Making a Difference in Coffeelands

Coffee is one of the world’s highest traded commodities, actually it is second only to oil. Yikes! You won't by gas from certain stations, but you'll by a latté from McDonald's?  You're buying organic foods and you're trying to shop local, yet when it comes to your coffee beans you settle for Fair Trade? What's wrong with this picture?

Knowledge is power. Especially in a society of immediacy, man-made plastics and pesticides, knowledge of the item you are shopping for can help change the world. That being said, the first bit of info I would like to give you is the difference between Fair Trade and Direct Trade. This can be applied to more than just coffee beans. Tea should also be purchased direct trade, for example.

• Fair Trade is a trademarked name of a certification that middlemen use to let you know that the beans they purchase meet certain criteria in both quality and economics. Although, after much research, I'm unsure of whose idea of quality and economics TransFairUSA is going by. Unfortunately, not many coffee farmers can get this certification due to the cost involved. It actually costs money on both sides, the grower and the roasters/retailers must pay yearly licensing fees. Fair trade leaves out some of the world's best coffee by not allowing small growers with unstructured farms to obtain the FT certification. So, as it turns out, Fair Trade is actually hurting the people it was originally intended to help. Also, contrary to popular belief, buying fair trade does not mean you are buying organic!
• Direct Trade is a term for coffee and teas that are imported directly from the farmers themselves, not  brokered in bulk at auction. There are no middlemen. Retailers/roasters in direct trade agreements have, get this, REAL RELATIONSHIPS with their growers! I know it sounds crazy. Individuals can now negotiate their own prices. Direct Trade is better for all involved. A roaster buying from smaller growers can personally vouch for the coffee's quality and growing and labor ethics used on the farm. Kind of sounds like social consciousness, doesn't it?

You now have the power to make your next $5 coffee order matter. While Direct Trade hasn't caught on everywhere, some shops are starting to take their role in the global economy seriously. Being a coffee connoisseur myself I have found a handful of places that I enjoy supporting. These are shops that are serving more than just a tasty macchiato. They are serving their communities and the communities of those less fortunate. 

Safehouse Coffee & Tea is located at 109 South Hill Street in Griffin, Georgia. They buy direct trade and roast the beans themselves! It is not only a great place to drink tea and coffee, thanks to their knowledgeable staff, it's also a great place to learn about tea and coffee! They write a blog called dirtycup, which I hear is the second most read coffee related blog. The blog is very informative and entertaining. Lots of good home brewing tips, too. So check it out!
The fine folks at Safehouse are preparing to head down to Honduras in February. There they will begin filming a documentary that will bring to light problems that coffee growing countries are facing, the struggles of the farmers and how small businesses can help. For more info about the documentary or to learn how you can help them in their venture, go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1405419560/coffeeland-honduras-a-documentary.

so much more than just a pretty pour

their heart for the world

the menu....a macchiato, a latté and a cappuccino

On a personal note, Safehouse is my favorite coffeeshop. Comfortable and not complicated. I love a place where I can order a macchiato without having to follow it with instructions on what a macchiato is. (Sorry, Starbucks lovers, but a sugar laden vanilla latte with whipped cream and caramel sauce is NOT a macchiato.) Unfortunately for me, Safehouse is a 4 hour drive from my house. While it is worth every mile, for my readers with me in North Carolina here are a few places to find direct trade coffee a little closer to home. 

The Grove Church is located at 1127 Franklin Grove Road in Bryson City, North Carolina. Every Sunday morning guests at The Grove are treated to great music and free direct trade coffee from a coffee farmer in Guatemala named Andres. These roasted coffee beans are also available for purchase in one pound bags.  In January, The Grove will make their second trip to Guatemala with Andres as a guide. While there, they will build houses for widows and try to find ways of getting clean water to these remote villages. This church is making a difference in more ways than one! Check 'em out on the web The Grove Church and on Facebook.
 

As I have mentioned, Direct Trade is still catching on. Hopefully more and more places will start to realize the importance of this decision. Here is a short list of a couple shops in Western North Carolina that are starting to use more Direct Trade products......just make sure to ask before you order!


Panacea Coffee Company 66 Commerce St. Waynesville, NC 28786  (828) 452-6200  Some of their brews are direct trade and they do their own roasting.

Izzy's Coffee Den 74 Lexington Ave Asheville, NC 828.258.2004  They proudly serve Counter Culture Coffee.  Direct trade and delicious.

       

 Remember it's your dollar, make it worth it, for you and for the world.

