
10/07/2022
An unexpected update with more info to come ...
Restorative coffee supply chains + real coffee education. Certified green coffee for home-roasting. FAQs:
Can I visit your 2 Matilda St. address? Yes! Our St.
First and foremost, we are a green coffee importer and wholesaler. We specialize in sustainable single-origin coffees from around the world. All of our coffees consist of 100% arabica beans, double-certified (Fair Trade & Organic). We purchase directly from independent coffee cooperatives, whenever possible, and we take our farmers' coffee to our local farmers' markets. Not at the moment. We used
First and foremost, we are a green coffee importer and wholesaler. We specialize in sustainable single-origin coffees from around the world. All of our coffees consist of 100% arabica beans, double-certified (Fair Trade & Organic). We purchase directly from independent coffee cooperatives, whenever possible, and we take our farmers' coffee to our local farmers' markets. Not at the moment. We used
Payment Options: Amex Cash Mastercard Visa
Price Range: $$
General Manager: Brad and Derek Zavislake
Operating as usual
An unexpected update with more info to come ...
Some very interesting news for Central America, Honduras just elected its first female president!
Countries like Honduras suffer major issues of poverty and government corruption, which affect society as a whole and often delay progressive programs such as ours. Hopefully this new female leadership can have a positive effect on the region.
Castro, who declared herself the winner in a speech late on Sunday, has vowed to fight corruption and relax abortion laws
We just sent out an email update regarding coffee orders and are sharing it here in case anyone was missed on the list: https://mailchi.mp/200aa5d85984/processing-orders-update
We're are also streamlining communications and sending out more email newsletters. Visit our website and sign up to our main newsletter if you want to receive those ☕️💚😘
Our cafe move-out taking is longer than expected and it’s an extremely emotional time for us.
We are very appreciative to those who have sent us kind messages, and very sorry to those whom we have not been able to respond to yet.
Operations/Online Orders Update:
-All online orders are on hold on until next week so that we can finish the move.
-We also won’t be able to make it to the St. Lawrence Market tomorrow, but will be back next week.
By next week, all coffee orders and order communication will start flowing again and will continue to post updates here as needed.
Have a nice weekend 💚
We have big news to share...
Just as we're in the middle of the most stressful stage of our transition (moving our beloved cafe out of our building), our Zero Footprint Coffee campaign goes LIVE.
It’s message: Coffee has a huge footprint and this everyday habit we share cannot be sustained without people and our warming planet paying the price.
Zero Footprint Coffee is our streamlined roasted coffee subscription program that's addressing climate change by reducing its carbon footprint to zero... and offsetting the rest with reforestation at the source of production. This is the evolution of our Climate Change Coffee that is designed to GO GLOBAL. It is also our strategy for growing sustainable coffee during a very unstable time for the specialty industry.
We are on a race to get 10K Canadian subscribers as soon as possible in order to save the Cafe Solar® program and make restorative coffee readily available for consumers who care.
By the time the first Zero Footprint Coffee orders start shipping out (Dec. 15th), we will have finished moving and any delayed online orders will be able to flow as well.
Please take a a few minutes to read about what we're up to and help us spread the word ...
Here's how Merchants of Green Coffee is reducing CO2e coffee emissions through subscriptions to its new Zero Footprint Coffee program.
Major announcement about our Restoration Cafe ...
(Merchants of Green Coffee is currently operating online only, with Canada-wide shipping and the St. Lawrence Saturday farmers' market as a local coffee pick-up spot).
Dear friends of Restoration Cafe,
We are sad to announce that as of November 13, 2021 Restoration Cafe is Closed until further notice.
The recent sale of the 2 Matilda St. building to developers, sparked by COVID-19 pandemic conditions, had us preparing to relocate Restoration Cafe to the former Cannonball Cafe location on Queen St; However, we have recently learned that building is also likely being sold.
At this point in time, we are not certain when we will be re-opening Restoration Cafe.
