Micro-Roasters Raise the Bar on the Bean

October 06 2010
Posted in Rogue Valley - Find It - Rogue Valley

Remember when coffee came in aluminum cans labeled with a brand name and little more information than "mountain grown"? Those days have gone the way of the dinosaur.

Today's coffee quaffers are uber-conscious of where, how, when and by whom their daily drop is cultivated. In the Rogue Valley, the current buzz that's gathering steam is all about responsibly grown, fair-traded and locally roasted coffee.

Jared Rennie, owner of Noble Coffee Roasting in Ashland, searches out coffee bean farms all over the world that support organic and sustainable growing practices and are dedicated to providing sustainable wages for their workers. Certified 100-percent organic, fairly traded, and shade-grown, Rennie's beans are now available by mail order and at select Southern Oregon retail stores, restaurants and the company's cafe, located on Ashland's Fourth Street.

Dedicated to fair trade practices and committed to the Rainforest Alliance, Medford's Mellelo Coffee Roasters is a local tradition that helped set the standard for micro-roasters. Their beans are roasted daily in the restored Central Point Fire Department building and are sold by the pound and by the cup at two Medford locations.

Filling your mug with these locally roasted, responsibly grown brews helps local businesses flourish while supporting sustainable growing and working conditions throughout the world's coffee regions. Now that's worth the buzz!