Hello,

My name is Stu. I am a student at IU in Bloomington and I buy your coffee at Bloomingfoods. I love your coffee and your work, I also voted for Darth Vader and am happy he won the poll,

Keep up the good work!

Stuart R.

It is late.

I am writing from Ireland.

Met you folks in Chicago.

Bye for now.

i just bought some coffee on the site and am awaiting shipment in pittsburgh...cmon brown....cant wait to try it,,i have been frustrated by the high prices and marginal quality of even the better coffees available in the supernarkets and the local roasters is a special trip...not always convenient..i look forward to getting a quality option at a price that allows me my little luxury and can explore the other varietals...btw does bulk coffee at the supermarket get mixed together all of it tastes about the same...not bad but barely distinguishable

I am sitting here in Cafe Soleil in Madison enjoying your coffee.

Nice place, great coffee.

Thanks!

Edith Baxter

Aaron here in Eau Claire. We started our revolutionary worker-owned cooperative local food store around the same time as JC, in the same state as JC.

We've been trying to upgrade our online presence and I always cite the JC website here as an example of what I'd like our site to do - educate, entertain, and hopefully provide some productivity. Great work. We're proud to sell coffee you've roasted and bagged!

Kent. I work at Centro Hispano here in Madison. Did you see the front page of La Comunidad this week? Some students from Mecha were protesting Burger King for the Immokalee workers. Love the coffee.

I am

I am

I am Superman.

I know what's happening.

It is nice to put a face - with a comment and visit! That is one bad thing about feed readers - they are not personal!

Great work you are doing. I finally registered, not sure why I did not do it sooner.

..be bold

Jason Duncan
Cafe Evoke Catering - Oklahoma's premier specialty coffee catering company
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Hello Just Coffee!

I work at a non-profit on the west coast that deals with Fair Trade issues and I have met some of you before.

I prefer Jay-Z and the Beatles together over the Stones.

Hi my name it Tim. I'm interested in growing coffee and agriculture so I read your site.

Cheers
Tim
http://www.nuganics.com.au

Hiya! It's Chantal here, you know, that student from Montreal who tagged along to Guatemala. Just thinking about traveling to Nicaragua ;-).

Hi everybody in Just Coffee
Yes, you have people visiting your web site from as far away as Athens, Greece. We have started a solidarity trade cooperative two years ago, selling mostly zapatista coffee (like you do :-). Here is the info we have in english:
http://sporos.org/en
Well, just wanted to say i really like your web site, and what's more i really like what you say about fair trade and the way you actually practice it.
So, if any of you happen to visit Greece for holidays (Madison is pretty unlikely for us), send us a message!
info@sporos.org
ILias

I am a guy doing some very prelinary research on exporting coffee to eastern Europe. Right now it is just some fuzzy plans scribbled on a napkin at a party. But it is a start and if I do decide to do such a thing, I am committed to doing it in a non-exploitive, fairly traded way. One of the first steps is finding coffee, thus you folks.

BTW, I like what I see.

Our family participates in a number of human rights activities. For instance, last year for Halloween we did reverse trick-or-treating, going door-to-door and passing out fair trade chocolate to our neighbors.

The chocolate / child slave labor situation is a big concern to our family, and for the past year we've boycotted all chocolate unless we are positive it's from a non-slave source.

We are interested in selling fair-trade chocolate as a fundraiser for the human rights educational group we are involved with, and possibly just as a side business.

That's how I found your site - looking for products to resell.

Hey there from North Carolina. Found you several years ago after a friend introduced me to peace and social justice movements through the local Catholic church.

I was impressed that you published your contracts online so that we can see it is fair trade and few "middle men." Love the shipping in recycled boxes, the kraft bags (why did you go to plastic valves???), and the sustainable delivery (though not to me.... sorry!).

Hoping one day to see a store or restaurant in NC on your list! Keep up the great work!

a member of GRITS
(girls raised in the south)

Hello all,

I just wanted to drop a note saying how awesome you guys are. First of
all, it's refreshing to be able to buy products that are both 'eco' and
ethically conscience. It's a plus that your coffee tastes so good!