For customers with an outstanding order for pick-up at Restoration Cafe, please see the Urgent Coffee Order FAQs on our website. (Link in profile)
It has been and continues to be a slow and painful pandemic for almost all small businesses and we kept our door open for as long as possible. While we are sad about the (possibly temporary) closure of our beloved cafe home, we are excited about the future.
Merchants of Green Coffee will continue to operate its headquarters at the 2 Matilda St. building while it is under development, and we are working to reduce the carbon footprint of our entire coffee operations to zero 👣
Closed Today.
Saturday, October 16th
We learned on Tuesday that we scored a win; $3.4 million in scientific funding for Cafe Solar (posted on our website).
However, we are not always in control of our coffee supply up here in Canada, and at the same time that we received good news in one area, our specialty supply chain breaks down.
We are experiencing a major supply chain interruption locally and are down to our last bags of Cafe Solar. Obviously this is unexpected and we sincerely apologize.
Fresh coffee is coming in to satisfy orders, we will be moving to a nearby location while 2 Matilda undergoes major renovations in a month, and we are so appreciative of your support.
The moment we get a chance to breathe, we will be posting a complete update with exciting and positive news.
💚💚💚
Urgent coffee order FAQs for anyone who has not seen the update on our website:
Frequently Asked Questions About Coffee Orders COVID-19 Customer Service Update: We are desperately seeking a green investment in order to keep our sustainable coffee mission and program alive. This is not by choice, but out of necessity. This means that most of our efforts are currently focused on....
SOUND ON to listen to a snippet from our Earth Day 2021 coffee podcast ...
We are trying to keep our heads and our flagship coffee program afloat during these very trying times.
This is an uncensored and unscripted coffee talk about the global coffee supply chain, "sustainable" coffee, consumer empowerment and actions that can help lower the coffee carbon footprint today. Listen and start taking control of your coffee now. There is still hope when there is a plan!
The full podcast is published our website today under 🗞️ Fresh Press! Happier Earth Days 💚☕
Our good Earth Day news: Today ChocoSol purchased a half tonne of Cafe Solar green coffee at a critical time, to include in their special blend, and in show of support for our program in Honduras.
Thank you Chocosolistas! 🙌
This gives renewed hope to the growers and shows what wholesale change can look like! These funds will be sent directly to the growers to secure a better future 💚🌎
Happy Earth Day!
Our online payment gateway on our website is back up and running properly now ✅
It’s taken us weeks to resolve, and we are extremely sorry for any inconvenience.
Green Coffee Company sourcing specialty certified green coffee beans, providing real coffee education, and addressing climate change.
🗞️ Fresh Press!
Why Are Many Coffee Farmers Abandoning Their Crops?
Coffee is fueling an "en masse" migration to the US.
The projected number of total migrants (for various reasons; including low coffee prices, political instability, crime, etc.) arriving from Central America and Mexico rises to 1.5 million a year by 2050, from about 700,000 a year in 2025.
This writer presents a very good understanding of the picture:
Coffee growers are forced to leave their coffee farms en masse due to low coffee market prices and instability …
"Foolishness is a twin sister of wisdom."
— Witold Gombrowicz
Happy April Fools ..or should we say.. Happy April, Fools 😉
Today is equinox, a day which occurs twice a year (spring & fall) and, in many ways, signifies a time of balance (when the day and night are approximately equal in length all over most of the planet).
Unfortunately, the coffee world is not in balance. The majority of coffee farmers earn less than $0.50/lb (which can add up to anywhere from about $5-$12 per day, for laborious farm work without any security or financial protection).
So rather than try to paint a rosy picture about balance, we are spreading awareness in celebration of the spring equinox.
Please think about this, share it, and buy better coffee.
Who's ready for the change?
Happy International Women's Day!
When you choose to drink our Cafe Solar or Climate Change Coffee, you are acting on bridging the gender gap in one of the places where it's needed most ...
Cafe Solar green & roasted coffee is the product of women managers who are accomplishing the unprecedented in Honduras; where there are zero existing women's equality organizations, and women being physically and culturally forced into a powerless, domestic livelihood has been "the norm" since Spanish colonization.
