Alberta Co-op Grocery

Fair Grounds

Posted July 26th, 2010

by Jhan Hochman, Working Owner, email hidden; JavaScript is required

Just Coffee Cooperative, out of Madison, Wisconsin, is a worker-owned coffee roaster dedicated to creating and expanding a model of fair trade based on “transparency, equality, and human dignity.” Their formation as a cooperative reflects a commitment to a “non-hierarchical and worker empowered shop. All major decisions are made by true democratic process —there are no bosses . . . .”

Just Coffee works in a total cooperative landscape, partnering with growers’ co-ops to obtain green coffee; with Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund for financing; with Cooperative Coffees, Just Coffee’s importing co-op; and by selling to and bartering with housing co-ops, food co-ops, and other worker co-ops. Being a cooperative itself, Just Coffee cinches the circle on this comprehensive cooperative universe.

Just Coffee also touts itself as a 100% fair trade roaster. Unfortunately, many companies boasting fair trade practices practice few, reaping many unfair market advantages such as getting accounts like universities, churches, and food co-ops which they could not with their “conventional” coffee. A less committed company can also offer fair trade coffee at dirt cheap prices and subsidize the loss by offsetting it with profits made from coffee bought at cheaper prices.

In contrast, Just Coffee’s own fair trade code tries to achieve five comprehensive goals: a better price for growers, pre-financing for growers’ business development, long-term partnerships with growers, commitment to cooperative forms of business, and organic methods.

Organic certification, however, has a political side demanding more scrutiny. Certification normally takes up to three years and is costly for poorer farmers. Growers making the commitment generally do not get any return for their expenses until the end of the third year.  Currently the USDA will not allow “Transitional Organic” on labels to let consumers know that they are buying coffee from a farmer attempting to change to organic methods. Contact the USDA National Organic Program and weigh in on the matter.

The last factor in the Just Coffee commitment to grower, land, and customer is transparency.  Instead of depending on third party certifiers to tell you what Just Coffee does, they place their contracts and financials on their website for all to see.

At the Alberta Co-op, you can find Just Coffee for $10.99 – $11.99/12 oz. with the Bike Fuel and Revolution Roast being our most popular blends.  And as a side note, our bulk buyer, Nick, likes to emphasize that Just Coffee is air roasted (not barrel roasted) allowing more of the beans’ natural flavors to emerge.

Websites of interest:

Just Coffee Collective

Contact the USDA National Organic Program

Tags: coffee, fair trade
Posted in Food and Drink

Dr. Bronner’s Magic

Posted April 23rd, 2010

by Marianna Thielen, Working Owner

I am not quite sure what ever possessed me to pick up a bottle of Dr. Bronner’s “Magic” Liquid Soap.  How can soap be “magic”?! How can soap have 18 uses?  What are all of these quotes all over the bottle?  But, for some reason, my own curiosity got the best of me and I picked it up.  I was pleased to find out that the ingredients are much simpler than their claims: Water, coconut, olive oil, hemp oil, jojoba oil, vitamin E.  Wow, I can actually read and understand these ingredients!  And, what’s more, I found that the soap is a concentrate, I can dilute it, and it lasts for months!  And, it really works!  In addition, it comes in eight different scents. (My scent of the moment is peppermint, I plan on trying the rose next).

I am still not sold on the 18 uses, and have yet to find where all of these uses are listed(there are ten listed on his website), but this is what I have used it for so far: first, and foremost, as a body cleanser.  I have a bottle with a pump dispenser that I fill about one third with the soap and the rest with water.  Second, I have started using it as a shampoo (by default after running out of my usual brand) and it works perfectly well.  Finally, I tried cleaning with it for the first time the other day and found it very effective on my bathtub and kitchen floor!  The soap foams up nicely and the peppermint smells wonderful.  I have heard that it is great to use as a mouthwash, in laundry and for washing off vegetables, but have yet to experience that myself.

So, while I have not found eighteen different ways to use this soap, if I can wash my body, hair, and house with something that is made out of ingredients that are organic, simple, fair trade, and smell wonderful.  Dr. Bronner, that is “magic” enough for me.

Tags: fair trade, oil, organic, soap
Posted in Wellness