into.” — Christina Sierra Christina explains the story behind wild rice, also known as the good berry, as a way that Indigenous people serve as stewards of the land. “Before colonialism, the Anishinaabe people were in the northeast area, northern New York and Canada, and they were moving west on a spiritual trek to get to the land that would sustain them. And so when they found wild rice, they knew that this was the land that they were meant to be on.” When Owanmi looks for suppliers for the restaurant, Christina makes clear, “We work with a lot of different Indigenous purveyors that are looking to support the land.” While their focus is on North America, their menu incorporates items and goods from Indigenous purveyors around the globe, like wine from New Zealand or coffee from Miguel’s own co-op in Guatemala. We encourage everyone to visit Owamni and taste for themselves their award-winning decolonized cuisine. Check out our Instagram to see what we enjoyed on our recent visit, and book yourself a table their ASAP!
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Amir's Thanksgiving Message
Taking Time to Think By Amir Adan, Peace Coffee Social Media and Marketing Specialist My family wasn’t ever the “celebration” type. I’d be lying if I said I never celebrated Thanksgiving as a child, though—I distinctly remember a few years when my mom surprised us with chicken and mashed potatoes from KFC. But besides those rare occasions, the only observances recognized in my house were the month of Ramadan and the two Eid celebrations. My only real connection to Thanksgiving was learning about the history of American colonialism and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. I never felt like I was really missing out either. I mean, Ramadan is a time when Muslims are asked to reflect on their lot in life, give thanks for what they have, and give to those who have less—that’s close enough, right? What I’m Reflecting On Now I have loved celebrating Thanksgiving over the last handful of years with my girlfriend and her family, but I think one thing I appreciate most about the holiday is that it’s another excuse to slow down for a moment. We live in such a hard, fast-paced, sometimes unforgiving world. I’m glad I had a tradition in my culture where we were also asked to pause and reflect, but now that Thanksgiving is a part of my life, I’m glad I have another reason to stop and think. This year I can’t help but reflect on all of what has happened this last year in my personal life, with Peace Coffee as a business, our local community in Minneapolis, and our global community. At the beginning of this year, I joined Peace Coffee’s marketing team and have been having a blast since then. I’m so thankful to be working at a company made up of so many people who care so much about making a quality product produced by farmers who are paid fairly. Of course, I’m thankful that I have an amazing partner and I’m immensely grateful to her family for treating me like one of their own and always accepting me. Let’s Not Forget I would be incredibly remiss to neglect the fact that many in our backyard and around the world don’t have very fond memories of the last year. From devastating war in the Middle East, to extreme weather events and financial instability all over the world, this year has been filled with chaos. Though we should be learning about these events and thinking about them as they unfold all year round, a day like Thanksgiving is the perfect time to really give space for these events and dedicate real time to reflection on them. I invite you to reflect on what you have and what you want in life. If you are able, give to those who don’t have what you have. And be kind to your fellow humans.
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The street we call home
Celebrating the Hispanic Community of Lake Street Peace Coffee, along with countless other businesses, calls Lake Street their home. For decades Lake has been a hub for culture and business to grow and thrive. This Hispanic Heritage Month, we wanted to shine a light on the Hispanic community on Lake and share more about their contributions to the city. We reached out to the Lake Street Business Council to find out what makes Lake so special and they said, “ for generations, Lake Street has been a welcoming place for people of all cultures and backgrounds. Lake Street’s strength lies in the rich diversity of the many people who live by, work on, and visit it. Together, each person’s unique experiences make Lake Street what it is. Lake Street brings everyone together. “Lake Street wouldn’t be the same without the Hispanic community.” According to the Council, a growing number of Hispanic immigrants in the 80s and 90s started making big investments in the community. One of these ventures is a cooperative marketplace called Mercado Central at the corner of Lake and Bloomington which was started in 1997. Businesses that found their start in the market, including La Loma Tamales, Taqueria La Hacienda, and La Perla Tortillas, “remain as anchors of the Hispanic community,” and today they’re joined by, “hundreds more Hispanic-owned businesses and cornerstones of Hispanic culture that are part of Lake Street’s fabric.” When we asked the Lake Street Business Council where a newcomer to Minneapolis should drop by, they said, “ the HAVE to go to Mercado Central and Plaza Mexico! We don’t make the rules!” And we have to agree, rules are rules! I’d personally also add Pineda to the list as well, it’s right by our roastery and it’s my personal favorite lunch spot! Fave Lake St. Spots Murals and More: The Culture of Lake Street When it comes to celebrating Hispanic culture, Lake Street knows how to do it right. There are tons of events that you can join in on all year round, including the upcoming Taco Tour at various locations which is coming up on 10/21, Various Dia de Los Muertos celebrations at the end of October and beginning of November, the Cinco de Mayo Festival in May on Lake Street between 2nd Ave & Portland, Mexican Independence Day Celebrations in Mid-September at Mercado Central, on Lake Street between 2nd Ave & Portland Ave, and more! Keep an eye on visitlakestreet.com and their social media feeds for info on upcoming events! The art scene on Lake Street is another place where Hispanic culture shines. One remarkable piece is the “Ancestors” mural at La Mexicana Supermercado by Copla Murals, which is a blend of paint and mosaic that you just have to see in person to fully appreciate. You can dive deeper into Lake Street’s public art scene on the business council’s site where they have a mural tour of Lake St., including murals by Hispanic artists. Take the Mural Tour We’re honored to be surrounded by such rich culture. Peace Coffee’s roastery has been off Lake for over 20 years, and we don’t plan on leaving any time soon. Minneapolis is such a beautiful, vibrant city, and the Hispanic community is central to that beauty. We hope you remember that it’s crucial to support the Hispanic and Latinx community all year round!
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Happy Social Media Day!
