Below is an except from Partners In Health around their and sister organization Compañeros En Salud (CES) work in southeast Chiapas. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc, (GMCR) is funding this project to revitalize a primary health care system in the long-neglected region.

" “I didn’t know what to expect,” Dr. Abelardo Vidaurreta says. “I didn’t know where I was going.”

Such uncertainties were rare for the 27 year old. But after finishing medical school at Tecnológico De Monterrey, an elite university that produces some of Mexico’s finest physicians, Vidaurreta ditched the urban commodities he was accustomed to and went to work with Partners In Health’s sister organization Compañeros En Salud (CES) in southeast Chiapas. It’s among the poorest and most isolated regions in Mexico, nestled at the tip of the country along the Guatemalan border. 

The move wasn’t entirely impulsive. In Mexico, newly graduated medical students are required to spend a year working in a public health clinic to earn their professional license. Often they’re assigned to far-flung outposts with few resources and even less oversight. This baptism-by-fire approach can be overwhelming. It can also be frustrating, especially for the community members who are left seeking medical care from a rotating cast of fresh-faced doctors who’ll stick around for only a year. 

Vidaurreta had heard of CES when his social service year arrived, but he didn’t know much about the group, let alone its plans to revitalize a primary health care system in a long-neglected region. Doubts loomed when he agreed last February to be among the first doctors to spend a year working alongside CES in Chiapas.

“I thought I was going into the jungle,” Vidaurreta says. “I thought I was going to be alone.”

Now, as CES—whose work is supported by Vermont-based Green Mountain Coffee Roasters—celebrates its first anniversary and more than 10,000 patient consultations, Vidaurreta jokes that he was wrong on both counts. The landscape is more Martian than jungle, marked by towering mountains and a startling lack of infrastructure. And while he would encounter countless challenges in the field, he wasn’t going to be tackling them alone.  A core mission of CES is to alleviate that daunting sense of solitude by pairing the new doctors, known as pasantes, with resident physicians from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. 

“They’re doing all the work,” says Dr. Patrick Newman, 29, one of the first resident physicians from Brigham and Women’s to take part in the program. “But we see their consults with them, answer their questions, help guide their thinking, help to challenge their thinking, and encourage their ongoing growth.” Newman is quick to point out that the exchange of insight flows both ways. For instance, he recalls visiting a family whose newborn had a cleft palate. His instinct was to hospitalize the baby, insert a feeding tube, and perform surgery when the child reached an appropriate weight—standard procedure in the U.S. 

“That was my first suggestion. But it was obvious after talking with the pasante and visiting the family that doing so would result in absolute and total financial ruin for the family,” Newman says.  “You have to understand that there are cultural aspects to care that the pasantes are going to understand better than we ever will.”

In the area where CES works, patients might travel more than an hour for a simple blood test. Getting to a hospital could take half a day. And though there are brick-and-mortar clinics, it’s been years in most cases since a full-fledged physician has staffed one. To make sure the pasantes are equipped to provide the best possible care in this difficult setting, they receive monthly visits from CES staff and attend regular workshops.In the area where CES works, patients might travel more than an hour for a simple blood test. Getting to a hospital could take half a day. And though there are brick-and-mortar clinics, it’s been years in most cases since a full-fledged physician has staffed one. To make sure the pasantes are equipped to provide the best possible care in this difficult setting, they receive monthly visits from CES staff and attend regular workshops."

To read the full article with images, visit Partners In Health's website. 

Below is a Guest Post by Jonathan Bloom from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). On April 29th, MCC awarded GMCR with its 2013 Corporate Award. 

"At the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), we work with partners across the world. By the time I arrive at the office, there are often emails from Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America that need a quick response.

That’s why the coffee pot is my first stop each morning. And that’s why a coffee addict like me was thrilled to hear that we are honoring Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) with our Corporate Award for its sustainability work to improve the lives of the world’s vulnerable populations.

The award got me thinking on a recipe for a great new drink using the products of both Green Mountain Coffee and MCC’s beneficiaries from across the world. So prepare to treat your taste buds with the Millennium Challenge Macchiato.