Secondly, your customer service matches your mission. A few months ago, I
had ordered some coffee online. It got sent, then promptly stolen off of
my front stoop. Not, realizing this, I called to see where my coffee was.
I was helped by Matt, I believe, who insisted that I be sent more coffee. When I went to give him my CC#, he refused, saying it was on the house. After a few more attempts at delivering the coffee, I got it. Another
employee suggested that I get my coffee from Swim Cafe, to insure that it
wouldn't get stolen. Everyone that I spoke to was gracious and patient
and very helpful.
Overall, I have always enjoyed your coffee and as someone in the customer
service industry, I completely appreciate what a great job you are all
doing in that department. Thank you! You can count on my loyal patronage
and referrals!

Sincerely Yours,
Meghan Kelly

Hi
The Stones or the Beetles? Hmmm- that was back in the good-ol days. Anyhoo- Just one question.

In the neighborhood garden Grupo Romit, do they grow any other vegetables besides Kang Kong? Gardening for food security is of great interest to me-
Thanks,

"Mystery Baby Boomer"

I am David. Im a manager at The Fix Cafe in Chicago. We recently started getting your coffee here and its working out very well. We can't get over how cool this whole operation is. we are humbled and excited to be part of it.
peace

Dear Col. Matt,

I just read you have been made a Col.... which explains why your emails say "Col. Matthew C. Earley" at the bottom.... Congradulations.

Just wanted to tell you that I really appreciate you throwing design work my way. You guys always give me so much creative freedom (which as a graphic designer, I'm not always used to) and make what I do fulfilling knowing that I'm helping a great cause, even if only in a small way. Since working with you, I check out the site often to see what kind of new things are going on at JC. It's really inspirational to see a group of people who genuinely care about what they're doing for a living...

I've tried to spread the word around Mil-town about what everyone at JC does.... and in the process, I've also gotten quite a few people addicted to your coffee.

Thanks again for everything!
Paloma

My husband and I found you guys online after watching the documentary Black Gold left us wanting to support fair trade in general and the Ethiopian cooperative in particular. We love to order the 5-pound bags (we drink a fair amount of coffee for two people) and have tried several different varieties over the last year or two. I'm from Racine (and live in Chicago now) and am happy to support a Madison business!

Tim J. visits JustCoffee.net
cuz I have traveled to Chiapas each January for the last 13 years. I travel to the camps in los altos above San Cristobal via Sister Josephina of clinica La Privavera. I have visited the Mul Vitz coffee coop in the past and picked coffee in the old camp of Choyeb.
Now, each year I visit Acteal,visit the indigenous school in Salinas(Zinancantan)with donated supplies, and purchase medications with the doctor from an indigenous school for the developmentally disabled of San Cristobal.
I have accompanied a leader of Ciepac on his trips to Zapatista meetings across Chiapas.
This January I was in Oaxaca while coop folk were meeting with the coop farmers there.
I work with the International Red Cross in Ocosingo and travel with them into the Lacandon. I interpret,train and party with the firefighters of San Cristobal, Comitan, Tuxtla Gutierez and Tonala, Chiapas.
Revolutionaries drink coffee. Back home in Wisconsin, I buy JustCoffee Chiapas decaff.

I've tried all of your dark roast coffees (purchased from the New Pioneer Coop in Iowa City). Coffee is great and I love your artwork on the bags.

My name is A.J. and i currently live in Madison but for the past three months have lived in Haiti. I am a coffee addict and have been drinking it since i was 12 years old and nothing seems to be more exciting about drinking coffee except knowing where it comes from and how it is made. Peace.

Thanks for asking the "Who are you?" question. A student once told me I was a "discloser" so I am probably not the reticent person you were seeking out -- I would have contacted you eventually anyway, just seeing what a cool business you are running.

Dr. Java is what a local paper called me about a year ago. I am a geography professor who has gotten increasingly interested in coffee, and with the help of a nearby roaster, I am about to embark on my third study tour (each with about a dozen students) to Nicaragua -- the Geography of Coffee. I started with an interest in fair trade, and have since become a voracious student of the brew -- and a fomenter of coffee justice.