Let's Get Social This Social Media Day, we want to highlight the G.O.A.T of our social accounts – Amir Adan! We picked his brain on what he loves about inspiring through social media. See Him In Action On IG What is your approach to social media? What value does it bring people? I love social media. Since I was a kid I’ve always been tuned into what’s going on online and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The entertainment, community, and education I’ve gotten on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Reddit, and others is unparalleled. I’ve made long-time friends, found amazing career opportunities, learned so much about my culture and heritage, and so much more. I think there’s a lot to be critical about with social media, and I get some of the worries that people have for sure, especially the older people in my life. I think a lot of fellow Gen Z people think that just because they were raised on the internet means that they have inherently better media literacy for some reason and I think that couldn’t be further from reality. People my age joke about people falling for silly fake news on Facebook while parroting wild misinformation from TikTok. I have always tried to cultivate those skills in myself and I think it’s important everyone has a critical eye on what they’re seeing online. Online, I try to be the most authentic version of myself I can. I think that’s the best way to be online. The ability to have an outlet where you feel free to do and say what you want and share how you truly feel is such a beautiful thing about the internet. Everyone deserves to feel open and free, but not everyone feels okay or safe doing so in real life. The internet provides the ability to find those safe spaces where you can be authentic. What is the best part of your job as a social media and marketing specialist? My favorite part about this job is that it’s creative. I have never dreamed of anything more than I have dreamed of getting to do creative work as my job. The fact that surfing TikTok and keeping up with current trends there–something I would have done either way–is a part or my job description is still bananas to me. Shooting and editing videos is so fun for me so it’s truly a dream to be doing it AND getting paid 😎 I am also a HUGE fan of my boss who definitely will not leave this part in the final version of this article. Mel, Director of Marketing for Peace Coffee, is such a fun person to work under. She embraces experimentation, which is another dream of mine to have in a job. If I have something new I want to try out, she’s right behind me giving the greenlight to give it a shot. I wouldn’t be where I am now and couldn’t be where I plan to be in the future without her taking a chance on me and giving me the space and opportunity to learn and grow in the marketing department for Peace. What do you think about AI and its impacts on marketing and social media? I picked a REALLY weird time to get a job in marketing. OpenAI’s ChatGPT started blowing up right as I was transitioning into my role, and I was dabbling with it and other AI tools a couple of months before that. I’ve always been greatly interested in and passionate about technology, and I’ve always been one to quickly adopt and integrate new technologies into my day to day, and things like ChatGPT are no exception. The way I’ve always seen it is that if I don’t quickly learn and utilize these technologies, I will fall behind. The concern about this for me, especially considering the flaws in the technology at the moment, is the overreliance of it by some. It’s one thing to drop several paragraphs of your stream-of-consciousness notes into ChatGPT and to prompt it to help make sense of it or pull out insights, but to use it to write whole articles or blog posts based on a one sentence prompt is bonkers. And it’s not only an abstract “humanness” that’s lost either. Things like transparency and accountability are at stake here too. What happens if you publish text written by a large language model and it contains bias because the training data was biased? Who is held accountable for that? AI tools are being used to churn out social media and blog content, but it’s important to scrutinize the quality and authenticity of this content. Again, I’ve always been and still am a techno-optimist, but there are definitely some red flags and big question marks in this space at the moment. In my opinion, you can not have AI generated content at the center of your creative strategy and make anything of substance. What was your first experience with social media? Technically it was Youtube. I know not everyone considers it a social media platform in the same way Facebook or twitter or instagram are, but I count it! I was in like 3rd grade and my sister eagerly came home to show us a School House Rock video she saw at school on this cool new website. From there I kept revisiting this weird website to watch random videos and eventually found creators I liked. And after some time they’d link to their Twitter accounts which got me on twitter, A little later I found reddit, too and eventually made a facebook account at 13! What is your favorite social media platform? TikTok by far! It used to be Reddit, which I’ve been using since middle school, but since the pandemic, TikTok has overtaken all other platforms by a mile. The utility, the entertainment value, the community there, it’s all unparalleled online in my opinion. Have you ever had anything go viral? What is it like? A couple of times! It’s never the stuff you think will get big. When I was new to writing, I had my own satirical news website and I had a couple of the articles I’ve written get tons of eyes on it. Beyond that, just a couple of tweets a long time ago and a couple of TikToks on my personal page. I can’t lie, the nonstop stream of notifications on your phone is an incredible rush. It’s very hard to describe the feeling, but for me it’s exhilarating especially if you’re going viral for good reasons, which luckily for me has always been the case; I can only imagine how awful it would be for the viral response to a post being overwhelmingly negative 😅. Fingers crossed I can do the same with the Peace Coffee accounts! 🤪
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Introducing Peace Plants, our new Coffeeponics Facility
UPDATE: We’re sorry to say that we won’t actually be launching our Coffeeponics farm (April Fools!). We will leave coffee farming to our incredible growers around the globe. But what is truer than ever is our commitment to the environment. During the month of April, we are partnering with Grow Ahead, to plant one coffee tree per order placed to help coffee-growing lands continue to flourish. This is in addition to our continuing work with the Climate, Carbon, and Coffee (C3) Initiative, in which we, alongside other like-minded coffee roasters, invest three cents per pound of coffee purchased back into initiatives to help farmers adapt to climate change. _____________ Here at Peace Coffee, we’ve always been about investing in our community here in Minneapolis. That’s why we’re excited to announce our coffee is becoming truly locally grown with our new Coffeeponics facility in downtown Minneapolis! Changing the game for coffee-growing Studies estimate by 2050, half of the world’s coffee-growing lands will become unsuitable for coffee due to climate change. Hydroponics has been used to grow everything from salad greens to tomatoes to marijuana year-round in colder climates. “Coffeeponics is a true game changer,” says Will Steger, Arctic explorer, and climate activist. Knowing so many downtown Minneapolis office buildings are at half-occupancy, we saw an opportunity. With thermostats already in place and sprinkler systems that can be easily retrofitted, it was the perfect fit. And the best part? Travel from our roastery to our Peace Plants facility is just under three miles–easily covered by our signature fleet of bike deliverers. Doubling down on sustainability Our first Coffeeponics farm is slated to be up and running by spring 2024–with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting tomorrow: April 1, 2023. Until then, Peace Coffee, in collaboration with Grow Ahead, will plant one tree per every order placed in April, Earth Month, to help coffee-growing lands continue to flourish. Paired with our continuing work with the Climate, Carbon, and Coffee (C3) Initiative, in which we, alongside other like-minded coffee roasters, invest three cents per pound of coffee purchased back into initiatives to help farmers adapt to climate change. We’re excited to usher in a new era for coffee-growing, right here in our hometown. Earth Loving Coffees New! Compostable Pods – Birchwood Rated 5.00 out of 5 Toasty & Balanced $15 – $84 Add to Cart New! Compostable Pods – Tree Hugger Rated 5.00 out of 5 Nutty & Adventurous $15 – $84 Add to Cart Tree Hugger Rated 4.99 out of 5 Nutty & Adventurous $15 – $85 Add to Cart
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Committed To Sustainability
