Coffee has a profound impact on everyone it touches. In industrialized societies, it is an essential component of our daily routine. As such, it is a commodity of enormous volume, though not always one of great value to those who grow it.
We do not consider any sort of third-party certification a prerequisite for the coffee we choose to roast. We believe that true sustainability can only be achieved by educating coffee consumers to appreciate very high quality. We will always pay a high price for exceptional coffee and seek to form relationships with the people who produce it. Our mission is to be leader in our region in developing the palate and expectations of coffee drinkers, in order to create a permanent market for the coffee produced by passionate and skilled growers.
We offer some Certified Organic coffees. These coffees are certified to be grown and processed without chemicals. We are certified as an Organic Handler by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (http://www.dem.ri.gov)
We roast some Rainforest Alliance Certified coffees as well. Rainforest Alliance certification is an alternative to Fair Trade that ensures that participating farms adhere to sustainable agricultural standards and fair treatment for workers.
We are constantly looking for ways to foster sustainability here at home. Our roastery and offices use zero-emission electricity produced by 100% renewable sources through our membership in New England GreenStart. We use an innovative Catalytic Oxidizer to eliminate the smoke produced by the roasting process while using 65% less fuel and producing two-thirds fewer greenhouse emissions than conventional pollution-control sysems. We are aggressive recyclers, finding new homes and uses for everything from wood pallets to burlap bags, through our network of local farmers and non-profit organizations.
