Coffee

The rise in popularity of organic coffee over the past decade or so is the direct result of consumers becoming more and more aware and conscientious about what products and produce they are buying. Because companies must detail production methods on their product’s packaging, consumers are able to easily make informed decisions about the products they purchase. Even more than that, consumers are generally becoming more educated about the international coffee manufacturing industry and the chemical processing that goes into the coffee they buy. Coffee, if you don’t already know, is one of the most chemically processed products in the world.

What is certified organic coffee?

The term organic refers to the way a coffee is grown, harvested and produced. It refers to the conditions of the coffee plantation or farm and the conditions under which it is processed. Only coffees grown under the strictest of organic farming guidelines may publicly label their product organic and certified organic.

Organic farming methods avoid any chemical or synthetic processing of the coffee. Organic farmers base their methods on the philosophy of processing coffee as naturally as possible, creating a healthier coffee alternative and keeping the environment as healthy as possible, too. Organic coffee farms never use chemicals as fertilizers or pesticides. Moreover, they do not use chemical flavorings or additives.

Organic farms are always built in line with principles of sustainable agricultural practice and always place importance on the health and quality of their soil. It almost goes without saying that healthy soil produces a healthy crop. And by extension then, that healthy coffee crops means healthier coffee.

These days, everyone knows well enough that chemically processed coffee is adverse to their health. Consumers also know that there are excellent organic alternatives.

Organic shade farming

Coffee is traditionally and naturally grown in the shade. This method is called ?shade coffee farming.? To this day, shade farming produced the best coffee. But large manufacturers have taken to producing coffee quickly and in full sun to meet the demands of the market.

But coffee that is grown in full sun suffers a number of adverse effects, such as from bird and insect pests. This pestilence means that large-scale coffee farmers must use pesticides to protect their crop and this, of course, results in negative effects on a coffee bean’s taste and aroma.

Only organic coffee is grown in natural conditions. The gourmet varieties of Mocha, Java and Kona are grown organically.

Coffee wholesalers who sell organic

When it comes to certified organic produce it is often best to try your local coffee retailer or coffee shop. These are small companies who love their coffee and will most likely be purchasing the very best, organically produced coffee. Next, try online stores that specialize in organic coffee. A simple search on the Internet will bring up many coffee wholesalers and retailers committed to certified organic coffee beans and blends.

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Author: Samantha Evans
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Coffee, the brew that starts you in the morning and can wind you down at night, how does it do that? Well, I have my own theory, it is a brew that reads your mind! When I need to wake up and think it is black, robust and hot! Then when I want to sink into a dream state and unwind it is creamy mocha and warm…Yes! Now to sit and talk and sip it needs to be a robust coffee flavor with a hint of other favorite flavors and chilled.

I have several friends that love coffee as much as I do so we started our Girls Coffee Club. Once every two weeks, sometimes more, we meet for coffee and everything that comes out of a group of women enjoying themselves with their favorite coffee. At first we just went to one coffee house. Then we started moving around to different ones and we found we anticipated the wonderful new experience as much as the coffee and the chatting.

Then it happened, we ran out of coffee houses and so we started over and went back to the original location. At first it was fine and we went thru the list again, once again we finished the rounds. We found we were talking more about missing the anticipation of a new experience than the latest diet or what was going on in our world so we chose to fix the issue, Home Brew!

Now we alternate going to the coffee houses with going to each others homes and testing new coffee blends. In the summer we can get out the blender and do ice blended drinks or pour over frozen coffee ice cubes then in the colder months we can do hot coffee with flavors.

We have found that we now own at least two coffee makers each, one for plain brew and one for flavored. We have also found that we try more blends this way because it is more economical than in the coffee houses.

We serve flavored creamers and sweeteners like honey, syrups and flavored sugars. It seems the local grocery stores are getting wise to our little coffee club and are now stocking more blends of coffee, flavors and accessories as well. We can get Colombian coffee, Mountain grown, Island grown or even Organic grown coffee. They even have many of them in small vacuumed sealed bags or grind your own so you can get just enough to test. How smart is that?