See http://webhost.bridgew.edu/jhayesboh/coffee/ for what I have been up to and what I have planned.

I found you through a Facebook ad, by the way, which appeared when I did a search for the What Would Jesus Buy movie.

I'll be adding you to my site soon!

I live on the second floor.

No, actually, my name is Danny Isaacs, and I am an old friend of Matt Earley's. Here are my responses to the informal questionnaire above:

Q: What do you do?
A: As little as humanly possible, while still remaining a viable and interesting person. It's tough.

Q: Where do you live?
A: In San Francisco. More specifically, I live in an apartment with my wife, Samantha, and our lovely chocolate lab, Frannie.

Q: What do you think of our site and co-op?
A: I love the site, and unfortunately I've never visited the co-op. Madison is far away from San Francisco, and a pop-in is tough. The coffee rocks, though, I do know that.

Q: Where do you sit with the issues?
A: I'm to the left of left of left of center. I'm glad Obama won the election, and I hope he lives up to the hope-hype. I'm an atheist -- and not one of those who claim to be "spiritual, just not religious." Nope, none of that. Although we did celebrate Christmas this year.

Q: Stones or Beatles?
A: The Stones, man! Who are the Beatles?

It is I, Pickle, from Viroqua, WI. It was - 36 F last week.

My interests include transistor radios and light bulbs.

Greetings to the honorable Matthew Early. It my dream to be a Kentucky Colonel as well.

Go Kats.

I saw the cool packaging you did for Break Room Live coffee. I'm a long-time Maron & Seder fan going back to the Morning Sedition and Majority Report days. This packaging is hilarious. I WANT SOME!! Any chance you'll make this generally available? If you do this, I'll pay for your ads on my blog.

Jill

Brilliant at Breakfast
Stomping Monsters since 2004

Hi

I second the motion for Maron v Seder coffee availability.

Kevin

Hi! I want to try your coffee (I'm sure It's wonderful), but there are so many choices, I don't know what to pick. What I REALLY want is the same coffee that you sent Sam and Marc in that awesome packaging:) You had to know this was coming, right?

P.S. I'm very impressed with the work you're doing here.

Sincerely,
Karen
aka oneundonebird

I want some Break Room Live, is there a chance ya'll will have a limited edition supply?

Thanks-

AWH

I'm voting for "Maron v.Seder/Breakroom Live/Almost Air America/
Internet Info From Marginal Celebrities/I-Like-My-Political-Outlook&Analysis-Like-I-Like-My-Coffee-Dark-Black-Bitter&Steaming
Net-Streaming" Brand Coffee.

Seriously, I would like a set of the Breakroom blends (were those 12oz.?) as seen on on MVSlive and a 12oz. of the Maya Superdark.

Let me know if that's at all possible.

i'm a grad student in anthropology, and i've been visiting Santa Anita in Guatemala for two years now (i think i just missed you guys last year) and plan on staying for fieldwork for a year or so, starting this fall. Rigoberto is amazing & i can't wait to get back & talk with him again. i'm investigating the different ways folks are inserting themselves into the global economy and learning more about how the global market works. maybe we'll cross paths down south in the future?...
take care & thanks for all you do,
courtney

I'm a blogger from Sam Seders Show blog at http://www.samsedershow.com

thanks for sponsoring Sam and Marc.

We'll be celebrating our 5th year in March.

My website is http://www3.telus.net/Art-Adventures/

I'm a car, motorcycle and aircraft restorer.

good luck in 09!

Jim Sofra

604 864 nospam 9649

Just purchased 10 lbs of your Nicaragua and Revolution Roast.

If you whip up a Breakroom Live blend I will buy some of that too.

Thanks for supporting Sam and Marc, and for just being...

I am Alex. I am a Break Room Live fan in Orange County. You support BRL, I support you, you support independent growers. Everybody wins!

