your roasters
We (Andrea and Jeremy) met as apprentices at the sustainable farming and gardening program at
University of California Santa Cruz. From a shared love of coffee we started roasting experimentally as amateurs.
We eventually took the plunge and did two gruelling years of farmers markets with a 5 lb batch roaster and the freshest press pot
coffee folks had ever had. We established our shop at 2001 SE 11th over two years ago and graduated to a new 25 lb Diedrich
roaster, made right here in the Northwest. It's been
quite a trip...and we're just getting started.
In our own community we strive to lessen our ecological impact. Powering our shop and roastery through PGE's GreenPower
program (sourcing 100% of our electrical usage from renewable sources) and designing a greener way to process our
roaster's exhaust without a resource-intensive afterburner (VIDEO here).
We believe strongly in the potential for certification labels such as "Organic" and "Fair Trade"
(among others) to help some growers achieve a more viable economic future and preserve our shared natural resources. However, certifications
alone will not accomplish this, so we are committed to finding creative ways to benefit coffee
growing communities directly. Some of that comes from have more direct links with growers and importers, so in February '10 Jeremy
journeyed with an elite group of coffee roasters and buyers to the Sidama and Yirgacheffe regions of Ethiopia to do just that.
A mobile cupping lab was brought from farm to farm to show growers how we taste speciality coffee and what we're
looking for. Andrea's parents, Joaquin and Gabriela (many of you who come by the shop have met them) are also forging new
alliances and getting more educated on a trip to the coffee growing areas of Oaxaca and Chiapas Mexico during this month of April '10.
We hope to continue to connect directly with producers and help them get the credit and compensation they deserve.
One of the best things about being in this business is meeting and making friends
with amazing customers, vendors, and colleauges. It makes it all the more worth while. Thanks!
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Roasting Samples, Ethiopia, 2010
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Montavilla Farmers Market, opening day, 2007
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