More Fair Trade Musings

So, this is not a blog about fair trade, but I guess it is on my mind a whole bunch because yes, I have another blogpost about chocolate and coffee. Two things that are frequently present in my life, and thus frequently featured on the blog :)

COFFEE STORY DU JOUR: My classmate organized a coffee tour and "cupping" (official terminology, people) at Camano Island Coffee Roasters this morning. Engulfed by the aromatic smell of roasting coffee, our tour guide, Dave, described all of the reasons why CICR is such a great company as he brewed us various coffee samples. CICR supports AGROS, an organization that works directly with farmers to help them acquire land and skills to produce coffee. All of CICR coffee is fair trade, fairly-traded (basic idea of fair trade, but just not with the official title), or directly traded (straight from farm to CICR). By purchasing CICR coffee, you help create sustainable economic opportunities for the men and women who grow the beans for your morning cup of joe. Check out camanoislandcoffee.com for more information. I recommend the Sumatra :)

CHOCOLATE STORY DU JOUR: Heading home from a long, wonderful day spent with classmates on Camano Island, I was craving a bowl of ice cream. I gave into my craving and stopped by QFC. Tillamook ice cream was 2/$5 - what a deal! I reached for a gallon of Chocolate Mudslide, then paused. Now, perhaps Tillamook uses Fair Trade chocolate in their products, but I wasn't sure. What's a girl to do when the chocolate craving is strong, yet she wants to focus on her goal of buying only fair trade chocolate? The answer: vanilla ice cream with chopped-up Theo chocolate on top! I had stocked up on Theo bars last week (budget = gotta get them when they're on sale!), and contemplated which flavor to use as I drove home. Coffee? Hazelnut crunch? Vanilla? Or perhaps the Equal Exchange dark chocolate bar that I had picked up? Endless options!

I ended up using a Coffee bar - it was already opened so just easier to use.

Step 1: Chop up the chocolate bar Step 2: Put chocolate on ice creamStep 3: Enjoy a delicious dessert that is not only delicious, but costs an estimated $.80! Fair trade is within even a small budget.

A beautiful (and delicious) end to a great day of friends, feasting, and fair trade!