By: Liz Dorhman, CSR department volunteerism maven

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. offers its employees the opportunity to visit the communities we purchase our coffee from. Each year different groups of employees travel to these communities to visit farmers, pick coffee and follow its journey from tree to your cup. I was lucky to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity and traveled to Nicaragua with twelve co-workers from different departments and locations. We spent six days together learning about coffee and the communities that grow it.

One of the things I’ll remember most about this trip is how much work is behind my morning cup of coffee.

Our first day in Nicaragua we traveled to a sustainable coffee estate called Selva Negra. Selva Negra was the first place most of us had ever seen a coffee tree. Picking coffee is more challenging than you might think. Each cherry (the coffee bean is inside it), needs to be the perfect shade of red. When picking that perfectly ripe cherry you had to be careful not to remove the stem. The stem is where the next flower and then cherry will grow. Remove the stem, remove the chance for a new cherry and bean to grow. Picking was done by hand on each farm we visited, no matter the size. Most workers can fill a basket in an hour. It took me 45 minutes to just cover the bottom of my basket.

After picking, the pulp or fruit of the coffee cherry needs to be removed. Then the coffee needs to be washed and is partially dried at the farm. Next, it’s transported to a dry mill and spread on large cement patios where it is periodically turned to ensure uniform drying.  It’s then bagged and moved to a warehouse where it needs time to rest. Throughout this rest period, samples are taken from each bag. The coffee is roasted and tasted on site at a lab, where cuppers can tell if it needs to rest for longer. Once it’s ready, the coffee is sorted by size and quality and re-bagged for export.

Every cup of coffee I drink for the rest of my life will be a reminder of the hard work of coffee farmers around the world.

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When I worked in the Factory Outlet 18 years ago, we were taught to think of Sumatran coffee as if it were a Sumo Wrestler: “Think big, strong, heavy body and no sharp edges (no brightness)”.   With that description in mind, when a customer asked what it tasted like, you could recall that image and describe it as if it were your daily cup of coffee.

And that’s about all anyone really knew about Sumatra.  Oh, and something about tigers and elephants.  Of course, the 2006 earthquake and tsunami changes all of that.

Recently, I had the great pleasure and treat of going to Sumatra with Rick Peyser from Corporate Social Responsibility and Ed Canty from the Coffee Department. None of us had ever been to Sumatra so it was definitely a new experience for us.  When we were getting ready, aside from lining up the coffee itinerary – visits, places, and people, etc. – , the travel guides and Al, our host,  gave us two quick tips on etiquette, as Sumatra is a Muslim country: Don’t touch anyone with your left hand and only shake a woman’s hand if she extends it first.

So, of course, the first time we meet a Sumatran woman, I’m completely terrified of making a mistake and doing something wrong.  Turned we got worked up for nothing (surprise, surprise) and our first meeting went fine.   The woman’s name was Evi and since she is Muslim, she wore a headscarf.  Sumatrans call them a Jilbab while the Arabic word is Hijab.  I had personally never met a woman wearing one and, of course, I was fascinated.  After a day or two of marveling at all the headscarves, the different colors and styles and sizes, I stopped noticing them as much.    The female coffee farmers we met also wore jilbabs, even as they picked coffee.  After a few farm visits, I didn’t even notice anymore and they started seeming normal to me.  Then I saw a woman without one, and I was really surprised how much that woman suddenly stood out to me.

Now that I have a baby daughter, I’ve been trying to buy children’s books in the language of the country I visit. After spending an hour in the Sumatran version of a chain book store, I found a real gem – something you’d be hard pressed to find here – I Look Pretty in my Jilbab, an illustrated children’s book about wearing jilbabs. My daughter can’t understand it now, (she just tried to gum the hard edge of the cover), but I hope someday she’ll be just as fascinated as I am in the diverse and interesting world we live in.

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Sometimes, the most basic thing can be revelation-ary.  That’s something that Lisa from Connecticut realized and shared with us on MyCoffeeRevelation.com.

What’s the story behind this statement?  Let’s hear from Lisa:

“My revelation was very personal and true. I have a yellow labrador retriever (I rescued and adopted as a 5-week old pup) now 10-years old, named Hannah that has hiked with me since she was 8-weeks old. She and I BOTH love your coffee (she does in fact love coffee)! Some of my most peaceful memories are those with just her and I hiking in the Green and White Mountains together, no worries and no words needed between us. There is nothing in the universe more peaceful than a nice hike with a loyal lab and I mean it. I would be happy to send you a picture of the 2 of us both in our packs on a summit!”

