Coffee Feels Right at Home With California Nonprofit
Not too long ago, Shirley Ogletree spent her days wondering when she would get off of the streets. These days, however, she spends her time roasting coffee.
   The woman from Whittier, Calif., is one of countless former homeless folks finding salvation from the streets in coffee. Thanks to a humanitarian alliance between the homeless center, First Day, and the nearby Treehuggers Collaborative, residents of First Day are finding themselves in the coffee business, proceeds from which go back into First Day's operations and other Whittier nonprofit organizations.
   The plan was hatched when Knoll connected with the Rev. John Phalen of St. John's Episcopal Church in downtown Los Angeles, to come up with a fundraising plan for First Day. Phalen thought of the idea of buying beans directly from growers, roasting them, and packaging and selling them to raise money for the nonprofit organization. Phalen's Treehuggers Collaborative fronted First Day a computer-controlled roasting machine and all the paraphernalia needed for packaging. Local retailers and roasters provided training in coffee and roasting. Coffee sales to the public raised enough in December for each First Day client to receive a $20 gift certificate for items that are not usually donated, such as underwear.
   First Day-brand coffee is sold in fresh-roasted beans or ground at various locations in the city. For a $6 donation, customers receive a 10-ounce bag, $2 of which goes directly to First Day. Call First Day at 562/945-4304 for more information.


Seduced by Starbucks
Maybe Big Green doesn't make your macchiatos as well as your local indie roaster-retailer, but Playboy Magazine is betting Starbucks can make you sweat all the same. It's not the double-tall, non-fat, half-decaf lattes Playboy thinks will entice you, but the double-tall, curvy cutie serving it to you from behind the bar.
   Following the men's mag's success with such other corporate-themed pictorials as "The Women of Enron," 7-Eleven and, of course, Hooters, the 50-year-old magazine hopes to cash in on the good looks of willing baristi from the chain's nearly 6000 locations worldwide."Starbucks is such a big part of American pop culture, and Playboy is always trying to stay on top of the latest trend, so it seemed like a natural fit, especially with all the beautiful women there," Playboy spokesperson, Theresa Hennessey told The Seattle Times recently. The "Women of Starbucks" issue will be published before the end of the year, according to Hennessey, who notes that in addition to a girl-next-door look, the magazine is seeking baristi with interesting stories about why they work at Starbucks. Hennessey adds that applications have started to pour in.
   As for Starbucks' reaction, the Seattle-based company is anything but enthused about the idea. No one from the company would comment, rather an admittedly terse statement was Starbucks' only communication with the media: "Starbucks Coffee Company is aware that Playboy Enterprises has issued a call for entries for a 'Women of Starbucks' section in a future magazine," the testimonial reads. "Starbucks is not affiliated with this project and does not endorse it."


The Land of Kona Tries Out Tea
Hawaii's first coffee seedlings were planted way back in the early 1800s, and the world-renowned rewards they have since yielded are enough to make some Hawaiian farmers want to take a stab at tea.
   Francis Zee, a horticulturalist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, talked with The Associated Press recently about his research into the viability of tea varieties at three sites on the Big Island. Like coffee, which generates more than $20 million in sales a year for Hawaii's farmers, tea thrives in the island's fertile soil and tropical weather, Zee says. And like coffee producers, tea growers will need to overcome the high costs of farming in Hawaii by targeting the gourmet market. But Zee says that Hawaii's reputation as a clean, environmentally conscious community could help.


Celebrating the Sustainable Movement's Heros
Though the global coffee crisis weighs on the minds of everyone involved in the specialty coffee industry, steps toward a sustainable future in coffee are being made successfully. Though there are still many miles to go, the Rainforest Alliance has always understood the importance of paying homage to those most progressive in the movement. For the 13th year in a row, the Rainforest Alliance invites the industry to its annual fundraiser and awards banquet in commemoration of seven visionary individuals and companies that are committed to making coffee production environmentally, socially and economically sound.
   Environmentalists, progressive companies, celebrities, politicians, and leaders in the business and diplomatic communities will come together on May 14 at Cipriani's 42nd Street restaurant in New York City for the event. Honorees include: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters; Mary Williams of Starbucks; Hans Jöhr of Nestle; Thanksgiving Coffee Co.; Volcafe Ltd.; Balzac Brothers and Co.; DR Wakefield and Co.; as well as a number of farmers and cooperative leaders. The Specialty Coffee Association of America, the National Coffee Association and the Neumann Kaffee Gruppe will co-host the gala with the Rainforest Alliance. Ticket prices are $500 and up. For more information, call 212/677-1900 or visit the Rainforest Alliance's Website at www.ra.org.


Participation in Specialty Coffee Month
Benefits More Than Just Customers
Spill the Beans increases awareness of specialty coffee with participation in Specialty Coffee Month, sponsored by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) in February 2003. Not only did the Greenville, S.C., coffeehouse convince Mayor Knox White to work the bar as a guest barista, Spill the Beans went for even more exposure by combining the mayor's appearance with a fundraiser for Hidden Treasures, a school for special needs children in Greenville. All of the mayor's tips plus 10 percent of all sales for the day-including art that hangs in the shop's gallery-went to the school. All told, more than $360 was raised in just two hours, and awareness of great coffee was raised even more.


Bad Ass Bickering in Alabama
Can you remember the first time you heard the "D" word or the "B" word on TV? Can you recall when you first saw a flash of a bare bum on network television? There are those of us who clearly remember hearing the word "ass" scripted into our favorite prime-time show long before any of these other travesties darkened the door of our ignorance-is-Brady-Bunch-bliss viewing habits. That's why it might make you wonder why such a stink has been raised about the name of the University of Alabama's newest coffeehouse, Bad Ass Coffee. The Tuscaloosa City Council calls the name "shocking," according to Channel 13, the area's NBC news affiliate. But Bad Ass owners Robert Derieux and Forrest Doles (both from Birmingham), say the uproar over the name is unnecessary because it's about a donkey. The city council in recent months has been trying to clean up Tuscaloosa's university image by banning late-night alcohol sales in bars and prohibiting the use of furniture outside. Maybe TV will be the next to go.


Introducing the Tea Association of Sri Lanka
Formed by six major stakeholders in the region's tea industry, the Tea Association of Sri Lanka was officially launched on February 27, 2003. This comes at an uncertain time, given the country's tea sector is in crisis due to war action in the Middle East. But organizers of the association, including Plantation Industries Minister Lakshman Kiriella, told The Daily Times of Sri Lanka, "The formation of the association is timely, and its effectiveness will be tested in this difficult period." Representing tea producers, traders, exporters, smallholders, private factory owners, and brokers, the association is being initially funded by the ongoing Asian Development Bank-supported Plantation Reform Project and the proposed Plantation Development Project. The association's chairman, Rohan Fernando, says the initial tasks of the association will be to promote Ceylon tea globally, develop market intelligence and leverage quality through a certification program with the establishment of certification infrastructure.

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