When I plant rainbow chard and Japanese eggplant out in the potager it's not because I must, it's because I get to. Gardening is a privilege and a hobby. It is not my source of food or financial provision, but I love going through the process of gardening as it reminds me that many work the land to feed their families and that the simple pleasures I enjoy every day are directly related to another's harvest.
As a part of celebrating Fair Trade Month in the month of October, I was given an opportunity to learn about Fair Trade Certified™ coffee through Green Mountain Coffee®. They were generous enough to send me my very own Keurig® (I've always wanted one!) and a generous supply of their delicious Fair Trade Certified™ Three Continent Blend coffee.
If you are not familiar with Fair Trade, it is a global movement to better the lives of farmers and their families through providing fair prices for their commodities. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. offers the largest selection of Fair Trade Certified coffees in the U.S. That means that they offer a fantastic variety of coffee that we in turn can feel good about supporting while making a difference globally.
Did you know that buying Fair Trade helps...small-scale coffee farmers and their families? …helps keep kids in school? …helps women support their families? It's a win win for all. Fair prices for farmers means a better quality of life for them, a better cup of coffee for consumers, and a global market we can all benefit from.
As for my new Keurig? I have the Platinum, and I love it! It is quiet, fully programmable, and is perfect for a busy family like ours. I also love that Troy can brew up a cup of the dark roast and I can follow that up with a cup of something mild and flavored. Oh--and it's simple enough to use that the older boys are providing bed-side coffee service! Perks of motherhood. :)
If you don't know much about the products you buy and what items are available as Fair Trade, this is the month to learn more about it! This fall, musician Kelly Clarkson is teaming up with Green Mountain Coffee® to share her experience visiting a coffee farm in Peru and the importance of Fair Trade. Watch exclusive videos of Kelly Clarkson’s adventures in Peru and learn more about Fair Trade at ChooseFairTrade.com.
One of you lucky readers can win a Keurig® Brewing System and a Green Mountain Coffee® gift basket! To enter, simply answer in the comments: Are you a coffee drinker, and if so, would you consider buying fair trade coffee?
Sweepstakes Rules: No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods: Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winner will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here. This sweepstakes runs from 09/19/13-10/31/13.