Millennium Challenge Macchiato

1)      Start with Green Mountain's Sumatran Lake Tawar whole-bean coffee from Indonesia and grind as fine as possible. As you brew the perfect shot of espresso, take delight in knowing that one of the suppliers of this dark roast, the Gayo Organic Farmers Association, has started a project to bring safe drinking water to more than 1,500 people. The cooperative has also saved funds to help farmers with the reconstruction of their homes, many of which were destroyed in recent fighting, and to aid in the construction of two new schools.

2)      Steam milk sold by dairy farmers in El Salvador’s Northern Zone. As the steam rises, take a moment to read how many dairy farmers are now enjoying a higher income because MCC helped about 17,500 people by providing training, seeds, equipment, and technical assistance. The agency also built or rehabilitated more than 220 kilometers of road and 23 bridges as part of a five-year, $461 million compact.

3)      Pour the milk into the espresso and top with foam.

4)      Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon from the legendary spice island of Zanzibar on top to give it a pleasing kick. As you enjoy that first sip, read a bit about how MCC is strengthening the island’s electrical grid with the aim of increasing investment and reducing poverty.  Or if you have a sweet tooth, add a bit of cocoa from Ghanaian farmers who are more effectively receiving payment on their harvest, thanks to the computerization of rural banks as part of MCC’s five-year, $547 million compact."

Jonathan Bloom is the acting vice president for compact operations at the Millennium Challenge Corporation. On April 29, GMCR CEO Brian Kelley accepted the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s Corporate Award—recognition for the work that GMCR does to create a sustainable future for its farmer partners.

By Kiley - our famous latte arist at the Visitors Center!

The Special Coffee Association of America threw a fantastic gathering and exposition this year – and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) was the sponsor! Our little Café was lucky to be able to have five of our employees go to bring experiences and stories home in addition to the over 200 GMCR team members that made the journey to the exposition.

The educational lectures brought up points concerning every angle of the coffee business and family from roasting and the science behind it to customer service to the new generation of social media. Our speakers were experienced and deeply involved and embedded in their specific specialties. We were able to see the reach of the business and family. It was incredible!

The people we were able to meet were amazing too. I met people from Kenya, Guatemala, El Salvador, Italy, Mexico, Canada, Colombia, Ethiopia and, of course, from all across the United States. It was quite the experience to meet our large and expansive coffee family. 

We also had the chance to watch the Barista Competitions and the skills shown there were phenomenal. Not only were they producing beautiful latte art but listening to them explain their coffee roasts and blends really brought you into their cup of coffee. The passion seen there was inspiring.

Even working the GMCR booth was fantastic. So many people came up to our booth and so many walked away with a smile. The interest in our coffee left our team with a good feeling too. Having the opportunity to meet and talk with our suppliers, producers, and happy customers really enforced the strong feeling of family and the relationships we so cherish. 

This year has left us with so many memories, new found skills, and inspiration. I hope we will have the chance to meet back up with our Coffee Family and friends again next year!  Back to our Café and Visitor Center we go.  

We believe that our products can be sourced, designed, and manufactured in ways that are good for people and good for the environment. We strive for balance in the way we engineer our 

products. We engage with players throughout our value chain to understand the social and environmental impacts of our business and our industry.  In addition, as a leader in beverages with a positive social impact — particularly Fair Trade coffee — we can encourage consumers to use their purchasing power to support more sustainable products across the entire beverage industry.

During fiscal 2012, we worked to reduce waste and and energy. We continued to make progress toward our reduction targets for energy use and waste to landfill, even as our business growth has challenged those efforts. We have coupled our support of coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms with consumer education campaigns that demonstrate the benefits for farmers and for the environment using a model that generates consumer demand for certified coffees. 

As our business grows, we hold fast to our belief that our responsibility is to create sustainable products that help us to brew a better world.

Some other key accomplishments include:

• More than tripling the amount of waste chaff, burlap, coffee, powder, and tea that we composted, and increased recycling of corrugated boxes, boxboard, paper, and plastics by 50% in its facilities, compared to the previous year.
• Being ranked the largest purchaser of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee in the world for the second year running by Fair Trade USA (2010, 2011)
• Selling 11 million pounds of coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms

What is cowboy coffee?