Climate change’s impact on coffee Studies estimate that by 2050, half of the world’s coffee-growing lands will become unsuitable for coffee due to climate change. That could spell disaster for the nearly $70 billion industry that over 150 million people depend on in some way or another. Climate change’s impact has been seen for decades in coffee-growing countries. It affects every point in the process: from the time it takes coffee trees to fruit, to changing harvests, to all-out decimation from catastrophic rains and other extreme weather events. Coming together to combat climate change At Peace Coffee, we’ve made strategic decisions to put people and planet over profit to create a viable ecosystem for coffee farmers and their lands. Every day farmers across the globe face challenges that can often make or break their entire growing season. One way small-scale farmers can confront the challenges presented by climate change is through growing cooperatives. Cooperatives empower farmers to have a voice in the supply chain and gain access to knowledge and resources to adapt their farming techniques to environmental changes. Cooperatives also provide premiums for quality, organic and fair trade certification that enable farmers to purchase efficient modern equipment, composting tools, and the development of model farms to promote farmer-to-farmer learning. We’ve invested over $50k to help farmers fight climate change We formed the Climate, Carbon, and Coffee Initiative with other like-minded coffee roasters in 2017. We invest 3¢ from each pound of coffee purchased to local initiatives to help farmers adapt to climate change. Some of C3’s projects include replanting abandoned plots to create test farms and conferences for farmers to exchange new tools and techniques. “A rich cup of coffee is one of life’s little pleasures, but it will become more difficult and expensive to obtain in the near future. Coffee is among the crops under threat from climate change.” — Elizabeth Shapiro-Garza, Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment “An extensive study published in January found that 60% of wild coffee species — or 75 of 124 plants — are at risk of extinction.” — Science Advances Lessening our impact here at home We pioneered large-scale bicycle delivery in the Twin Cities over 25 years ago, and still two-wheel deliver 50% of our coffee locally. We roast our coffee inside The Greenway Building which uses solar power and geothermal heat, reclaimed materials, and its central location limits transport distance for local deliveries. On a larger scale, we’re always looking for new ways to cut our carbon footprint. We recently switched to intermodal transit for our green coffee which uses a combination of transport options, saving nearly 300,000 pounds of carbon emissions each year. This reduces our inbound footprint by 60%. We compost or recycle the majority of waste from our roastery. We also support local climate change advocacy and awareness efforts by supporting amazing organizations like Climate Generation, Grow Ahead, and Save the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. A group effort We encourage you to explore what you can do to fight climate change, too. Start today by purchasing organically grown products that restore the land rather than taking precious nutrients and expelling excess carbon. Be mindful of your consumption, take more walks and fewer drives, educate yourself on the issues, and support organizations that are doing essential work locally and globally to help us take back our planet and keep its future bright for our farmers across the globe and our neighbors here at home. References How Climate Change is Killing Coffee – Knowledge@Wharton, Feb 2019 High extinction risk for wild coffee species and implications for coffee sector sustainability – Science Advances, Jan 2019 Global Warming Is Helping to Wipe Out Coffee in the Wild – New York Times, Jan 2019 Your Morning Cup of Coffee Is in Danger. Can the Industry Adapt in Time? – Time Magazine, June 2018 A Brewing Storm- The Climate Change Risks to Coffee – The Climate Institute, Sept. 2016 reusable recommendations 12 oz MiiR MPR Camp Mug Rated 5.00 out of 5 $25 Add to Cart 16 oz Klean Kanteen Tumbler With Straw Rated 5.00 out of 5 $25 Add to Cart Coffee Characters Tote $18 Add to Cart
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Black Owned Business with Peace Coffee
3 Local Black-Owned Businesses to Support Year-Round I am a Black, first generation Somali-American, and Minnesota native, and I’m proud to call the Twin Cities my home. Growing up here has taught me firsthand the power of community and I’ve seen how people can come together through art, activism, and entrepreneurship. That is why for Black History Month this year, I wanted to highlight three local Black-owned businesses that share Peace Coffee’s values of individuality and community in the Twin Cities and are cornerstones to many. Sometimes a place of business goes the extra mile and transcends just simply being a business. They become gathering places, safe spaces, and hubs. I think Du Nord Social Spirits, Lutunji’s Palate, and 36th Lyn Refuel Station are three spots that meet that mark and they all serve our coffee (lucky us!). Du Nord Social Spirits Du Nord opened in 2013 and was the first Black-owned distillery in the United States, a fact so surprising to me that I Googled it three times just now. Founder Chris Montana, formerly a successful lawyer, started his business out of a love of his craft. After a self-described messy start where he mostly lived at the distillery for a couple of years, Du Nord finally found their footing. But running a business is never smooth sailing and Du Nord is no exception. When the pandemic hit in 2020 they quickly pivoted from making spirits to producing hand sanitizer. And following the murder of George Floyd they created the Du Nord Foundation which addresses racial inequities in the Twin Cities —all with an eye toward economic justice. Their commitment to reinvesting in their community is massively important to Peace Coffee and me personally having been born in Minneapolis. And even though I don’t drink alcohol, I’ve been told their products are awesome, especially the Cafe Frieda which uses one of my favorite coffees, our Yeti Cold Brew, as its base! Photo credit: Twin Cities Business Magazine Lutunji’s Palate Another local business that embodies Black excellence is the incredible Lutunji’s Palate. Peach cobbler in hand, Lutunji Abram was sharing a vision of a school she developed with her organization for teen parents with Pastor Jeff Cowmeadow. After tasting her dessert and remarking that she should be selling them, the idea for Lutunji’s Palate was born. The pastor offered her a commercial kitchen and the support she needed to get her dream off the ground, and the rest is Black History. Photo Credit: Eater Twin Cities Located in the heart of Minneapolis, Abrems’ gourmet desserts are crafted with love and with the community in mind. Lutunji never lost sight of her vision to help young people who have fallen on hard times when she started her bakery. She employs folks returning back to society after incarceration, offering them a chance to find community and learn skills to aid in their transition into the world. Her organization–born from that meeting with the legendary peach cobbler–Voices for Effective Change is still active today and offers services to the community from transportation to doctor’s appointments and practice job interviews, to help with college applications and resources to connect those in need to emergency food programs. 36th Lyn Refuel Station When it comes to community-minded business, nobody does it quite like 36th Lyn Refuel Station. The independently-owned innovative convenience store has called Minneapolis home for over 10 years and specializes in elevating the convenience store experience with locally sourced, higher quality products at an affordable price. Their commitment to quality is unending. Along with their freshly brewed specialty coffee, you can even find fresh fruit, local eggs, and organic and fair trade snacks, an unfortunate rarity in the convenience store world, especially in the Cities. Lonnie McQuirter, owner of the South Minneapolis gas station since taking over after his father fell ill, goes above and beyond in every sense. 36 Lyn Refuel Station shows a constant desire to stay ahead of the curve, making them the first gas station in the metro to have electric car charging stations and one of the first DC charging stations in Minnesota altogether. They also have been committed to giving back, hosting neighborhood events, employing BIPOC staff, and hiring BIPOC businesses for store maintenance and improvements. Photo Credit: Star Tribune As Black History Month comes to a close, I think it’s important to remember that supporting Black-owned businesses is a year-round commitment. And even more importantly, we can’t limit conversations around racial justice and Black empowerment to a single month of the year. Du Nord Social Spirits, Lutunji’s Palate, and 36th Lyn Refuel Station are just three examples of the many Black-owned businesses that are driving change and uplifting our community. As we head into the rest of 2023, let’s continue to honor the legacy of Black excellence, community, and entrepreneurship by supporting these Black-owned businesses and the many others in the Twin Cities in a meaningful and sustained way throughout the year.
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A Barista’s Guide to World Cinema
While I’ve spent most of my career as a barista, barista trainer, and all-around coffee nerd, my first job was at the movie rental mega chain Blockbuster Video, a statement that I’m told both “explains a lot about me” and ages me terribly. I will never forget one of my earlier customer interactions there. A man asked me if I knew of anything ‘interesting and novel’ that had come out recently. I began to direct him towards a French film that had just come out on video and he replied “let me stop you right there. I don’t go in for foreign films. We Americans are genetically predisposed towards movie-making”. His statement will forever haunt me, both for how nonsensical it was (genetically predisposed? really?) and for how sad and small this man’s world was. America consists of only 6% of the world’s landmass and 4% of the world’s population. To say that no one outside these borders can make a good movie is preposterous. One of the greatest powers of cinema is the ability to experience the world through different eyes, and personally, I can’t imagine limiting myself to only hearing the stories of my fellow Americans. Still though, as different as the lives are of people from around the world, their stories resonate with my experiences a lot of the time. In our differences, we can experience our similarities. As a coffee pro, here are a few films from around the world that really speak to me: From Spain Volver (2006, Spain, dir. Pedro Almodóvar) Spain’s Pedro Almodóvar is a treasure. His films are equal parts well-written intellectual fare and trashy sexy fun. It’s tough to pick one of them among his long and storied career, but as a hospitality professional, I admire the gumption of Volver’s Raimunda (played by Penelope Cruz) for both deciding on a whim to open a restaurant in a closed space without anyone’s permission, and for her gumption to store her dead abusive husband’s corpse in the restaurant’s chest freezer. From France Amélie (2001, France, dir Jean-Pierre Jeunet) One of the greatest joys of working in a coffee shop is getting to know your regulars and being a small part of their lives and all their weird interpersonal dramas. Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s sparkling magical comedy captures this beautifully as its title character experiences bits of her regulars’ lives (and meddles with them) by serving them at the Montmartre café “Les Deux Moulins”. Also a perfect romantic watch for Valentine’s day. From Ireland The Commitments (1991, Ireland, dir. Alan Parker) Many baristas harbor dreams and ambitions of being writers, actors, or in the case of yours truly, musicians. Hundreds of movies have been made about musicians and their struggles, but most of them are about the famous and successful ones. The Commitments perfectly captures what it feels like to be in a band that likely will never make it big, and one where your bandmates are mentally unwell idiots you can’t stand, but where the joy of performance outshines all those drawbacks. From Japan Howl’s Moving Castle (2004, Japan, dir Hayao Miyazaki) One of the great pains and also great joys of working in coffee service is witnessing your customers come in as giant grumps, sleepy and stressed, and seeing the simple act of kindness of giving them breakfast and coffee turn them into gentle and caring human beings. There’s more to Miyazaki’s animated masterpiece than that (fire demons! animated turnip-head men! air-to-air combat!) but the protagonist’s acts of care —including cooking an amazing-looking breakfast— for the perpetually grouchy wizard Howl are what really hit hard for me. From China Chungking Express (1994, Hong Kong, dir. Wong Kar Wai) No one does grand romantic longing quite like Wong Kar Wai, and there’s plenty of romantic longing in the service industry world. Every barista I know has had at least one “crushtomer” at some point in their career, and Chunking Express is the movie that dares ask “what if you and your crushtomer actually got together?” From Canada Bon Cop Bad Cop (2006, Canada, dir Éric Canuel) I’m gonna level with you here, there’s no coffee connection to this movie. I include this purely because for so so many people the idea of “foreign cinema” is “slow-paced arthouse stuff that’s gonna make me think serious thoughts”. While this is true about some of it, it’s not true about all of it. People in other countries also love turning their brain off and watching big dumb action movies, and nothing quite drives this home like Bon Cop Bad Cop. A hockey executive is found dead with his body straddling the Ontario / Québec border, so a by-the-book Anglophone detective from Toronto and a loose canon Francophone detective from Montréal need to team up to solve the crime. There are explosions, there are car chases, and there is a detailed explanation of how to cuss in Québécois French. It’s amazing. More Film Reviews By Jackson Jackson’s Holiday Movie Guide
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Food (and coffee) is Connection
I’m Jessica and I am a recipe developer for my site, Real Food with Jessica. Even though I love food and exploring new recipes, that love hasn’t always come easily. I’d like to remind you what I’ve had to re-learn myself: Food is so much more than the calories it holds. It brings people together, connects you to a loved one you miss, holds memories and comfort, and isn’t something that needs to be restricted. So often, New Year’s Resolutions tie into the consumption of food. We’re told that your life will improve if you go on a diet, cut out foods, and start exercising. But I want to encourage you to be gentle with yourself. Being gentle with myself As someone who dealt with an eating disorder for many years, I’ve had to retrain my brain on how to think about food and how to have a healthier approach. I have some foods eliminated from my diet, but that is because I don’t tolerate them, not for reasons of weight loss or management. After years of being restricted and reintroducing, I’m in a great place with balance. The need for balance around these ideas came into clearer focus after my mom’s passing. My mom spent a huge part of her life caught up in diet culture- wanting to lose weight, yo-yo dieting, and struggling with food. She was healthy in the aspect that she loved to move her body: dance, swimming, biking, and rollerblading were some of her favorite things. She had no health issues until she was diagnosed with breast cancer. I miss my mom for who she was as a person, not her weight. I wish she didn’t waste all those years worrying about her body and just loving herself for who she was. I am determined to not have this approach to life as a mom. I don’t want my daughter to see these same patterns. I want her to know that bodies are amazing no matter the size and you have more to offer the world than just your body. We have one life and one body, don’t spend it trying to constantly change yourself. My message to my daughter (and to you!) Make a New Year’s Resolution only if you want to. If you feel best getting back to a regular workout routine, making a focus to eat more vegetables, or drinking less alcohol, that’s great, but don’t do it because you “should” or because it seems like everyone else is. So with the new year here and lots of focus on weight loss and body shaming, I hope you lean into self-love and remember that body size is not an indicator of health. And if you’d like to make a resolution, here are some non-weight related ones: Read more Volunteer more Make one new recipe a month Declutter/organize Learn a new skill- guitar, knitting, pottery, etc Drink more water I hope you’re enjoying a cup of Peace Coffee as you start the New Year, and here are two of my go-to breakfast recipes for you to try, a tasty coffee cake and a savory BLT bake! “I have been creating recipes for 8 years. I discovered Peace Coffee years ago at my local health food store. The fun packaging caught my eye and the fact that it’s fair trade and organic sealed the deal since those things are important to me when choosing coffee. The taste hooked me and I’ve continued to buy it and try all the varieties. I’m looking forward to creating some tasty recipes with their coffee!” — Jessica DeMay Jessica's Favorite Brews Steeped Coffee Bag – Variety Pack Rated 5.00 out of 5 From Bright to Bold $10 Add to Cart Decaf Morning Glory Rated 4.98 out of 5 Mild & Comforting $17 – $90 Add to Cart Birchwood Rated 4.97 out of 5 Toasty & Balanced $15 – $85 Add to Cart
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Seek Balance
As we approach our third Thanksgiving holiday of the global pandemic, this year seems a bit more precarious than others before it. Over the past 33 months, I’m sure you’ve had the same thrill of a rickety wooden roller coaster of emotions from week to week, day to day, or even hour to hour, that I have. Based on where you get your news, each pandemic phase has been a journey to everything from grief, to hope, and beyond only to traipse back through it all and try to find where you might’ve dropped your favorite mask along the way. Which brings my thoughts to balance…obviously. One of the hottest commodities of the past three years aside from toilet paper and baking yeast; balance is all the rage. The wisest people I’ve been listening to and learning from since trying to bake bread, knit a stocking cap, and make a cool-yet-unassuming virtual background all in the span of a week, have been touting the benefits of balanced living. It’s Not That Easy The trouble is, they all make it sound so simple. Do this one thing 15 minutes a day or incorporate one new ritual in your life and you will finally achieve the holy grail of being able to talk about balance on social media! It remains a hard concept to grasp, let alone know where to start when actually trying to bring it into my own life with two kids under 5, a middle schooler, a hyper-habitual home coffee addiction, and a world with new horrors showing daily. But recently, I started thinking about balance in a new way. Not as something that will magically happen to me if I check certain boxes in my day or get my children to sleep on time, but rather as something more active that I need to try and create space for amongst the void of my Instagram feed and tens of hundreds of other pings and buzzes vying for my attention. Doing Less Seems Best In fact, finding balance has proven to be less about what I do and more about what I do not do. Part of what has helped this process has been the removal of a certain we-do-this-because-we’ve-always-done-this–ness since the beginning of the pandemic; which–admittedly–has done some of the heavy lifting for me. The key has been trying to take a bit of space to pause and reflect on what I could be doing less of so that I have room to notice what I can add to my life to create balance. As with most things, coffee helps. I’ve noticed–especially since 2020– that taking stock in the few things you can control will help you let some of the other tough things move a little more freely through your life. Enter my 3-5 minutes of calm before (okay, sometimes in the midst of) my day gets filled with little voices and dings from my devices. Slow Down & Smell The Coffee The ritual of making coffee every morning, filling a mug, and taking a second to pause and stare out my kitchen window while the steam warms my cheeks and the aroma triggers a dopamine release in my brain can be a healing, restorative practice. I encourage you to try it next time you make coffee…really soak in the magic bean water that keeps you safely strapped in the coaster–happily taking in the views and enjoying the ride. So, as the holiday week rolls on and you busy yourself with meal plans, shopping plans, family plans, rest plans, or even whether or not to make plans, remember this: after the ups and downs, stops and starts, and stay or go-s of the past few years, it will likely do you good to slow down and pull back from what everyone else is saying and listen inward. Follow what you know might give you a grounded sense of self and the confidence to keep it.