My sis and my hubby at Safehouse!

ode to aging

childhood livin'
was easy to do
but has been hard to hold onto
and gettin' back on the bike ain't as easy as it use to be
which leads to the bitterness of old age
and you can't teach an old dog new tricks
at least that's what they say
and no matter how old i get
i still dont know who they are
or why they have so much to say
listening gets harder when your hearing starts to go
and my attention span grows shorter with the days
that are growing shorter as i grow older
and the memories of childhood living
are harder to hold onto when the memory starts to fail
another day passes by with the same sunrise and sunset
and even though i've been around for 11,233 of those
they never get old
unlike me

 

liz nance copyright 2010

From One Blogger to Another

Humanité has made its way into yet another fabulous blog post. Read It!!!

Shannon Berrey came into the shop in October with her daughter. They were both awesome! I love meeting new folks! Check out Shannon's blog !  She has some of the best interior design ideas.......and she shares them! Thanks, Shannon, for the mention. Hope to see you again soon!

During Business Hours

"Laborers work with their hands. Professionals work with their hands and minds. Artists use their hands, minds, heart, and souls."  -Sunday Pruett told Aj and I this in the grocery store a couple of weeks ago.

During business hours Aj & I hold jobs that allow us to be creative and work with our hands. Here's a little insight into our professional lives. Enjoy!

Aj works for Charles Heath at his gallery on Depot Street in Bryson City. While manning the shop Aj handles custom matting and framing. He also stretches canvas and builds frames for Charles' original artwork and gicleé prints. (The gallery is also the only place in Bryson City that sells good art supplies! Which means Aj and I shop there too!) Aj grew up working at his grandfather's sawmill, Nance Lumber Company in Lexington, NC, so he's used to working with wood.  Being in the shop also allows Charles to have more studio time which means more masterpieces. When you stop by the gallery you will also find rough cut rustic frames made by Gene Albritton. Gene, having seen Aj's work at the gallery, has asked Aj to help him build these frames and cut glass for them. Aj enjoys working with his hands and at his own pace. This job allows him to do both. Make sure to check out the gallery next time you are in Bryson City, or visit online:
www.charlesheath.com

Aj calculating the price of a custom mat job. (See the art supplies!!)

The Gallery Front

Gene's frames filled with Charles' 5x7 prints.

This is where the magic happens.

Aj cutting prints to be matted and sold in the gallery.

During the week I am the art director for Humanité, a women's clothing and home decor boutique in Bryson City, NC. I have enjoyed working for Erin Smith, owner of Humanité and buyer of all things awesome. Since she decided to open the store she has given me some really great and fun opportunities to use my creativity to make a living. Erin had some interesting ideas for her store and I was one of many to help her reach her vision.

The store has now been opened for about 8 months and the ideas are still pouring in. From building displays to decorating windows to taking photos for the upcoming website, we have been busy. I just wanted to take a minute to share some of my projects with you. These are my creations of Erin's ideas. We've made a great team. I couldn't really ask for a more laid back boss lady. Thanks, Erin for allowing me to do the things I love!

Come on down to Humanité and check it out in person! It's like taking a step out of Bryson City. Hope you enjoy.

A pillow that I made for the store.

One of the many signs Aj and I did.

Another pillow.

Some bags Aj and I screen printed. This ended up being very time consuming.

Paper maché trees that Aj & I built to hang jewelry from. Erin got this idea at a retail show.

Sometimes I model.....

I take the product photos for our future website.

The chalkboard sign that I painted this week.

The back side of my fall window display for the store front.

And I do gardening! These are Erin's daisy trees that Aj and I re-potted last night. These will go home with us for the winter. We put evergreen trees in front of the store for the winter! 

Well, that's a taste of what we've been up to during business hours on Everett Street!

Humanité has recently been featured in several publications and has had write ups appear on various blogs and websites.Check out these links:
A Featured Article in Fun Things To Do in the Mountains!
Humanité was featured on an awesome home decorating blog!
Visit Humanité on Facebook!
Humanité's future website!! Check back soon!
Check out Erin's blog here!
Also check out Erin's recent video interview at Tuckreader.com!


Thanks again!
Liz

A Perfect Start to a Great Autumn

Fall came on quick here in Western North Carolina. The chill is in the air, the leaves are rapidly changing and falling to the ground.......

Aj and I love this time of year. Even the drive to the grocery store can make you appreciate where we are. The mountain and river views and now the colors!!


Here are a few pictures of our daily driving route.Yep....we stopped to take photos like tourists!!

from Hwy 28 South

also Hwy 28 South

the Little Tenn. from Tellico Rd

fall sun

through the trees

Lower Burningtown Rd

Needmore Rd

Thanks for looking. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Now, Stephanie & Jason, you need to get up here before all this beautiful color is gone. Although......white is beautiful too!!! Winter is coming. For now, I am enjoying the heck out of another Western North Carolina autumn!!