--

Cowboy coffee is essentially coffee prepared outdoors, unfiltered, by fire. You don’t have to wear a cowboy hat to prepare cowboy coffee, but why should anyone pass up the opportunity to wear one anyway? Cowboy coffee shouldn’t be considered the finest, cleanest way to prepare coffee, but whether you are camping, or being a real cowboy, it’s hot, it’s coffee and it’s just fine. Plus you are outside drinking coffee, which means you are not working at your desk like I am right now.

How do you make it?  Easy: You put coffee grounds with water, let it boil for a while in the fire, take it out of the fire, try to get the grinds to settle a bit, pour and enjoy.

The photo above from the National Archives is from the 1800s and shows some gentleman enjoying breakfast with a nice cup of coffee, presumable cowboy coffee, though they probably didn’t call it cowboy coffee back then.  The description reads: 1849 - William Whiting, a lieutenant in the United States army, states, “Give a frontiersman coffee and tobacco, and he will endure any privation, suffer any hardship, but let him be without these two necessaries of the woods, and he becomes irresolute and murmuring.”

We often talk about our financial support of projects within our coffee growing communities. Those communities are just one of the communities throughout our supply chain. Our other supply chains include apple growing communities and manufacturing communities to name just a few. We are working to build a Resilient Supply Chain - helping the producers and manufacturers in our supply chain, as well as their employees and wider communities, to adapt to the many challenges they face and to prosper over the short term and the long term.

Resilence, at its most basic level, refers to an ability to adapt quickly to, or recover from, changes. We also strive to address more complex social and environmental challenges. We commit to long-term relationships that sustain healthier communities and create the highest-quality products — whether we are helping our suppliers keep pace with our Company’s continued growth or financially assisting partner organizations to develop new programs for coffee farmers to better support their families.

Highlights from our Fiscal 2012 Report include:

-Over $10 million in funding to projects in over 12 countries within our Supply Chain Communities.

-An estimated 20,000 families have received food security support from GMCR-funded programs

-Funding of our first U.S.-based non-coffee supply chain project in apple-growing communities in Yakima, Wash.

To explore the full Fiscal 2012 Sustainability Report, visit www.gmcr.com/sustainability

Here in our PR team, we love our coffee. Is anyone really surprised? It’s our life’s work! Even though we have so many different varieties of to choose from, each of us has that one blend that brews up something special in our hearts. Take a look at some of our teams' favorite coffees:

Elizabeth- “My go-to coffee is Green Mountain Coffee® Nantucket Blend.  I think it’s well-balanced and combines my favorite flavor notes from each region - berry from Africa, citrusy from Central America, and full-bodiedness from Indonesia.  It’s neither too light nor too dark, so it’s a good go-to in the morning when I’m not awake enough to decide what I want!”

Jessica- “My favorite right now has to be French Vanilla by Green Mountain Coffee®. I love vanilla as a flavor in general and it adds a creamier body to the coffee, which you don’t get with a lot of other blends."

Amy- “My favorite coffee is Green Mountain Coffee® Colombian Fair Trade Select. I’m a little personally biased on this one, because I was lucky enough to visit several coffee farms in Colombia last year, and meet the producers and their families. My experience was incredible, and it makes that cup of coffee all the more delicious.”

What's your go-to blend?

I’ve lead over 15 source trips for our employees to Costa Rica and Mexico since I've started working at Green Mountain Coffee.  During our time in Mexico, our employees get to experience the life of coffee producers from coffee picking, traveling, and, of course, eating real, authentic Mexican cuisine – made fresh from recipes that have been around for generations.  Picaditas, sopa azteca, enchiladas, enfrijoladas, and more.  Everything is delicious. Despite the tough competition, my favorite dish was definitely the freshly made guacamole on with warm corn tortillas. I ate this every day of the trip. When we sat down in a restaurant, we immediately asked for a few orders of guacamole and tortillas to keep all the employees (including me!) happy.

The name for guacamole comes from the Nahuatl language – the language of the Aztecs, āhuacamolli, which literally translates to “avocado sauce.”  You can thank the Aztecs for other words you know well and use daily such as tomato, chocolate, and chili.