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A Peace Of My Mind
Peace Coffee depends on goods and services that move along a cooperative chain spanning the globe. Valuing people and planet over profit means we exist to produce coffee that not only tastes good, but does good in the world. A by-product of this is the opportunity to use our collective voice to advocate for the values we hold dear. With deep ties to the fair trade and organic movement, equity has always been at the center of our business. And after last week’s Supreme Court decision, equity is being challenged here at home as well, so we’re again adding our voice to the conversation. Fair treatment for humans throughout the supply chain is one of our strongest core beliefs — and one of the main reasons we have seen so much progress in the farming cooperatives we purchase from. From paying fair prices for coffee to the conviction that long-term trading relationships are the best way we can have real impact on farming communities, we hold fast to the ideal that what we do and how we do it can effect lasting change. Over 25 years in business, Peace Coffee has witnessed grave injustice— from corrupt governments creating harsh conditions for our farmer partners or ‘coyotes’ —local coffee buyers preying on desperate farmers— trying to undercut our contracts and offering bad deals. But throughout, we have advocated for the voices in our caffeinated world and their rights. We provide farming communities with funds to improve operations through the Carbon, Climate, and Coffee Initiative. We purposefully leave the choice of how to use these funds up to them. They know their land, their neighbors, and the real challenges impacting their community more than we could ever hope to–they decide what to do based on what will be best for their communities in the long term. We come into these conversations with farmers from a place of great privilege. And in advocating and acting for equal access to the opportunity to thrive, our success is bound up with theirs. Their concerns are ours, and vice-versa. And now, the rights of people here at home are under attack. The past week has been a challenge— one we cannot shy away from. As a women-led, queer-owned company, this is a threatening time in our history, but one we are ready and willing to face just as we have faced similar trials with our partners across the globe. As we struggle for the rights and values that our farmer partners hold dear, we also support organizations in our own backyard, groups that work toward goals in harmony with our global view of dignity and equity for all. Fundamental to Peace Coffee and the folks behind the beans is the truth that when the rights of anyone are challenged or threatened, we must use our voice and everything else at our disposal to help the cause. Just as we’ve advocated for fair trade with farmers and care for our planet through organic farming and sustainable climate practices and policy, we see equal rights for all as one of the most pressing issues of this moment. We must work for good here at home — it goes hand-in-hand with our support of equality in farming communities around the globe. Our full support of securing the right to a safe abortion is a small yet essential stance to help combat the power grab that we’ve seen from the Supreme Court over the past week. Sparked by last week’s unprecedented decision, this week (and this time of year going forward), Peace Coffee pledges our support and will amplify the voices of organizations fighting for equal rights, equal access, and justice for marginalized people in our home community. This year, we are partnering with Gender Justice, a St. Paul-based nonprofit that envisions a world where everyone can thrive regardless of gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation. Step by step, they’re creating that world by dismantling legal, structural, and cultural barriers that contribute to gender inequity. They work to ensure people of all genders have a meaningful right to bodily autonomy, safety, health, and opportunity. Peace Coffee is donating 50 percent of this week’s profits to Gender Justice and its continued advocacy for reproductive rights and justice truly for all, which is paramount to the world we also envision. And just like the challenges we’ve come together to overcome at origin, we hold unwavering hope that a better world is possible. With your help, we will effect change to make the world a more just, peaceful place to live for everyone, from the mountainous coffee-growing regions of Peru to the neighborhood streets of Minneapolis we call home. As always, we are grateful for your support! -Lee Wallace, Peace Coffee Owner & CEO
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A Bold Story
Melanee Meegan, our Director of Marketing, shares a story about her experience volunteering with our B Corp Month featured nonprofit partner, Bolder Options.
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Choose To B Better
As a B Corporation, Peace Coffee is committed to holding ourselves to the highest standard of social, environmental, and vocational responsibility.
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We Are Connected: Thanksgiving 2021
We Are Connected In an age where time with others is a precious commodity–not entered into lightly–it’s hard to think that for so long, we took it for granted. We didn’t have to think twice about seeing the ones we love; it was natural and easy–a given. For the past 21 months, we’ve retrained our instincts to ask questions, think about the places we’ve been, and calculate risk in a certainly unprecedented way. That has completely wrecked and rebuilt my appreciation for and understanding of connection. From its most elementary definition, all of life is connection–beginning anew each morning. We are connected to the earth that we walk on; we are connected to the rhythms of nature and our bodies; we are connected to our world’s natural resources; we are connected to people that built our homes, grew our food, and stocked the shelves of our local grocer. The depth of connection is just beginning, and you’re not even out of your house yet. Millions Of Meanings Morning connection is a huge part of life for all of us, as it sets the tone for the day ahead. If you’re like me, my day doesn’t always begin with acknowledging the deep connections I have to be grateful for. When my feet hit the floor at 5 am, I’m headed to pick my toddler up from the crib and deliver him to the real connector of our household, his Mother. And from that moment, our mornings tend to spin out of control, and I can easily lose the sense of connectedness that I wish I were more mindful of. After that initial stumble through the scant morning light to my child’s room, coffee habitually and harmoniously enters my mind. Even the thought perks my senses and relieves the early aches of the semi-sleep from the night before. And altogether at once, coffee and its long string of connections present itself. Without the hundreds of hands that touch coffee before it enters the filter of my brewer, I would likely live my life in an even more disconnected way. Coffee has a sense of grounding my morning and setting my mind straight for what’s ahead. And to think of how deeply coffee is connected to my own little world, I can’t even begin to imagine its meaning for farmers, roasters, cafes, retailers, and the millions of people involved in the coffee industry. Grounded In Coffee As the pandemic hit and a lot of us were able to peek behind the curtain to see what matters to our world–our corner of the coffee industry remained relatively stable. Don’t get me wrong; there are myriad issues affecting coffee farming families, coffee farming communities, and coffee farming in general that suffered incredible, devastating effects from the pandemic. But because of the way we’ve laid the groundwork of our business for 25 years, our supply was solid, the transportation was mostly effective, and farmers still ended up selling Peace Coffee record amounts of green coffee at fair prices with the promise of reinvestment in their communities from the Climate, Carbon, and Coffee project. I’m not saying that our way is the only way, or the best way, or the way that makes perfect connections that are beneficial, but I do know that the heart of what we do is about true connection: Connection to the earth through purchasing only organic coffee. Connection to our farmer-partners through paying fair wages for their coffee and forming long-term trading relationships (some as long as 20 years!). Connection to our staff that have been the hands of our operation in the most challenging of our 25 years. Connection to you, our customers that depend on quality coffee, roasted with love, to be mixed with hot water and poured into a favorite mug to make each day a little better. Connection with our community, as we seek to support equity in our neighborhood and uplift organizations doing essential work around the clock to make us all better. The next time you drink a mug of Peace Coffee, whether during your morning cook-a-thon or your piece of pumpkin pie after the meal, pause to appreciate the connection in your cup. It’s not without great work that the coffee made it there, and we are so grateful that you play a huge role in helping us deeply connect with our pocket of the world.
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A Coffee Unicorn
Celebrating 20 years working at Peace Coffee with our Marketing Director, Melanee Meegan.
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Black Lives Matter
Peace Coffee, as a business and a group of concerned humans, stands against racial injustice and inequality of any kind. Our commitment to fair, ethical treatment of the farmers that grow the coffee we purchase extends equally to our local community, customers, and staff. We believe Black Lives Matter and seek Justice For George and the countless black lives lost. Too many law-enforcement related deaths have resounded through our communities: Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, David McAtee, Philando Castile, and so many more have died innocent, taken from their communities and families. These victims of police brutality and violence will not be forgotten. Our most recent episode of The Lee & Kevin Show was filmed at the George Floyd Memorial site. Our guest, Leonard Searcy, shares how art has been one of the main vehicles of expression in response to George Floyd’s murder.