One night we found the suicide blend! Remember when you were a kid and you put a little of all the soft drink flavors in your cup and your mother looked at you like you were crazy, well give it try with coffee. We had several blends of coffee so we mixed them in the brew basket and laughed till we cried thinking of what our mothers would say. It wasn’t bad, give it try. If it comes out too strong for your taste just add some water into your cup that way it works for everyone.

I like it best when everyone brings a different additive so I can try something I would never buy. I have found that I was pleasantly surprised with many of the new tastes and flavors. In the store I would think, who would try this flavor, and I can now say I would. In a group there is always the one adventurous person that pushes the limits on mixing flavors in their coffee and I know that number has expanded in ours.

The taste of choice changes with the seasons as well. Sometimes the, let’s try this, flavor is unexpected. Like a shaker of pumpkin pie spice sprinkled on top of whip cream for the Holidays, who knew? Think outside of the box.

I strongly recommend you start a coffee club and embrace the joy that comes with it.

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Author: Lynda Earl
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Coffee roasters and those who roast, brew and serve the ultimate cup of coffee are now esteemed professionals within the social fabric of our community at large. A good coffee roaster is a little like a celebrity chef these days, complete with loyal followings, highly descriptive reviews and the ability to command premium prices for their products and services. As coffee continues to grow in elevation from merely a mundane beverage to something of art form, a good coffee roaster has begun to take on a glamorous aura.

But there is a café on almost every street corner or every suburb now and every barista thinks of him or herself as the best roaster on the block. The professional barista is a now fiercely competitive industry and cafes and restaurants across the globe fight to retain the barista that can produce a coffee that will have customers returning time and time again. So, because roasting is everywhere, how do you choose the coffee roaster for you?

Your first question is whether you’re looking for wholesale coffee roasters to supply your business, or retail roasters to keep you happily supplied with beans at home. But for our purposes, let’s say you’re looking for a retail roaster to feed your coffee habit because you are a die hard coffee lover.

One approach is to decide exactly which coffee beans you prefer. Once you have found the coffee beans that you like you can then search for that specific bean. It might take you some time to research this and you might want to join a coffee club so that you can do some extensive taste testing. They will send you a number of coffee varieties each month for a small fee and this gives you the opportunity to try out blends and pure coffees to see what you prefer.

But once you know what coffee you are after, the online suppliers can tell you which of the coffee roasters that carry the beans you are looking for, who has the freshest beans and who has most skill in roasting them to perfection. You might also want to look for coffee bean suppliers that are geographically close to you. By doing so you can be confident that the beans can be delivered faster and will therefore be fresher when they reach your door.

But before you make your final decisions, consider organic coffee as an option. Organic coffee is another choice you might want to make. This coffee is certified to have been grown and processed without chemical intervention and is becoming more and more popular with wholesale outlets. It generally has a mild nutty flavor. It is also becoming popular with celebrities who are eager to adopt the coffee cause. Organic coffee, understandably sells very well in Hollywood.

Now all that is left to do is try several brands of coffee to find out which one you like the best. Enjoy your next coffee!

Looking for information about Coffee? Go to: [http://www.dkcoffee.com] DK Coffee is published by Julie Carter The Complete A to Z Of Coffee Resources Check out more Coffee related articles at: [http://www.dkcoffee.com/archive]

Author: Julie Carter
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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You might have heard this buzz phrase while sipping a mocha latte certified organic coffee but what exactly does that mean? And what’s the difference between organic coffee and organic fair trade coffee? Understanding the basics behind the buzz can help you make an informed decision when you buy your next bag of coffee beans.

Organic Coffee Versus Conventional Coffee

What’s the difference between regular coffee and organic coffee? Organic coffee plantations focus on using practices that protect both the environment and the workers who grow, harvest, roast and pack the coffee.

Conventional Coffee Plantations

Conventional coffee plantations use several practices that are not good for either the environment or the workers. Many of the fertilizers and pesticides used by conventional coffee growers have been shown to leach into groundwater supplies, streams and rivers killing off wildlife, causing plants to overgrow and overtake lakes and rivers, and polluting the drinking water supplies used by the locals.

Traditional farming methods involve clearing forest (sometimes rainforests), resulting in lost topsoil and lost forest area. With the lost forest comes displaced birds and wildlife that no longer have places to live, threatening endangered species. Many of the coffee growers still use antiquated chemicals such as DDT. These chemicals endanger the workers, who are exposed to cancer-causing agents as they work with these dangerous chemicals.