Climate Change Coffee has, at minimum, 50% Cafe Solar, and so both of these coffees support our Honduran women business partners.
Thank YOU, for drinking it with us! You are helping move the dial 💗☕
Coffee Acting on Climate Change! Our flagship green coffee! Processed with solar energy, restoring forests in Honduras, and managed carefully by women at all levels of production. Cafe Solar® is currently protecting 425 acres of forest and sequestering about 7,000 metric tonnes of CO2e (carbon emis...
Just a heads up that we will be closed on Mondays until further notice.
Just letting you know that our St.Lawrence Market booth will be closed tomorrow.
For those market customers that need coffee tomorrow, please swing by the cafe and we’ll have a selection of fresh roasted beans available for walk-ins. (Diversity in origins may be limited)
We're all tired of Covid and, as an insider in coffee, we're also tired of witnessing the commercial coffee industry promoting sustainability with NO proven credible efforts being made to address climate change, and coffee prices that continue the cycle of poverty in growing regions.
We just sent out a 2021 Operations Update, announcing our current order processing systems transition. We want to apologize in case any of our orders or communication are delayed during this transition over these next few weeks.
Thank you to all who support our efforts and for those who have sent us kind words of support. Every pound of coffee and every cup brewed makes a difference.
Read the full newsletter here --> https://mailchi.mp/merchantsofgreencoffee/2021-operational-update
We create the opportunity for commercial coffee companies to address sustainability through our flagship coffee/reforestation program (Cafe Solar®).
With the support of the major players in coffee, we can turn this negative report around within a few short years ...
The largest coffee companiesare failing to report transparently on their 2020 commitments, says the new Coffee Barometer issued ...
Happy Solstice!
The sun sets early in the Northern hemisphere today ... This is your reminder to watch for the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction during the first hour after it sets 😉
The two largest planets in our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, are coming closer together than they have been since the Middle Ages, appearing to be a "Christmas Star." This close approach will happen on December 21, but it will be visible through December 25.
This is how we celebrate ...
Ending off this Friday on a high note!
Words cannot express our gratitude to Toronto Life and YOU, our customers. This great exposure to our Climate Change Coffee cause wouldn't happen without you 💚 ...
Here’s how to make the most of every cup with top beans from local roasters
Posting this as early as possible and letting you know that our Hours of Operation are constantly being kept up-to-date on our website as well 👍
Good afternoon!
Believe it not, today the world is celebrating another major issue ... it’s International Mountain Day!
No matter what hemisphere you’re in, mountains are key biodiversity hotspots.
Arabica coffee originates in high-elevation, biodiverse forests closer to the equator; However, current coffee production (growing & processing) encroaches upon the last of our remaining tropical mountain forests.
This needs to change; coffee production must become a force of good if we are to protect these special places.
Forest corridors and coffee buffer zones are the key to conservation here. This is what our Cafe Solar coffee is up to with the Yoro Biological Corridor and Integrated Open Canopy farming. By combining science, policy and market support we are using coffee to protect mountains ⛰✌️
More Information about global Human Rights activities and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals:
Human Rights Day commemorates the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
December is a great time to honor things we care about and on that note ... Happy Human Rights Day!
Social, economic, and environmental issues are all connected and one of the most basic universal human rights is access to safe drinking water. Right now, natural watersheds in many coffee-producing regions are threatened by deforestation. This drinking water supply issue is a major driver behind Cafe Solar's reforestation program.
These images of ours depict:
1. Our non-profit partners, Mesoamerican Development Institute (MDI) + Tulane University researchers + US Forest Service researchers discussing problems and solutions to the watershed issue in the Yoro region of Honduras.
2. A dried-up riverbed example of how bad the situation is getting.
3. The beautiful high elevation cloud forest that is natural to the region.
Today, for the very first time, more than 30 mayors from Yoro and the surrounding municipalities in Honduras are meeting over video conference as part of a coordinated stakeholder engagement.
The main goal: Legally establish the Yoro Biological Corridor before it’s too late.