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The Lee & Kevin Show
Creating Community in a New World The Lee & Kevin show brings together two Minneapolis neighbors poised to spread joy and inspiration through storytelling and performance in the new virtual world! Join us weekly as we chat with local artists, business owners, musicians, or visionaries about how our new normal gives us the great opportunity to look at what was and wonder what it could be. About Lee and Kevin Lee Wallace is the Owner and Queen Bean of Peace Coffee, her dogs Ruby and Felix were part of the inspiration for this show! Kevin Kling is a well-known playwright, storyteller, and also Lee’s neighbor. His dog, Louie, is BFF and wrestling partner with Lee’s pups. Introduction: Through the Looking Fence Lee and Kevin share how a hole in their shared fence, a Hee-Haw reenactment, and years of friendship sparked an idea to explore new ways to provide an outlet for artists and entrepreneurs around their community. Watch The Intro Video Episode 1: Black Hart of St. Paul Lee and Kevin go to the Black Hart of Saint Paul, a queer soccer bar on University Ave near the new Allianz Field, for curbside drag, cheese curds, and conversation with the owner, Wes Burdine, about his work to redefine a young establishment. Watch This Episode Episode 2: Prudence Johnson & Dan Chouinard Lee & Kevin welcome local musicians, Prudence Johnson and Dan Chouinard, for a chat about art and performance in today’s world and also a virtual performance of “When The Sun Comes Out” by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler. Watch This Episode Episode 3: Leonard Searcy at the George Floyd Memorial On a special edition of The Lee & Kevin Show, we walk through the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue with Leonard Searcy, a local writer and actor, to talk about the stark images that have sprung up out of the grief and struggle of our community. Art has power in the midst of chaos, and this is a beautiful example. Watch This Episode Episode 4: The Sioux Chef Lee and Kevin virtually sit down with Sean Sherman, The Sioux Chef, and talk about his mission to highlight indigenous food systems and help native families reclaim their traditions. The Sioux Chef is preparing 400+ free meals a day as part of the Minnesota Central Kitchen. To learn more about the upcoming Indigenous Food Lab and support this work go to www.natifs.org. Watch This Episode
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Earth Day 2020
Supporting farmers by planting trees and enriching their growing spaces while also sharing some tangible ways we can help heal the Earth this year.
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Add Some Color
Spend some time in the lines with us. Grab a box of crayons and embrace your inner-kiddo by shading these beautiful original coloring sheets!
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Thanks For Reaching Out
There's no better time to safely do what you can to help your community stay strong as we band together, even while we're far apart.
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Every Mug Has A Story
Inspired by our #MugshotMonday buddy, Karl, we're starting a weekly contest!
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Cooperative Journey: COMSA
COMSA, here I come! My name is Magdalen Ng and I’ve worked for Peace Coffee for five years. I started as a barista at our Wonderland Park shop on Minnehaha Avenue. It was there that I learned what “fair trade” coffee actually is, and how to properly dose and pull a shot of espresso. Now, I’m in a Customer Service role—I assist folks with wholesale and retail orders and occasionally have the privilege of taking our delicious coffee to grocery stores, college campuses, neighborhood events, and fundraising galas to hand out fresh-brewed samples and talk about what sets us apart from other roasters. When I was pulled aside on a dreary February afternoon last year to learn that I had been chosen to visit the COMSA Cooperative in Marcala, Honduras, I was ecstatic. Fast forward three weeks to me on a plane at three in the morning, reviewing my Spanish phrase flashcards and chugging coffee, all the while grinning like a fool. I arrived in Tegucigalpa and walked out of the airport into a wave of wonderful hair-frizzing humidity. Downtown Teguz was loud, dusty, colorful, and compact. Surrounding the tin-capped houses and dark paved roads of the city stood proud mountains, bathed in gauzy clouds. I met up with Jennifer Yeatts, director of coffee at Higher Grounds Trading, and Craig Lamberty, owner of Conscious Coffees. Erin, a COMSA farmer, and our gracious driver carted us off to what is known as the Finca Fortaleza. We traveled east and soon arrived at the research farm and hotel, connecting with the rest of the tour group: Felipe Gurdián (sourcing manager, translator, and origin host of Cooperative Coffees), Mélanie Gagne ́ (owner of La p’tite Brûlerie), and Matt Damron (quality manager at Coop Coffees). No Power, No Problem Right when we arrived at COMSA we learned that a large pine tree had crashed and severed an electrical line in Marcala and that we would be without power for at least 24 hours. After digging flashlights and headlamps out of our luggage, we settled in and chatted while the moon slowly rose to hang like a magnesium flare in a deep blue, star-studded sky. Before long, our reverie was interrupted; we were spirited away in trucks and brought to the home of Doctora Carla, an important community member. Fires roared around the perimeter of the homestead, and a long table was lit with tall candles and a light run on a generator. Dr. Carla and her family had prepared a full meal for us and the COMSA directors and staff; from the first moment we arrived, I felt so deeply welcomed I could hardly muster a thank you for fear of my eyes brimming with tears—or was it the third can of Salva Vida making me feel so gracious? Regardless of the source of my emotions, I was full of it and soon striking up a choppy conversation with the woman to my right. Her name was also Carla and she had a similar role to mine: working with customers, writing contracts for sale, and assisting with phones/emails/letters. With broken Spanish and the assistance of our phones, she shared pictures of her family and I shared pictures of my cats. Eventually, the fantastic dinner ended, we acquired a generator for the night and drove back to the hotel. We awoke the next morning to bright sun and birdsong, a luxury I hadn’t experienced in snowy Minnesota for at least five months. Down on the wide patio overlooking the valley, we gathered around a large glass-topped table littered with fluorescent orange flowers. We ate a delicious breakfast served with a big stack of fresh corn tortillas and discussed the plan for the day: a tour of the research farm and the dry mill, where the beans are milled to remove parchment, tested for quality, and then sold in lots to different buyers from around the world. Here are some quick COMSA facts I learned while touring the farm: COMSA Cooperative was founded in 2001 by 69 producer members. Today, they have 1200+ members, and there is a waiting list to join the cooperative. COMSA is made up of: farmer partners’ privately-owned farms a research coffee farm (Finca Fortaleza), cardamom farm, apiary, and restorative forest vegetable and fruit gardens a training/educational facility a laboratory a kitchen a hotel refuse/recycling centers wet and dry processing centers a fertilizer-processing warehouse Quality is the main focus of COMSA—farmers are paid based on the scores they earn on their crops and given tools and training to increase quality. Technicians are employed by COMSA—they manage several farms and visit them regularly to establish trust and give thorough support to the farmers. COMSA runs an International School that offers fair-trade-premium-funded education to the children and grandchildren of the farmers and affordable education to children in the community. Composted fertilizer is processed on-site from cascara (the cherry/pulp of the coffee bean) and other organic materials, and is given to members for free. This potent fertilizer is extremely necessary both for the health of the soil and the quality of the coffee grown. The basics of the compost/fermentation process are the 5 M’s: Materials Organicos (organic material aerates the soil and also contains the necessary components to create rich new soil material) Micro-Organismos (fungus, bacteria, and other micro-organisms that decompose the organic material in soil) Molecules (the molecules and amino acids that form during fermentation to strengthen the soil and plants) Minerales (minerals from the mountains around the farm) Material Gris (grey matter, aka BRAIN POWER—all ideas start here!) Building a Holistic Community After our farm tour, a cupping session in the beautiful laboratory, and a tour of the dry mill, we ended at the farmhouse and ranch of a COMSA farmer named Montgomery Melghem. The ranch was very old, and the walls lined with photographs of great grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Outside of the kitchen was a small cement drying lot, and a stage set up underneath the stars. A live band played that night and, while I won’t name names, there were some dance moves I have definitely added to my repertoire since then. The next morning, we headed off to visit the wet mill where all the members bring coffee in a variety of forms. Partnering with a cooperative that offers milling options means the farmer can drop off product in nearly any stage: un-pulped whole cherries, dried pulp-on natural cherries, washed or partially-washed seeds, even dried product. This allows farmers who may not otherwise have equipment to still process the product for selling. We learned about the fermentation process and enjoyed a lunch at the cafeteria on-site, and then headed out to visit farms. Each of the five farms we visited showcased not only high-quality coffee, but a dedication to holistic and mindful stewardship of the land, community, coffee crops, and family. Every decision was made with full awareness of impact. Not one piece of plastic or gallon of water went without purpose or intent. I was inspired of course and downright impressed when that thoughtfulness was directly applied to the community of Marcala, specifically in relation to the COMSA International School. Learning Life Skills On Thursday, we had the pleasure of visiting the International School. At the young student center, the first hour and a half of the day are open for the children to play; the playground is in the center of the facility and features an open-sky ceiling to let in the fresh air and the dazzling Honduras sun. The classrooms branched off the center facility, and children gathered into small groups for 10-minute