Camano Island Coffee – A Coffee That Helps You Sleep at Night
One of the things I like most about the internet and blogging (besides connecting with old friends and acquaintances) is meeting new people. Recently, a classmate and former Army buddy of mine introduced me to Dan Ericson, the head roaster of Camano Island Coffee Roasters(CICR). Anybody who knows me is painfully aware of how much I like geopolitics and coffee. For me, they go hand in hand. Well, the same can be said for Dan and CICR because they have successfully fused great coffee with helping people in the developing world improve their lives. From the CICR website:
Coffee is the second largest traded commodity in the world (after oil). Purchasing coffee that is shade-grown, organic, and fairly traded is a great first step, but why stop there when you can purchase coffee that has a potential to change the lives of many people around the world? Why pay for low quality coffee and donate to charity when you don’t enjoy the coffee and the charity doesn’t create a sustainable cycle? Buy the BEST coffee and change the world at the same time!
What I like most about this company (besides the coffee) is the fact that they help people help themselves instead of just giving away a piece of their profits. For them, it’s all about teaching people to be self-reliant:
Self-reliance. It’s a word that many Americans take for granted. Imagine if you had only one major source of income and a storm came through and destroyed that crucial crop, leaving you with nothing to take care of a family for over half a year. On top of that, you have nothing to resume your crop for the next year with. Camano Island Coffee Roasters (through our partnership with Agros – www.agros.org) aims to help alleviate those issues through teaching coffee farmers secondary trade skills and helping them learn how to start saving money in case disaster strikes.
That’s not charity. It’s socially responsible fair trade and I dig it.
I also had the opportunity to try three different varieties of CCIR’s coffee: Brazil (Dark Roast), Honduras (May), and Guatemala (Medium Roast). Personally, I liked the Guatemalan coffee the best. Out of habit, my morning joe is Cafe Santo Domingo (I lived in the Dominican Republic for 6 years), but the others give me just the kick I need in the afternoon and I’d recommend any of them.
Below is a video about the company. Take a few minutes to watch it. I’m sure you’ll be impressed with what Camano Island Coffee is able to pull off while simultaneously making a profit. If you like what you see, consider joining the Camano Island Coffee Lover’s Club. It looks like a pretty good deal. You’ll get great coffee and help others at the same time. Everybody wins.
Sidenote: I was not asked to write this review. I wrote it solely because I like what CICR is doing and wanted to help spread the word.
About the Author: Randall H. Miller is an American college educator/blogger. He is also a former U.S. Army officer (82nd Airborne) with a M.A. in Diplomacy (focusing on International Terrorism) and a B.A. in Criminal Justice. Use the form on the right to sign up and receive notifications of new content. The words and ideas expressed here are 100% his own and not those of his employers or affiliated organizations.