The pandemic, advancements in communication technologies, and the need to address the climate crisis are at play here; expediting what is usually a devastatingly long process of stakeholder engagement, as access to internet has only recently been established in some of these regions.
Merchants of Green Coffee will be participating and showing market support for Cafe Solar and the forest biodiversity corridor at noon today and we will share details afterwards.
Happy World Soil Day!
Long story short, the earth has lost 1/3 of its soil in the last 40 years and scientists estimate that we humans have 60 years of fertile soil left ...
What can we do? Get informed and support businesses, farmers, science, and policy-makers that work to restore life to soils.
Our Cafe Solar coffee program builds living soils by restoring natural forests and using organic farming and, in fact, living soils are a part of our company inventory! This is what we have been working on all these years and because of it we can prove that sales of Cafe Solar coffee build healthy soils that sequester carbon from the atmosphere. Our carbon offset invoice (see image) not only shows that the coffee sequesters carbon, but also that we purchase Cafe Solar's carbon credits in further support of the program ... and we apply these carbon credits to offset the carbon footprint of our Climate Change Coffee blend.
As a coffee company, our mission is to deliver a better cup through a supply chain with integrity and a unique commitment to quality ... at the same time, we're hardcore environmentalists. Join us in being part of the solution; restoring forests and building living soils. Choose Cafe Solar & Climate Change Coffee.
👉 Our full 2019/2020 carbon offset invoice has now been made public our website "Corporate Documents" page.
Ordering Roasted Coffee From Us Online?
We have just finalized and published a new & detailed roasting schedule on the "Roasted Coffee" page of our website.
There you will find:
- Current Roast Days
- Pick-up & Delivery Info
- Certification Info
Need even more info? We are a small team working hard to provide, but please tell us what other info you need/want to see and we'll try our best to delivery it quickly 😊
👉 https://www.merchantsofgreencoffee.com/our-roasted-coffee/
Guaranteed fresh roasted coffee, certified and sealed with a roast date. Direct from roaster, coffee defined as fresh for only 7 days.
Update: Unfortunately due to late notice we are not able to service our coffee booth at St.Lawrence Market farmers’ market tomorrow.
We will be back open as usual next Saturday December 12th and have reopened the pick-up spot on our website 👍
Update! The St. Lawrence Market indoor farmers market just received permission to operate as an essential during Grey Lockdown.
Now we are waiting to confirm if we will be able to organize the coffee in time to be there for this Saturday. We’ll let you know ASAP
For some fun news, we made handmade holiday cards!
♻️ Using post-consumer Kraft of course
👌 And they can be added to any coffee order in a pinch
*Available now for a limited time on our website
St.Lawrence Farmers’ Market Update:
The indoor farmers market is CLOSED during Toronto’s Grey Lockdown, so for the foreseeable future weeks. (Some outdoor vendors, most of the usual ones, will be open)
This situation may change if they can erect a large outdoor tent quickly, but for now we have removed the St.Lawrence pick-up option from our website.
We will continue to post updates as they come to us 😉💚
Online, gift cards are here!
Paper, plastic … what’s needed is less. Our new online gift cards pay tribute to our original recycled paper cards but require no card at all, and are perfect for showing another coffee-lover you care.
Available now on our website 💚
Heads up! The St. Lawrence Farmers’ Market will be CLOSED tomorrow due to city COVID shopping restrictions.
We will let you know about next weekend as soon as we know ...
... And if you had a coffee pick-up at St.Lawrence, please come to our cafe instead or email us 😉
🗞 Fresh Press! Our coffee school may have been postponed this year, but you can now read all about our coffee teacher, Michael Sivetz.
Coffee-lovers can learn a lot from Sivetz who was a coffee expert, scientist, writer and activist ... with a highly unique and valuable story.
In other news, we sent out a November newsletter today! Head on over to our website and scroll to the bottom to sign up and stay informed 💚
Coffee lovers can learn a lot from Michael Sivetz, an American coffee guru who ‘spilled the beans’ on the corporate coffee industry ...
Typically, we aim to celebrate the start of the weekend with something positive, but this is too important ...