learning sessions. Beats in between were for quick language lessons; the International School educators teach French, Spanish (grammar and usage), Japanese, English, and German. As I sat among dozens of grinning, energetic children eager to learn and share with us, I had an unoriginal but nonetheless important thought: The future of our world rests on the tiny shoulders of children. It’s a burden that seems too great to bear in this day of political buffoonery, campus shootings, agricultural pollution, and the collapse of ecological systems around the world. And yet, the children stood and declared in clear, loud voices who they are, and what they intend to do to change this world and improve their communities. We then visited the older student facility for those 6-18. Here, the message of pride and responsibility was strong. Curriculums at the International School are built around physical activity and play, positive reinforcement, and student led-sessions. Education is the main tool used by COMSA across the board to empower and enrich the lives of its community members. This method is centered around patience, acceptance, and open-mindedness. Real-life skills are rolled into projects, and students build business plans from scratch. To connect youth with the farming community, students research farming practices and share these innovations and technologies with the farmers themselves. Many of the farmers cited the change they saw in their own children and grandchildren, and how they found themselves looking up to them as models of hope and confidence. Bigger Than Coffee Since I started at Peace Coffee, I’ve felt like everything we do here is bigger than coffee. Over the stretch of land and ocean, our family at COMSA is doing everything bigger than coffee too. You see, COMSA nurtures every person as if they were a farm themselves. This philosophy deeply resonated with me. The soil of ourselves isn’t just physical—we exist in an emotional and psychic realm of incredible potential and innovation. Every single idea is not only on the table, but it is also valuable. Feelings, thoughts, and dreams are all possibilities as real as cupping scores for different crops, or the scientific analysis of components in the soil. In order to reach great heights, we must start with the soul-soil and nourish our goals by listening to the ideas around us, acting with intention and love within our communities, and honoring the earth. In a day and age where we have every single piece of information available for ingestion at all times, choose the content that nourishes your soul and feeds your soil. Give time and resources to organizations doing important work in your community, and prune away the dead branches that don’t produce. Choose love and hope over desolation and cynicism, and strengthen your heart and mind with meaning and thoughtfulness. We need to make our shoulders strong to uplift the next generation so they can carry us when we are weak. We need to commit to education that benefits the community. Every choice we make matters, and every decision echoes across the ocean to all of our farmer-partners. When we choose fair-trade, we choose tuition for a student. We choose hope. Coffees From COMSA Twin Cities Rated 4.97 out of 5 Smooth & Inviting $16 – $85 Add to Cart Tree Hugger Rated 4.99 out of 5 Nutty & Adventurous $15 – $85 Add to Cart Morning Glory Rated 4.97 out of 5 Lush & Uplifting $16 – $85 Add to Cart
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Falling In Love With Winter Biking
falling in love with winter biking It marks a little over a year since I had my first fat bike race. It also marks just over a year that I’ve been a member on the Peace Coffee Racing team. Winter biking has made me fall in love with Minnesota’s four seasons all over again. Traveling to the bike races has given me the opportunity to explore a variety of parts of our beautiful state. The fat bike gets me deep within the woods exploring new areas that I may not have reached by foot. With fat biking becoming increasingly popular, there are a lot of different options for both racing and joy riding. There are groomed trails all over such as Elm Creek Park Reserve and Theodore Wirth Park. If that’s not your style you can pave your own trail through the woods, lakes or streets. The 45Nrth Whiteout was my first fat bike race experience in 2018 and is the reason I fell in love with winter biking. There is something unique about riding in the woods with a couple hundred people in the beginning of February in sub-freezing temperatures. It brings a community of outdoor enthusiasts together in a new way to enjoy the outdoors. This year was my first time doing the 45Nrth Fat Bike Birkie, which is one of the world’s largest fat bike races! The Birkie has had a long history for its cross-country skiing and now it is becoming equally as popular for fat biking going from 200 riders in 2013 to over a thousand in this year’s race. The Whiteout and the Birkie will be an annual tradition and something I will look forward to year after year. Whether you are looking for fitness, competition, or to get outside and meet some outdoor riders, winter biking has it all. Fat biking is just one of the reasons I love our diverse race team at Peace Coffee. It’s a great community of riders from weekend warriors, great athletes, and all around great people. James Campbell is a proud Dog Dad to a fluffy Pomeranian named Bauer. Follow him on instagram at: @jcampbell003 race with us If it has a starting line and a finish line, we’re in. We have racers at every level, from Kids Comp to Expert, first-timers to series champions. We have social racers and hardcore hammerheads, creating the perfect balance of competitiveness and good times. join the team james' recommendations
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Organic Matters
the organic magic of moses Ever since Peace Coffee started donating coffee to the Midwest Organic Farming Conference, I’ve been making the annual pilgrimage during the snowiest month of the year from the Twin Cities to LaCrosse, WI to caffeinate over 3,000 organic farmers from around the country. They come together each year to share best practices, swap stories, learn from experts, catch up with old friends and even find time for some square dancing too! This year is particularly special to me as it marks my 10th anniversary attending. I was starstruck my first year when one of my sheroes, Dr. Vandana Shiva, the Indian author, ecofeminist and social activist was the keynote speaker. She warned the audience that “if we don’t build a movement today to protect seeds and reclaim farmer’s rights, that in our lifetime we will witness the total disappearance of biodiversity from our farms, of small farmers, and the end of real food and our food freedom.” hungry, naked, & sober On the drive down to the conference this year we passed a farm near Zumbrota, MN with a large sign in their field that read, “Without farming, you would be hungry, naked and sober!” A decade later as I listen to keynotes from trailblazing legacy farmers, like George Siemon the reluctant CEO of Organic Valley, and young passionate new farmers like Dayna Burtness Nguyen of Nettle Valley Farm, they have a different message but the sentiment remains the same: there is a lot of work ahead to keep our world healthy, diverse and beautiful. And by caffeinating and listening to this group of organic farmers and advocates year after year, I have been able to see firsthand that progress is being made, the tables are turning, and the face of farming is changing. I’m grateful that Peace Coffee is invested in helping coffee farmers take care of their land by farming organically but also rooted locally, showing support for organic farming in our own backyard. Radish Photo Credit: Sogn Valley Farm
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Best For The World
Earlier this year, we proudly announced our certification as a B Corporation after a rigorous audit of our entire company from the source to the shelves. It was a feat that we felt privileged to accomplish as it placed our ethics, interests, and future goals in line with many other global businesses who’ve set their purpose on pursuing good over greed. On June 12th, B Lab (the non-profit behind B Corporation certification) announced its annual Best for the World List and we were delighted to see our name! Best for the World takes the top 10% of B Corporations in 6 categories and honors them with the designation of being an outstanding company with a critical focus. You’ll find us on the Best for Community list along with 225 other B Corps who put emphasis on supporting people and the places where they do business over and above a simple trading of goods. best for community This achievement highlights our focus on giving back to the community around the Twin Cities and abroad, our commitment to our staff in Minneapolis, and our deeply rooted mission to serve coffee producing cooperatives by paying fair prices and forming long-term trading relationships. The Community portion of the B Impact Assessment measured our practices and policies around community service and charitable giving, including whether our product is designed to solve a social issue, such as access to basic services, health, education, economic opportunity and the arts. Honorees set a gold standard for how business can be a force for good in communities around the world. We made the list thanks to practices like investing in farmer cooperatives by forming long-term trading relationships, minimizing environmental impact by delivering our coffee via bicycle, occupying a green building, composting waste, and using intermodal transit. people, planet, and profit are equally important to our success Our Queen Bean, Lee Wallace, reflects on this honor, ‘Since our founding, we’ve proven that coffee, though simple in form, can make a positive difference for people and places thousands of miles apart. As the first B Corp Certified coffee company in Minnesota, we proudly consider people, profit, and the planet to be equally important to our success, and believe that every business decision we make has the potential to make a positive impact on our world.’ Nearly 1,000 Certified B Corporations were named 2018 Best for the World Honorees, including Patagonia; King Arthur Flour Company; Green Mountain Power; and the United Kingdom’s Charity Bank. Fifty-two countries are represented, including Denmark, India, South Africa and Taiwan. Honorees are featured at bthechange.com/bestfortheworld. We continue to dedicate ourselves to the truth that businesses, especially in coffee or other globally traded commodities, can impact positive change, support progressive sourcing methods, and exist to empower its staff and equip its community to advocate for positive change regardless of industry.