Liz

Worshipping with Family

Aj & I knew we had found a home in Bryson City when we found The Grove Church. In finding a church we found community and fellowship as well as a place to grow and learn! Any Sunday that we are away we miss not only our church family, but the great music and amazingly honest sermons that Jeff and Randall do such an awesome job of putting together.! This past Sunday we missed church to be on Lake Sinclair with my family. I woke up Sunday morning feeling kind of incomplete......my heart wanted to be at The Grove doing what it does best, singing to the Lord! So I decided that I didn't have to be physically there to really BE there. I sat on the dock beside Uncle Pete's sail boat with my guitar and started belting out one of my favorites, Marvelous Light. As it turns out, my younger cousins were familiar with the song and joined in. We sat there in the sun....right out in the beautiful day that God had created for us and lifted our voices for all to hear. One Way, Breathe, Amazing Grace......it was beautiful. We weren't just a family singing together, we were a family worshipping together. It felt good. It felt right. I felt like I was making an impact with my voice. Th Grove first gave me this feeling. It's one I want to hold onto. I am using the talents that God gave me to give back to Him! Thank you Amanda, Minji, Megan, Kathy, Mama, & Joan for singing. Thank you everyone else for listening and reading. Thank you God for all of these gifts you have given to me! This is an awesome picture that Megan took of me on Sunday morning. That's Lene being a fisherman behind me while I'm being a fisher of men.

Check out The Grove Church!

autumnal ode

 

 

waiting patiently for change

calmness sets in
and suddenly my surroundings take on new energy
the leaves start to fall and i want to follow them
down
to the ground
for a change
riding high for so long
i got use to the pushes and pulls of the moon
on my mind and heart
like a tidal wave of new, yet hauntingly familiar emotions

the change of season brings on
change of reasoning

liz

There's a hat I forgot.

My sister, who is not only a sibling but my best friend, pointed out that I had left my chef's hat out of my profile. She's right.....Aj and I do enjoy cooking. We share our love for all things culinary with my sister and her husband, Jason. Even though we are hours apart, we still share our dinner time adventures over the phone, via the web and during our random occasional visits. Even the gifts we give each other are usually food related. Some of my favorite gifts from Stephanie.....a jerk-type-blend of spices that she made & a trail mix with pecans, cran-raisons, and orange zest seasoned with cracked black pepper and sea salt!!

I know what you're thinking, "how can they love food so much they're both so skinny!" We'll it's not just a love for food, but a love for good, healthy, yet still tasty food! We are a society in a hurry. The fast food industry is fueling us. Families are being torn apart because they can't seem to even enjoy a meal together. We are an obese nation because we don't care what goes into our bodies. We can change this by utilizing our kitchens......you know, the room that has the stove and oven. Oh yea....and get rid of your microwave. You're killing some vital nutrients! Believe it or not they still make stove top popcorn! It's mine and Aj's favorite snack, with black pepper and sea salt. TASTY!

Aj's challah bread on the rise.

Zucchini from our garden stuffed with rice, black beans, bacon and cheese!

Aj and Jason making ravioli!!

Here's a link to Stephanie's facebook album where she posts all of her tasty masterpieces: I Love To Cook!

Health and Happiness to you and yours,
Liz

Amused Artists

My husband, Aj, and I try to remain teachable as we grow older. We are always learning new ways to express ourselves, in art and in life. Together we are artists, musicians, writers,  photographers, gardeners, framers, builders, designers........together we are Art of Muses.

Art of Muses was a name that Aj and I came up with after months of wondering what our band name would be, what our business name would be and what our website would be called. We combine all muses to create wonderful works for ourselves as well as others. We have been given a great many opportunities to do the things we love here in our little town. We have made signs for local businesses like Humanité, Mtn Perks and Pincu Pottery. We have printed t-shirts for Humanité and The Grove Church basketball team. We also print an  originally designed "grow" t-shirt to help pay for garden expenses. We even made huge paper maché trees for displaying jewelry.

Aj can be found at the Charles Heath Gallery by day where he builds custom frames as well as frames for Charles Heath's beautiful paintings and gicleé prints. I am the Art and Web Director for Humanité during the day. On some weekends I am a part of an amazing worship band at the Grove Church in Bryson City. And on any given day you better believe that I am using the talents that God has given me to make my life, and the lives of others a more artistic existence.

Thanks for checking us out and check back. This blog will be a place for us to share our endeavors with you. This blog will also be an outlet for our creative writing! Hope you ENJOY!!

Amused Artist,
Liz Nance

or as Shua calls me, "the artist formerly known as Petty"