If you’ve ever spent a February in Vermont, the answer to “Are you available to work at event in Miami Beach this month?” is always a resounding “Yes!” Nothing against Vermont, mind you. After all, I’ve called it home for 13 years and counting, but yikes it can get mighty cold up here sometimes!

So with high hopes the Barista Prima Coffeehouse® team and I prepared for several days of sampling at The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Upon arrival, we were thrilled – and somewhat taken aback – by the setting and scope of the event. Against a backdrop of cosmopolitan sheen, art deco elegance, and miles of white sand and blue water, the SOBE WFF (as it’s so called) is in a class by itself. Under huge white tents, right on the beach, dozens of vendors prepared themselves for 3 days of sharing samples of fine wine, mouthwatering food, innovative accessories, and in our case, amazing European coffee house-inspired Barista Prima® K-Cup® packs. 

When the gates opened on Friday, our preparation was put to the test, as a rush of attendees kept us engaged and busy while we doled out cup after cup of complimentary Barista Prima samples. During the equally busy sampling days on Saturday and Sunday, we met quite a few loyal customers (people who already have a love-love relationship with Barista Prima), and we made some new friends as well. The pace was fast and furious, but our team tackled the challenge with energy and enthusiasm.  With stylish fedoras like ours, how could we not?

Between the setting, the atmosphere, the throngs of interested attendees, the celebrity sightings (foodie royalty like Rachael Ray, Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay, Andrew Zimmern, Anne Burrell, Gail Simmons, and many others), the stellar support staff, and the non-Vermont temperatures, this south Florida “event of the year” was a great showcase for Barista Prima’s elegant cup of coffee. 

Are you a South Beach Barista Prima fan? 

 

My name is Kiley and I have been working at the Green Mountain Coffee® Visitor Center & Café located in Waterbury’s historic train station for about three and a half years. Over the course of these few years I've developed an interest in working with espresso-based drinks. Most recently I have been refining my latte art skills, which I find challenging and rewarding at the same time.

Lattes are humble beverages made on an espresso machine that consist of espresso shots and steamed milk. The art itself is made with the espresso crème and milk crème. The method of pouring the milk (height and quantity of the pour, affecting the velocity) effects which crème raises to the top. Accents, such as the fins on my fish above, can be created with a tool like a thermometer stem or a coffee stir stick.

I've been showing some of my latte art to customers as they come in to the Visitor Center & Cafe. I now receive requests for me to use art in beverages which allows me to refine my newly adapted skill. So far I have done some simple and traditional works such as traditional swirl designs and flowers. I have also done a few more advanced options such as animals, the night sky, and even a few unicorns! I’m currently working on my calligraphy and am always experimenting and expanding options for requests.

If you’re in the area, stop in and ask for me. You can request a latte or leave it up to my imagination! Hope to see you soon!

Colleen, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc.'s Coffee Community Outreach Manager, recently traveled to Colombia to visit the region of San Lorenzo. Below is a report of her trip:

For several years, we have worked with our partners to address seasonal hunger by supporting “food-security” projects at the household level —  that is, projects that help farmers grow or have the means to buy sufficient, nutritious food on a day-to-day basis. We're excited to announce that we've now joined with four other coffee companies along with Mercy Corps and Aldea Global to work on this issue together. 

We are proud to announce our pledge for over $2 million to support two clean water projects in communities where the we source coffee in Nicaragua. GMCR has joined forces with two non-profit organizations in northern Nicaragua to fund two potable water projects over the next five years. Both projects intend to increase community access to clean water, improve food security, and provide education on sanitation, nutrition, and environmental protection. According to the most recent Joint Monitoring Report by UNICEF and the World Health Organization, only 68% of people in rural Nicaragua have access to safe drinking water. Many families are forced to collect water from streams and unprotected wells. "Water For People" will work in the communities of San Rafael del Norte and partner with the local government, the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education, and three coffee cooperatives. GMCR will provide $1,250,000 over five years for Water For People's ambitious plan to provide full water coverage to the entire municipality of San Rafael del Norte by 2017.