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5 Ways We’re A Sustainable Coffee Roaster
Earth Day is hands down one of our favorite days. Since 2017, we’ve doubled down on our promise to do everything we can to increase our sustainability as a coffee roaster and minimize impact along the coffee supply chain. We purchased organic coffee from over 700 family farms, where farmers steward their nearly 3,750 acres of land in harmony with nature without producing excess carbon We minimize our carbon emissions by using intermodal transportation that saved over 290 tons of carbon last year In 2017, we contributed $23,905 to the Climate, Carbon, and Coffee Initiative that helps farmers solve looming issues related to climate change and coffee production Last year we purchased 861,165 pounds of organic, fair trade coffee We roasted a total of 707,222 pounds of organic, fair trade coffee—255,321 pounds were delivered by bike
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A Different Kind Of Certification
Peace Coffee was founded in 1996 with one simple mission; to make memorable coffee that honors the farmer, cares for the planet, empowers its staff, and serves its customers to help change the way we view this beloved drink. We invest in our farmer cooperatives by forming long-term trading relationships and foster collaboration by importing coffees with a cooperative of our own. Our roasting operation seeks to minimize environmental impact by delivering coffee via bicycle, occupying a green building, composting waste, and using intermodal transit (e.g., rail and truck) for our green coffee deliveries. We seek to stand as a bridge for farmers by connecting our customers to the real challenges farmers face through climate change education and advocacy. Coffee is made for conversation, whether with others or within ourselves. We aim to engage in productive dialogue with our partners, staff, and consumers that manifest creative problem solving, nimble processes, and enthusiastic activism for change. part of a movement Though we have stayed true to our commitment to roasting 100% organic and fair trade coffee, we have long wanted to be part of a movement to push ourselves to assess and do better as a whole. B Corp certification propels us forward with a statement about the entirety of our business practices that consumers can trust. It speaks to the root of our company, founded on the idea that our products should bear the highest social and ethical standards, and shows that the branches of our business are working in harmony with these ambitions. what’s a B Corporation? B Corps are for-profit companies certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. There are over 2,000 B Corporations in 50+ Countries and in over 130 Industries – all with 1 Unifying Goal – to redefine success in business. In order to achieve certification, Peace Coffee was assessed using stringent practical standards that measure our impact on all of our employees, our community, and the environment. Compared to our Public Benefit Corporation status from the state of MN, this certification is not self-reported but achieved by receiving a minimum verified score on the B Impact Assessment. Recertification is required every 2 years against an evolving standard. Certification begins with an assessment including over 230 questions that look at these impact areas: governance (mission lock, ownership structure, financial transparency) workers (employee benefits, training program, and employee tenure) community (managing gender pay equity, charitable giving practices, supplier practices) environment (recycling/composting, building locations, organic product) Next comes an interview with B Corp staff and we must submit documentation to prove our responses were truthful. The final score from the assessment has to be at least 80 points out of a possible 200. certification impact Certification shows that from how we source our coffee and build our employee benefits to how we deliver our beans by bicycle and offer transparency in our purchasing, every decision and practice is important to our business and impacts our world. Since our founding, we have proven that coffee is not just a commodity but a story that can connect people and places thousands of miles apart. We consider people, profit, and the planet to be equally important to our success, and B Corp certification connects us to a broad movement of people using business as a force for good™. the Change We Seek® From each coffee cherry picked to each bag of coffee we place on the shelf, our purpose is unwavering: infuse positive change into every thread of our business. We strive to have integrity in our relationships, be transparent in our transactions, and use creativity and thoughtfulness to inspire others to seek a better way of consuming. We want people to ask questions about their products and to hold businesses like ours accountable for the claims we make. We want to encourage dialogue between the farmer and consumer that not only highlights quality but also emphasizes stewardship and impact, the ideal result being our collective practices and purchases pursue a secure and sustainable future for all involved in the chain.
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The State Fair that was
Healthy Local Foods Once again Peace Coffee had the privilege of partnering with Renewing The Countryside inside the Healthy Local Foods Area at the Eco Experience. This was our 12th year being an anchor sponsor (along with Health Partners) of the local food-focused section, and we continue to enjoy a unique opportunity to get our product into the hands of a diverse group of people in a short window of time. The theme of the Healthy Local Foods area this year was ‘Organic’, less broadly ‘The importance of eating organic foods and supporting organic agriculture at home and abroad’. It involved a specific lens on local purveyors using organic ingredients and sourcing as close to home as possible. A celebrated group of local chefs like Tammy of Rainbow Chinese, Joe of Sen Yai Sen Lek and Marshall of Birchwood Cafe gave demos with organic foods and shared their passion for the movement each day inside the building. Crunchy Credentialed Booth We worked with our designer, Haley Johnson, to craft a theme for our booth items that centered around Tree Hugger Blend and our attempt at owning our ‘crunchy credentials’. Through various iterations of concepts, we settled upon an approachable, friendly creature theme including some of our favorite coffee characters like the yeti, birds, and Paul Bunyan & Babe. The booth was reskinned by our partners at Art-Tech in Minneapolis and our presence this year stood out in many ways. Our Minnesota State Fair hours in the Healthy Local Foods Area remained the same; open from 9am-3pm every single day of the fair. These hours and our revamped booth experience brought in slightly less traffic than last year, but still, we dosed out around 30,000 4 oz. cups of coffee throughout the course of the fair. We brought our favorites of our all-organic lineup to the party, sampling Tree Hugger Blend and Blue Ox Blend equally during the 12 days. Another Great Get-together! A dedicated team of few, we did our best to sample all of the fried things this year and have some photos to prove it. Highlights included the deep fried avocados from O’Gara’s, the Kernza eclair from Birchwood Café at the MN Farmer’s Union, the S’more Fun ice cream from Izzy’s, and the ‘Olie on the Rollie’ from The Rabbit Hole. We also did our best to sample the fresh State Fair Beers like the Sweet Corn Summer Ale from Lakes & Legends, Bent Paddle’s dry hopped Kanü, and maybe a mini donut beer from Liftbridge. This year’s Minnesota State Fair was graced with, similar to 2016, kind Minnesota afternoons that brought out nearly 2 million (1,997,720 to be exact) people over the 12 days, breaking last year’s attendance record by 50,000+! We cherish the opportunity we have to be part of the fair in such a unique way. The Eco Experience and our spot inside the Healthy Local Foods Area go a long way to in helping educate the masses about sustainable choices, renewable energy and the power of organic, local food that honors the earth it came from. We are so grateful to our staff members and friends who worked a shift in the booth, spreading Peace Coffee cheer to all who entered in busy, speed-pouring-love fashion. And we were so grateful to friends new and old who stopped by to say hello and learn about our mission and where to find our coffee around the great state of Minnesota! See you next year!
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same coffee, new hands
It seems like just yesterday we opened our garden-themed coffee counter in the Lakewinds Co-op in Richfield. After a three-year growing season, we’ve come to the conclusion that while coffee is the right answer for the space, Lakewinds should operate it, instead of us. On June 1st we officially hand over the operations to them. As part of the transition, we’ve already begun training their team, sharing best practices and coordinating to make things as seamless as possible for you. It’s been an honor to serve both co-op shoppers and Richfield residents. We will miss the community we’ve shared there but feel confident we are leaving you in good hands.
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