On November 14th, two representatives from Gimmie! Coffee gave a very thorough and informative presentation on the specifics of all processes that go in to making a great cup of coffee. With four locations in New York, including one in Ithaca, they are known for great quality, fair trading practices, and their support for local environmental causes. To insure superior quality and therefore taste, they aim to conduct business directly with the grower instead of with a manager or distributor company in the middle. They also provided our group with taste tests of expertly brewed fresh coffee.

As a huge coffee fan and drinker, I very much enjoyed the presentation and the new interesting facts that we were presented with, such as the fact that added flavors such as french vanilla are just chemicals sprayed on to coffee beans as well as the fact that the decaffeination process is equally or possibly even more unglamorous. Although it seems like common sense, I previously did not realize the huge amount of effort and resources it truly takes for us to be able to go to a Starbucks or other coffee shop and order a cup of coffee on the spot in any fancy or simple way we desire. Especially as a college student, I’m very grateful for the easy availability of caffeine for long study sessions. I’m also glad that Gimmie! Coffee only purchases fair trade coffee beans to better support both the farmers themselves and the farmers’ families. Their sourcing of only organic coffee is also a huge plus, as synthetic pesticides and fertilizers can cause immense long-term environmental disturbances. In this way, Gimmie! Coffee supports both the farmers as well as the land the farmers rely on, creating a seemingly sustainable production system of great quality coffee for the residents of New York State.