Week 9

Wonderstate- Viroqua, WI 

https://wonderstate.com/

Not only was Bloom by Wonderstate my favorite out of the 6 coffees from my cuppings, Wonderstate has the most detailed, in-depth plan on what they are currently doing and what they will be doing to creat a delicious, sustainable coffee. While all 4 of the other coffees roasted in Wisconsin stated that they were, some or all of these, organic, responsibly sourced, small batches, sustainability, transparency, long term relationships with small farm holder none of them described how they were doing this and none of them talked about climate resilence or helping the farmers that grow their coffee.

Wonderstate went 100% solar powered in 2015, this made them one of the first coffee roasters in the world to power from an onsite solar array. Their efforts to shrink their carbon footprint and mitigate their ecological impacts go beyond their solar field, they purchase carbon offsets for all their wholesale shipping and source 94 to 97% of all their coffees by volume from certified organic produces annually.

“A truly sustainable future in coffee must be a just and resilient one. From our efforts to ensure equitable farmer compensation, to supporting regenerative agricultural practice, to packaging our coffee in biodegradable packaging, we’re working to do our part.  
In order to find coffees that meet our stringent quality standards and support the future of the farms and producers we work with, we’ve developed a sourcing model that’s one of a kind. We like to call it “Sourcing Coffee for the Collective Good.” “

They have developed their own sourcing model, that is truely one of a kind, called “Sourcing Coffee for the Collective Good”

FARMER STABILITY: Coffee farmers face countless variables. Finding a consistent buyer shouldn’t be one of them.  Long-term partnerships build quality and trust throughout the supply chain. Each time you buy Wonderstate you’re helping us keep our long-term partnerships.

CLIMATE RESILIENCE: In 2020, 96.5% of all coffee we purchased was organic. We donate $.03 per pound of coffee we purchase through Cooperative Coffee to their Impact Fund, which supports farmer education and regenerative agriculture practices to cultivate climate resilience. In 2020, Wonderstate committed to being “carbon responsible”. We worked with a third party organization to set up a system to track our carbon impact. We offset emissions with donations to climate resilience groups.

PAY TRANSPARENCY: We ask for pay transparency throughout our supply chain. By having a keen understanding of supply chain costs, we can guarantee higher farmer compensation and that anyone else getting a slice of the pie is adding fair value to us and coffee farmers.

COOP STRONG: We purchase the majority of our coffee from cooperatives. Since 2006, our membership in Cooperative Coffees, the world’s only cooperatively owned coffee importer, has opened incalculable doors. Like establishing direct relationships with producers from the start, even when four of us ran Wonderstate out of a little train depot. When producers organize in cooperatives, they pool resources and achieve more together, too — like representation on governance boards and higher profits. Because farmers should have a voice beyond production.

PAYING FARMERS MORE: Producers often don’t make enough money to cover production costs. For coffee to have a future, producers must make more. That’s why in 2017, we established an industry leading minimum price guarantee, and we’re committed to raising it .05 cents every year. Our 2021 price guarantee: 55% above current Fair Trade Organic minimum of $1.90 per pound — at $2.95 per pound FOB.

DELICIOUS COFFEE: Outstanding coffee is not a pleasurable accident. It’s an invitation to be present to something fleeting and delicious. It’s the result of terroir and painstaking attention to detail — from farm to roastery. We are a six-time Good Food Award winners. Roast Magazine’s 2010 Roaster of the Year. And have over 40 coffees scoring 90+ points on Coffee Review.

DIRECT RELATIONSHIPS: We purchase 100% of our coffees directly from growers and exporters around the world. Direct relationships give us the best opportunity to make meaningful and lasting impacts in our supply chain. The closer we are to each stage of coffee production and movement, the higher the quality coffee we can deliver to you.

INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS: Creative relationships allow for unique projects. We keep an eye out for opportunities. True collaboration within our supply chain allows for mutual trust, benefit, and quality. Here’s one example: $1 from every pound we sell of Organic Project Congo Muungano directly supports gender equity work by On the Ground in Congo.

SMALLHOLDER FARMERS: 80% of our supply chain comes from farms smaller than 12 acres. 100% of our coffee comes from farms under 125 acres. Sourcing from small farms means putting our dollars into the hands of families where we can have the greatest impact. It also means supporting an agricultural model that protects important biodiversity and supports Indigenous and rural communities the world over.
“Sustainable Coffee Roasters: Specialty Coffee: Wonderstate.” Wonderstate Coffee, Wonderstate Coffee, wonderstate.com/.

Every year they also donate 5% of all their profits to community based initiatives that help support a more resilient and equitable, not only within the coffee industry, but also beyond.