According to Ned Breslin, Water For People CEO, "This strategic investment by GMCR will help change the lives for thousands of people in San Rafael del Norte, and more importantly, it will serve as a model that can be replicated throughout the country so that the entire nation of Nicaragua can meet its water challenges in the future."

At the same time, GMCR will provide $961,359  over three years to a water project coordinated by CII-ASDENIC, the Association of Social Development of Nicaragua. The project's goal is to improve the quality of life for 800 rural families in 10 coffee-producing communities. If the project meets its goals, by the end of the third year 90% of the families will have access to potable water, 30% will have improved food security due to better access to water, and all communities will have a greater ability to adapt to climate change. Together these interventions will revitalize, strengthen, and diversify the smallholder farmer's local economy.

"This partnership supports CII-ASDENIC's continued efforts to improve the quality of life for those living in Northern Nicaragua," said Raul Diaz, Director of CII-ASDENIC. "Access to clean, potable water is essential for improving the health and food security of these vulnerable families."

Together, the water projects are expected to improve the lives of almost 3000 families. "Our strategic grant making is designed to help source communities address the root of local challenges while enhancing supply chain stability," said Michael Dupee, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility for GMCR.

In Waterbury, Vermont, the Green Mountain Coffee® Visitor Center & Café located at the historic train station is bustling with activity. The café is nestled in between five ski resorts and the energy is high this time of year. The holidays have passed and many are working off those extra calories on their skis or snowboards. In the morning, we see many energetic faces gearing up for a day at the mountain by starting it off with a hot Golden French Toast® Maple Supreme. We start off with hot Golden French Toast coffee, steamed light cream, and a shot of pure Vermont maple syrup. Of course, a dollop of whip cream can be added for those planning to hit the slopes hard. Although ,if you prefer a good ol’ cup-o-joe over a specialty drink, we have seven daily brews of the day to choose.  A mug for every mogul you tackle that day?

Being a stop before and after skiing has its perks for us. Skiers and riders are happy to tell us what the conditions were on the mountain that day, and we make sure to pass that information on to our other guests. Most recently, we had a skier coming back from one mountain report that as he was just getting off of the lift and about to rip down the mountain and he saw a moose chasing a fellow skier. Yes, a moose! Fortunately, the skier was able to get good speed quickly and the moose gave up the chase and retreated to the woods.  Wonder if the mountain will now put up a moose crossing sign at the top of the lift…

The Visitor Center & Café also serves as a stop on the Amtrak Vermonter line. If it’s not the skier and riders stories that keep us entertained daily, it is the periodic visits we receive from major news outlets. Just last week, CNN visited the train station with the Vermont Department of Tourism for an interview to discuss the improvements on the high speed rail and Vermont being the first state to complete the improvements. Vermont certainly has a lot of firsts and this is just an example of the progressive nature of our state.

There are still many powder days ahead of us in Vermont which powers our local economy and helps make us a great retreat from the hustle and bustle of cities like Boston and Montreal. Won’t you come and see us soon?

Many of our efforts to promote and advance sustainability demonstrate our belief that individuals, companies, communities, and organizations can achieve more working together than apart. This belief demonstrates itself through our working environment, volunteerism program as well as our grantmaking programs. In a recent press release, USAID and Mercy Corps announced our involvment in the public-private alliance to work together to improve the lives of small-scale farmers and thier families in Guatemala. Below is an exceprt from the press release put out by USAID and Mercy Corps: 

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the global humanitarian agency Mercy Corps are pleased to announce  the addition of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) and Hanns R. Neumann Stiftung (HRNS) in an alliance to improve the lives of small-scale farmers and their families in Guatemala. The alliance, known as the Inclusive Market Alliance for Rural Entrepreneurs (IMARE), is part of the U.S. Government's Feed the Future Presidential Initiative that supports Guatemala's "Zero Hunger Pact" to significantly reduce the high rates of poverty and chronic malnutrition that characterize the Western Highland region of the country.

The public-private alliance supports community-based interventions that allow rural agriculture producers to overcome barriers and access larger commercial markets. Evidence demonstrates that this support enables small scale farmers to increase their household food and nutritional security.