With over 1,000 votes, Lisa was declared to have the Most Inspirational text revelation and took home a Keurig^® Special Edition Single-Cup Brewer and a 6-month K-Cup^® Portion Pack Coffee Tour so more inspirational revelations can come her way.  To share your revelations (and maybe win the Most Relatable category), visit MyCoffeeRevealtion.com to submit online or find out if your Coffee Revelation Station will be visiting an event near you!

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Forgive us for a little display of marketing joy…

On June 8^th the Green Mountain Coffee A Revelation In Every Cup Campaign was honored with two bronze Effie awards!  Never heard of the Effie?  Founded by the New York American Marketing Association, the Effies recognize effectiveness in marketing communications.  The awards Green Mountain Coffee won were in the highly competitive Beverage (non-alcoholic) category and in the David vs. Goliath category.

We’re so excited that our campaign was recognized and proud of the work that our team, and our agency BrandBuzz, have achieved.  But, of course, the only reason we got these lovely statues is because of you – our coffee fans – who share revelations with us everyday!

Thank you!

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At Green Mountain Coffee, we believe a great cup of coffee should do more than simply taste good. It should give you a moment to focus, reflect and help you figure out what’s really important to you.  We realized everyone has something to say, a revelation to share…and we want to hear yours.

From the comfort of your couch, desk, or even while you’re out and about, visit MyCoffeeRevelation.com to share your video, photo, or text revelation, check out other revelations say, and vote on your favorites!  Not only do you have a chance to win a Keurig® Brewer and 6-months of Green Mountain Coffee® K-Cup® portion packs, but your revelation could also be featured on a future advertisement or our ecotainer^® paper cup.

Not bad for a simple revelation, huh?

Right now, we’re looking for the Most Inspiring revelation.  Hop on over to MyCoffeeRevelation.com to vote for the submission you think is Most Inspiring. Of course, if you think your revelation deserves that moniker (and you want to win a brewer and coffee), share your submission with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, or through e-mail.  The revelation with the most votes by July 17, 2010 wins this revelation round, so get sharing!

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By the way, ever seen a 9-foot tall coffee cup before? That’s our Coffee Revelation Booth that travels with us to local events in the summer and acts as a moving submission center for your Coffee Revelations.  If you see it, come on by, enjoy a little Green Mountain Coffee, and share a revelation.

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by Alex Aldrich

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Revelation Statement campaign!  Over the past several months, a message on our eco-friendly cups encouraged our fellow coffee lovers from across the nation to text in their own revelation while enjoying an inspirational cup of Green Mountain Coffee.  After all, with a coffee experience this good, it’s worth sharing the enthusiasm!  We have been overwhelmed and delighted with all of your responses.

The following Revelation Statements came into Green Mountain Coffee, and we loved them so much we decide to print them on our 10, 12, 20, and 24 ounce eco-friendly cups!

Congratulations to the following winners!

“I realized action is the only cure for fear.” – Autumn C., N. Bennington, VT

“I realized quality coffee improves quality of life.” – Matthew M., Sarasota, FL

“I realized it’s all about the company you keep.” – Caitlin B., Madison, WI

“I realized happiness can be found in the most unlikely places.” – Marisa T., Hingham, MA

“I realized I am the change I wish to see in the world.” – Ali W., New York, NY

“I realized you have to speak your mind even if your voice shakes.” – Meagan H., N. Bennington, VT

“I realized it would be a great day when I awoke to find the kids had made the coffee for me!” – Rebecca B., Waterbury, CT

You can find all these revelations on eco-cups wherever Green Mountain Coffee is sold.

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Usually, the Consumer Direct office view looks out at GMC’s Waterbury, VT distribution center. The distribution center is normally lined with Fed Ex trucks backed up to loading docks.  But today, our view was obstructed by a freshly wrapped Green Mountain Coffee truck!   Yes, the little things excite us marketing folks and prompt us to blog. But this was a big project, and an important piece in showing off our new ”I Realized” campaign.

 Across the Northeast, keep your eyes peeled for dozens of these newly wrapped trucks. The graphics truly ”pop” off the truck. The vibrant blue and bold green colors will undoubtedly catch your eye.  Give us a honk when you see us.

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