Just ordered some las Diosas, Dominican, Ethiopian, and Peruvian. I'll be stacking it up against my local roaster, so roast this one up special!

Can't wait to try it out. I'll buy some of that Break Room Live blend when it's ready.

Minchul from Seoul, Korea. I googled your homepage while looking for fair trade coffee from south america. Thanks for great information.

After what the stones either did or allowed their army of lawyers to do on their behalf to The Verve i would hope no one would be voting for them over anyone.

from wikipedia about The Verves most famous song "bittersweet symphony":

Although the song's lyrics were written by Verve vocalist Richard Ashcroft, it has been credited to Keith Richards and Mick Jagger because the song uses the Andrew Oldham Orchestra recording of The Rolling Stones' 1965 song "The Last Time" as its foundation.

Originally, The Verve had negotiated a license to use a sample from the Oldham recording, but it was successfully argued that the Verve had used 'too much' of the sample.[4] Despite having original lyrics, the music of "Bitter Sweet Symphony" is partially based on the Oldham track (the song uses the sample as its foundation and builds layers upon it, though the prominent violin melody is Ashcroft's creation), which led to a lawsuit with ABKCO Records, Allen Klein's company that owns the rights to the Rolling Stones material of the 1960s. The matter was eventually settled, with copyright of the song reverting to ABKCO and songwriting credits to Jagger and Richards.
“ "We were told it was going to be a 50/50 split, and then they saw how well the record was doing," says band member Simon Jones. "They rung up and said 'we want 100 per cent or take it out of the shops', you don't have much choice."[5] ”

After losing the composer credits to the song, Richard Ashcroft commented, "This is the best song Jagger and Richards have written in 20 years."

The song was later used, against the will of the band, by Nike in a shoe commercial. As a result, it was on the Illegal Art CD from the magazine Stay Free!. The song was also used in a Vauxhall Motors commercial and several of Opel, prompting Ashcroft to declare onstage, "Don't buy Vauxhall cars, they're shit." However, the band was able to stop further use of the song by employing the European legal concept of moral rights.

Ashcroft and the band's reaction to the loss of control and financial rewards from what was their most popular song was not positive; and it has been argued that the issue contributed to Ashcroft's depression and the band's later split.

On Ashcroft's return to touring, the song traditionally ended the set list. Ashcroft also reworked the single for 'VH2 Live' for the music channel VH1, stripping the song of its strings. Ashcroft is quoted as saying during the show: "Despite all the legal angles and the bullshit, strip down to the chords and the lyrics and the melody and you realize there is such a good song there."

He also dedicated the song to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards at a gig at the Sage Gateshead in Gateshead. After several audience members booed, Ashcroft exclaimed, "Don't boo, man. As long as I can play this song I'm happy to pay a few of those guys' bills."

In a Cash For Questions interview with Q magazine in 1998, Keith Richards was asked if he thought it was harsh taking all The Verve's royalties from "Bitter Sweet Symphony" to which he replied, "I'm out of wack here, this is serious lawyer shit. If The Verve can write a better song, they can keep the money."

Oh and more to the point of the thread you guys rock love your work, keep it up =)

Howdy, my name is Charlie. I am a retired nurse. I still keep my liscense current. I live on the East Coast near Asbury Park NJ. I have always looked at all the people in the world as one family. When one is in need the rest should do what they can to help.

I found out abot Fair Trade while watching Democracy Now on Free Speech TV. It just happened to be one of their donation gifts. I now buy dark chocolate, the Best, and coffee from FT. It makes me feel good knowing that the money goes directly to the farmer.

I only hope that the ones who buy the products treat the farmers fairly and do not make excessive salaries at their expwnse.

Keep up the Good work an a BIG Thanks to all of you.

Hello all! Arby isn't my real name. It's not a super secret. I'm just being a bit careful.

Serving coffee and justice eh? I like that. I'm a coffee lover here in Toronto who likes to check out the many independents (whose numbers are growing!). I'm also interested in one day opening a cafe of my own, although I don't know how I would get past the financial hurdle. I don't even have a credit card.