This 45% loss of natural forest parks in Honduras has taken place in just the past 10 years and is directly associated with coffee production; a main export for the country. This deforestation is also destroying natural headwaters that provide drinking water to the region.
The good news: We can do something about if we act now.
Please help spread the word 💚
Take comfort in knowing that each day holds opportunity for action ... and it all starts with great coffee ☕
2 Matilda Street
Toronto, ON
M4M1L9
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Did you know that the St Lawrence Market is the oldest continually-running farmers’ market in North America, and Toronto’s oldest marketplace? It’s also where you can find the freshest, double-certified (Fair Trade & Organic) coffee in all of Toronto today! ... We now roast our green coffees on Friday so they are as fresh as possible for Saturday morning market goers. Find us there every Saturday from 6am-1pm (in the south building) We always have a selection of fresh beans available. For custom orders visit our website. It’s definitely the in-season to shop local and we look forward to seeing you there bright and early! ☕️☀️
Mothers are super special ... Nothing more to say. Celebrate and protect mothers today and every day. (🔊 Sound ON for this one)
Our first livestream by the stream attempt (during which we had no wifi signal) evolved into the latest “Wok (Coffee) Roasting” video now published on the homepage of our website. All videos are meant to inspire the sparks that light the fire. Lot’s more to come so stay tuned in … #freshcoffee #bethechange #makecoffeebetter #mgcbeansinside
Staying home and brewing up good things ... #consciouscoffee #lowfootprint #coffeebrewing #socialdistancing
Two minutes ‘til midnight ... time to start roasting 🔥 Individuals taking control of their coffee supply & freshness starts with a bag of green and takes just 10-12 minutes per week!
Happy Ethiopian New Year ❤️💚💛 The actual day was yesterday, but you can bet we’ll be burning frankincense all week long!
It's Friday AND Earth Month so we spent the afternoon clubbin'; that is, speaking to the The Rotary Club of Toronto about a very important topic with regards to the environment: Coffee & Deforestation 🌲🌲🌲 If you're not already aware of the environmental impact of wood-burning coffee dryers then please take note. If you ARE already in the know, please tell others. As consumers, we need to educate ourselves and one another about these issues so that we can collectively shift the market towards sustainable solutions!
Most coffee co.’s sell you roasted coffee. One of the things we do is sell green, unroasted coffee so that people can go home and learn how to roast themselves. ✏️ Comprehensive oven-roasting instructions are now published on our website: https://merchantsofgreencoffee.com/green-coffee/how-to-roast-green-coffee-in-your-oven/ Please enjoy, and know that we're happy to answer questions and help troubleshoot your roast!
There really isn’t anything quite like a freshly roasted, ground and brewed cuppa coffee, all goin’ down in a farmers’ field ☕️🚜
We had a blast roasting coffee in Nathan Phillips Square on Earth Day! Thanks Regeneration International for capturing our founder and CEO explaining why we spend so much time and effort carting around this 200lb machine!