"We have seen the power of this alliance create tremendous opportunities for small-scale farmers to become productive and prosperous entrepreneurs," said Peter Loach, Mercy Corps Country Director for Guatemala. "We are thrilled to be able to expand this project to now meet the needs of vulnerable coffee producers and their families in the region."

According to a United Nations World Food Program study, Guatemala has the highest rate of chronic malnutrition in Latin America and the fourth highest in the world. Rural small-scale farmers in Guatemala face multiple obstacles to access profitable markets for their products and often lack the tools and knowledge to improve their family's nutrition. This alliance uses a multi-pronged approach that not only tackles rural poverty but also raises community awareness around the importance of a diversified diet and good nutrition practices.

"GMCR is a believer in the power of public-private partnerships and their ability to enlist needed resources to overcome some of the developing world's greatest challenges. We are pleased to join USAID in supporting this Mercy Corps project in Guatemala that seeks to provide small-scale coffee farmers with better market access as they attempt to diversify their sources of income," said Rick Peyser, GMCR's Director of Social Advocacy and Supply Chain Community Outreach.

The three-year grant from GMCR will expand the alliance to work with 500 coffee farming families to improve nutrition as well as agricultural production and business management techniques. Farmers will participate in tailored educational sessions on safe handling of pesticides, use of new varieties, seed spacing, water and social conservation, and best practices for storage and handling. They will also receive training and technical assistance in nutrition, climate change and gender balance as a best practice.

GMCR's financial support also helps leverage matching funds from USAID's Global Development Alliance for public-private partnerships. According to Mark Visocky, Director of the Office of Economic Growth at USAID Guatemala, "the alliance with GMCR brings substantial resources to bear in Guatemala for the Feed the Future Initiative and brings us all closer to the goal of reducing chronic malnutrition and poverty in the Western Highlands. USAID Guatemala welcomes and encourages new alliances with the private sector to assist the people of the Western Highlands escape the cycle of poverty and malnutrition that has plagued the region for decades."

With only a few days until Christmas, how’s the last minute planning and gift shopping going?  Are all the gifts wrapped and under the tree, or are you a bit frazzled and still trying to pull together menus, not to mention still struggling to figure out what to get that mother-in-law of yours? (Trust me: We're all there!)

To help out, we tapped into some of our K-Cup® Ambassadors to provide a few tips to help you check off some of those final tasks. 

• Take a break.  Kelby of Type-A Parent says, “It is so easy to get caught up in your endless to-do list for the holidays (and unfortunately, holidays are on the calendar and come with a definite deadline). Take a break to do something holiday-related just for the sheer fun of it. Almost every town or city has some sort of holiday displays, events, festivals or even just holiday lights driving through neighborhoods. Take one day to just enjoy the holidays. Believe me, all the other stuff can wait one day (unless, perhaps, you are reading this on Christmas Eve). 

• Do-ahead appetizers.  When planning appetizers, Amber of Bluebonnets & Brownies says to always include a few dips that can be made ahead of time, and quickly too, like this homemade salsa recipe. Throw some tortilla chips in a bowl, and you're ready to go. It's my mother's recipe, and I serve it at every party we host, no matter the time of year. It's always a hit, and it comes together in the food processor in about 3 minutes flat. Add to that, it can be made up to 3 days ahead of time, and the flavors only get better the longer it sits."
• Hostess Gifts.  Julie from The Little Kitchen loves to give little gift baskets with coffee and cookies in them - or even a cute coffee mug with a little baggie with a sampling of your favorite K-Cup® packs and some homemade biscotti or cookies.

• Take a “Me Moment”.  Kristen of Dine & Dish carves out a bit of “me” time each day. “I do that by sitting down to a cup of coffee. There is a reason coffee is hot… it’s meant to be sipped and savored, not rushed.  I use that 15 minutes in my day to get a grip on the day and it truly does work.”

Sometimes, a picture speaks a thousand words. 

Behold: Green Mountain Coffee® French Roast – as a cake!  This delicious beauty appeared in the office yesterday as a congratulatory gesture for work done between our IST and Digital teams.  Vanilla cake with mocha frosting – delish!