Organic Coffee Plantations

Plantations that use organic farming methods refuse to use dangerous chemicals or fertilizers to protect or enhance their crops. They also focus on growing coffee in the shade even though this process takes longer and is more difficult. When you read a label that lists “organic shade grown coffee,” you’re holding a package of coffee that has been grown the way coffee was intended to be grown in the shade of higher vegetation or trees, without the use of chemicals.

Shade-grown coffee is richer in flavor, but it takes longer to grow and is more costly to produce. Shade-grown coffee is also called “bird-friendly” coffee because it protects the habitat needed by many birds. All of these practices protect the workers (who labor to provide for their families) and the environment.

Fair Trade Coffee

Fair trade coffee regulations were created in order to protect human rights for plantation workers. On many conventional coffee plantations, the workers are paid very little and work long hours.

Under the fair trade regulations, coffee farmers are paid a fair trade premium so they will have enough capital to invest in health care, education, fair worker wage and community infrastructure. As a reward for adopting safe and environmentally friendly farming practices, these farmers are given resources such as improved equipment and training so they can compete with the current market. If these farmers also decide to use organic practices, they receive an additional financial incentive. This benefits the workers, the community and society as a whole.

How do you know if the Coffee is Truly Fair Trade Coffee?

Look for the certification from Transfair, an organization which oversees the certification of fair trade coffee around the world. Go to www.transfairusa.org for more information on which coffee plantations and producers are certified as fair trade coffee producers.

The Best of Both Worlds: Organic Fair Trade Coffee

The purposes of both these business models are the same: to help promote a way of conducting business that supports a sustainable society. Organic coffee production protects the environment and the health of the coffee workers, and fair trade regulations protects the rights of the workers so they are ensured fair pay and decent working conditions.

Why Pay Extra for Organic Fair Trade Coffee?

Unfortunately, organic fair trade coffee is more expensive than the competition. This is because these practices although best for the people and environment are more costly than the conventional options.

For more information on coffee, visit the food section of Life123.com.

Author: Rachel Mork
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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We all love drinking coffee. More than 1400 million cups are consumed per day. That’s a lot of coffee and also a lot of waste. But we don’t need to stop drinking coffee. We just need to be more conscientious in how we drink it. By drinking coffee the eco friendly way, we can reduce the negative impact on the environment while still enjoying our coffee. Here are some easy idea’s to reduce the negative influences from coffee.

Buy Organic Coffee
Not only is Organic Coffee better for the environment but it is also healthier for the coffee drinker. Organic coffee is grown without the pesticides standard coffee growers use. Lots of Organically grown Coffee is shade grown which means the farmers aren’t cutting down all the trees to grow the coffee. This is better for the forest and the wildlife in the forest. It is also better for the coffee as the beans form slower and therefore produces a denser, higher quality bean.

Use Ecotainer’s
There are biodegradable coffee cups around now such as ecotainer. Find out which café’s are using these compostable cups and start buying your coffee from these coffee shops. Or if you run a café start using ecotainer’s instead of normal non-biodegradable cups.

Use Your Own Mug
If you like going to a café to get your coffee and they don’t use environmentally friendly cups then get in the habit of taking your own thermal mug. It will keep your coffee warm for longer and it reduces the waste from the standard takeaway cups. If you have one coffee a day that will be 365 less paper/plastic coffee cups in the waste each year.

Recycle Your Coffee Grinds
There are many ways to use your coffee grinds. You can use them on your garden or if you don’t have a garden collect them and give them away to people that do. The coffee grinds release nutrients that increase the acidity of the soil. Thus you get a richer soil which will obviously produce healthier plants. You can also use coffee grinds on your indoor plants.

Coffee grinds can also be used to repel insects and to keep cats of your garden!
Try using coffee grounds as an exfoliater as it removes all the dead skin cells making your skin lovely and soft again.

These are simple ideas but they can have a huge positive impact on the environment if lots of people start doing them. Even 365 less coffee cups a year is an improvement. So if a few people start drinking coffee the eco way they will make a positive change for the better.

For more Coffee Ideas visit: http://www.gourmetcoffeemakeronline.com

Author: Laurel Whiting
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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