Believe it or not, we never planned to have a cafe, but this is the weekend vibe here now and we are so grateful! “A cafe is an intersection of social (community) and commerce and it’s the environment of the cafe that determines its success .. it should be a place for discussion and thought, and a cafe today should take you places in your mind and through its coffees .. it should feel comfortable and invigorating, much the way a lively trading port or market would have felt in the past.” Derek Zavislake, co-founder of Merchants of Green Coffee ///☕️///
When roasting over an open flame this summer, it's important to keep the beans moving. Do not stop shaking .. not even for a second if you can help it, otherwise the surface of the beans will burn while the inside remains underdeveloped. Shake shake shake and repeat ☝️
Do you love coffee as much as we do? We're hiring cafe staff! Come learn/make great coffee with us 😀 Email your resume to [email protected]
It's fridaaaaay .. time to get our boogie on! 🎶 We roast small-batch single origin coffees in-house every single day. See you in the morning! 👋
Nothing but certified Fair Trade beans pass through our hands. The Fair Trade organization sets a minimum base price of US$1.37 per pound to farmers for green coffee beans and is a third party, non-profit certification body based in Germany. And Fair Trade doesn't just protect coffee farmers with a base price, it also guarantees a transparency in the coffee trade by opening the books on the transactions between farmers and buyers. Fair Trade coffee is truly traceable coffee. Fair Trade coffee is better quality coffee (farmers that are paid more take more care with their product). Fair Trade coffee supports women. It is for these reasons that we are 100% fair traders. Happy Fair Trade month ☕️
Water boiling, coffee roasting, brewing .. any excuse to play with nature's elements! Proper brewing requires the water temperature to be between 195-205 degrees F. VERY IMPORTANT because if your water isn't at proper temp. It won't extract the full spectrum of the coffee's flavour 👍
Ever thought about roasting your own coffee? We'll show you how it's done at our upcoming "Art of Roasting" coffee workshop, and at the same time, we'll be revealing the real key to coffee freshness 🔑 You'll find out that roasting coffee is as easy as toasting nuts or making popcorn, and you may start to wonder why you don't do it once a week! This workshop is also an opportunity to learn about the science behind the roast process & coffee freshness; the history of roasting; the different industry practises used; and you'll be able to ask all the roasting and coffee-related questions you've been dying to have answered. Workshop Date: Sat. October 29th, 10:00am-12:30pm Register in advance by purchasing your ticket on our website: http://www.merchantsofgreencoffee.com/education/coffee-workshops/?view=art-of-roasting Questions or problems purchasing a ticket? Email us at [email protected]
In-house baking + coffee roasting going down EVERY morning from now on! Come get in on this bubbling butteriness ;)
Yeee! Our friend (& amazing videographer) just sent us his GoPro action shot atop the flagpole!! Thanks Scott :)
We were educating n' entertaining The New Farm this weekend, all in support of community food banks and kitchens, like The Stop Community Food Centre, and in support of all small farmers everywhere! Did you know that coffee farmers get paid less than the price of a paper coffee cup per pound of coffee they produce?! It's about time we change those backwards economics and we're ready with some solutions 😉
We specialize in sourcing and developing markets for certified green coffee beans, partnering with like-minded organizations to bring better coffee to as many consumers within our reach.
Like our early seafaring predecessors, we are voyagers; seeking to establish ideal supply routes for trading coffee. For more than 20 years we’ve been observing; experimenting with; and learning from past and present practices, cultures and technologies; while working to build alternative coffee supply chains that improve the quality and sustainability of coffee today and in future.
We stand firm on organic farming, fair trade and coffee education. 95% of our coffee supply is certified organic and 100% is certified Fairtrade, and it’s been this way since our inception. In fact, we were the very first licensed importer of Fairtrade coffees in North America!
Triple Bottom Line is what we like to call “new school” economics. It is an economic model for business that takes into account—not just profits and returns to shareholders—but also the business’s impact on the people in its supply chain and the environment affected by it. (These are referred to as the business’s “stakeholders”).
Our three bottom lines are:
— Fresh Coffee (Economic; ensuring profits)
— Fair Trade (Social; empowering people)
— Green Business (Environment; restoring the planet)
Sustainability is a fundamental component of our supply chain. Our flagship coffee; Cafe Solar®, is the product of a women-managed program that’s pioneering two major, sustainable innovations in coffee today: solar-powered coffee processing (aka “solar-dried coffee” and restorative farming (via Integrated Open Canopy “forest” farms).
All of our coffees are packaged in biodegradable bags made of post-consumer content with a vegetable-based lining. We call them; “premium brown bags”, and we know they don’t sparkle and shine but we also know they don’t last for hundreds of years in landfills, and thus represent the most environmentally responsible form of coffee packaging today.
Defining coffee freshness and committing to serving nothing but the truly fresh-roasted beans separates our roasted coffee supply from most others. Our discovery that coffee naturally oxidizes 5-7 days after roasting led to the creation of our Fresh Coffee Network; a network of local roasters who roast our certified green beans on a weekly basis and deliver the coffee within 24 hours of roasting (each bag sealed with its roast date).
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