I'm always thinking coffee. It surprises me how hard it is to find that special cup. One can find that special espresso bar. But that special cup? Not so easy. As I mentioned in another discussion about coffee elsewhere (Chowhound or Martini Boys), Espresso is an interesting drink. You can find satisfaction in a less than stellar espresso. But you have to have the taste in a regular brewed coffee. The taste in a regular brewed coffee is everything. But espresso is measured by it's body and flavor notes (which I'm not convinced are anything like what those who want to glamorize coffee say) and can actually lack any special taste but still be good, unless you get it served to you in a cold cup. At least that's my experience. But find that espresso that has it all, including taste... That's a find!

And the best espresso I've had in TO lately hasn't been somewhere where coffee was the central part of their business! The place that I found that espresso was a hole-in-the-wall spot in the Toronto Life Center that's now gone!

As someone who dreams of having his own shop, I'm always taking mental notes when visiting cafes and checking things out. What to do (friendliness and a machine that you can completely control and the right beans) and what not to do (prioritize latte art over a decent drink and the customers' satisfaction). And what to think.

Coffee might become the 'physical' center of my business, but it won't become the absolute center of my business. That center will be on my, and others', satisfaction, whether it's via the coffee, the tea or the snacks served, or the overall experience. I'm not profit motivated even if I have to deal with money like everyone else in this money system. Therefore I'm not going to, nor do I want to, approach coffee exactly the way that capitalists would. My interest is in life and what makes a good life. Period. I also believe that one should give what one wants to get, and not give what one does not want to get. I want a wonderful life for myself and all others who want it and are of goodwill.

Hey, ya'll, my name's JD and I'm a singing-songwriting guitar playing Southern Cali (since 1973) ex-pat living in the wilds of East Texas. My arrival at Just Coffee has been quite an evolution. I've just placed my third order since discovering you through Marc Maron and Sam Seder (BRL - RIP!).

I remember being 6 years-old and begging Mom to let me have some of that mysterious steaming liquid she was constantly pulling out of the shining silver spaceship-like percolator. I was thinking it must be as good as cocoa. Yikes!!! There wasn't enough sugar and milk to make coffee palatable for this kid - at THAT time (maybe if it was a fresh ground French pressed Just Coffee variety). In my wee years I couldn't even tolerate coffee flavored candy.

Years later, in high school, my LA suburban friends and I would get high and then go to a nearby Winchell's Donuts to furthur stimulate our psychoactivated adolescence. Admittedly, this newbie required quite a bit of sugar and milk with his joe.
I didn't take my coffee black until a couple of years later, sometime after landing at Dallas' Love Field to visit family here - indefinitely.

Then came a decade or two of diners, cafes, greezy spoons, and home brewed store bought national brands, both ground and instant. My need for bean didn't become more cultivated until I went to work for the local retail outlet of a roaster here in East Texas. The job demanded a finer tuned palate, and some knowledge of what this stuff was and why it varied depending on regions and climates. The company was later bought up by the guy/el jefe who owns and operates a plantation in Costa Rica. He quickly changed the name and applied a more corporate/plantation mindset to what had once be a nice mom and pop operation.

I'm long gone from the bean biz. I work for a lawyer now, but my need for bean continues to evolve. Ain't it about time it became more geopolitically oriented?
As much as I've enjoyed coffee, I've known for a long time that those who were most instrumental in the cultivation of this great medicine, were very poorly compensated to the point of being exploited.

Just Coffee is my first experience with Fair Trade, Organic coffee and, with all the varieties of beans, roasts, and blends, I see no need to drink anything else. No one locally offers anything that can compete. Now I can feel better about feeling so good.
Bless, ya'll.

P.S.
I voted for Obama (there are many of us here in this red state) but without any illusions that a Democrat could be The Great Progressive Hope, but I love him for trying. The Beatles changed my life, the Stones added some grit, and Dylan took it to the carnival.

I'm Shelley, a Madisonian HOOKED on your beans. My favorite is the Jenny St. Blend, followed closely by Solidarity! =)

Thanks for the GREAT java!