Which kind of "coffee cake" would you like to try?  I think Spicy Eggnog® coffee would be a treat - a new holiday tradition!

(Thanks to Jacques' Fine European Pastries!)

Life is always interesting in the event marketing world, and you never know where the opportunities may take you or who you may be rubbing elbows with. From both a professional and personal standpoint, you can mark down the Green Mountain Coffee® sponsorship of the 46^th Annual Country Music Association (known as the CMAs to us fans) Awards in Nashville in the time-well-spent column.

In October, the Green Mountain Coffee brand sponsored a massive 2-day marathon of remote radio broadcasts preceding the Country Music Association Awards (CMA) Show in Nashville, TN. Personnel from 50 Country stations from around the U.S. were there, all part of the Clear Channel Premiere Radio Network. Naturally, all those radio personalities need people to interview, so also in attendance were over 100 of the biggest names in Country music today. Artists and bands like Faith Hill, Luke Bryan, Little Big Town and Kelly Clarkson were there, along with Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Darius Rucker, Zac Brown Band, Eric Church, Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift, and many more. Many of them enjoyed the unlimited access to our Keurig® sampling array and tasty lattes and cappuccinos served up by a talented local barista that we partnered with.  To say the least, it was an elbow rubbing time.

(My strictly un-scientific poll revealed that the Green Mountain Coffee Caramel Vanilla Cream K-Cup® packs were the belle of the ball, and seemed to be the variety of choice for many country fans.)

We also served free samples of great K-Cup® pack varieties like Fair Trade Organic Sumatran Reserve and Fair Trade Vermont Country Blend® to all the fans lined up in front of the hotel, waiting patiently for photos and autographs from some of their favorite Country stars. 

Another part of our sponsorship entailed working with a great new band called The Henningsens. The band is currently in the midst of a ten-city promotional tour, and are criss-crossing the country in a beautifully wrapped Green Mountain Coffee bus. Let us know if you happen to spy the bus in your area!

Hope to rub elbows with you at an event sometime soon…

Today, we honor those who have served in our military. 

Veteran's Day is a day when Americans pay tribute to those who who have served.

Here at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. we too honor our soldiers. As I’m sure many of you have heard from service men and women is the importance of coffee while in the field; especially good coffee. It is a comfort from home and a small luxury while on duty.

That is why we donate thousands of pounds of coffee to troops serving Afghanistan every year. We work with a great organization called Holy Joe’s Café, that provides coffee in a café setting at bases in Afghanistan. Soldiers can go to the cafés for spiritual guidance from the Chaplains, listen to music on open mic nights, or just enjoy a great cup of Green Mountain Coffee’s Dark Magic.

When our very own Vermont National Guard deployed to Afghanistan, we knew that the comforts from Vermont that they would miss would include maple syrup and Green Mountain Coffee. Again, working with Holy Joe’s Café, every Vermont National Guard Chaplain has received coffee which will find its way into the hands of the Green Mountain Boys.

Thank you Holy Joe’s for helping us make an impact in our soldiers’ lives as they make a sacrifice for us. 

The question: How best to generate excitement for a live stream concert in support of Fair Trade Month?

The answer: Rent a vacant storefront in Los Angeles, build a pop-up café, and invite Michael Franti to do an exclusive online concert for fans of the Green Mountain Coffee Facebook page. Bingo!

A beautiful venue was located, and the team went to work creating the fabulous “Great Coffee Good Vibes Lounge”. For two days we gave away Fair Trade favorites (like Fair Trade Organic Sumatran Reserve and Colombian Fair Trade Select) and after the end of the second day of non-stop sampling, the event culminated with an amazing live set by Franti and his longtime guitarist and collaborator J “Boogie” Bowman. The size and atmosphere of the venue were perfect for the intimate performance, and Franti wasted no time setting the tone and getting the small crowd to “make some noise”. Between songs he talked about the importance of Fair Trade and about some of the experiences he had during a recent trip to visit with coffee farmers in Sumatra. The vibe was special and electrifying, the music was phenomenal, and the message was spot-on. Fair Trade provides better coffee for you and a better life for farmers – pass it on …