Big Oak
Fair Trade
Fundraising
Coffee Menu
Big Oak Brew
Big Oak Brew is a tasty medium-light
roast, grown high above the Amazon
basin in Bolivia. Seventeen families of
the AIPEP Grower Cooperative have
organically farmed and hand-picked the
beans that we’ve named in honor of our
school. Big Oak will be paying $5.33
for the 12 ounce bag, and we’ll be
selling it at $9.00—meaning we’ll make
$3.67 on each bag.
Finger Paint Jolt
This medium roast from the Nicaragua
highlands outside Matagalpa carries a
full spectrum of flavor and a deep
profile—there’s a lot going on in this
cup. Great paired with breakfast food.
Our Nicaraguan will cost Big Oak $5.33
per 12 ounce bag, and we’ll be selling it
for $9.00—meaning we’ll keep $3.67 on
each bag.
Mug o’ Monkey Java
A dark, French Roast from Colombia,
this coffee is rich without being overly
bitter and strong without tasting burnt—
a real balancing act in bean roasting.
French Roast will cost us $5.30 per 12
ounce bag, and we’ll be charging
$9.00—meaning we’ll keep $3.70 per
bag.
Nap Time Buzz
Our decaffeinated option will be from
the Maya Vinic Grower Cooperative in
Mexico. The beans have been
decaffeinated using the water-process
method and will be dark roasted for a
real flavor kick despite the fact that they
will be 99.9% caffeine-free. The
decaffeination process is expensive
because it relies on energy to heat
water. Decaffeinated coffee will cost
our school $5.84 per 12 ounce bag, and
we’ll be selling it for $9.50. So we’ll
keep $3.66 per bag.

Beans are available in
both whole bean and
ground versions.
Orders due:
August ?
Delivery:
August ?
Coffee Packaging Changes This Month
Thanks to everyone who has participated in our fair trade fundraising efforts
through Just Coffee. We will continue this sale as long as parents are
interested, but we are changing the packaging effective with this month’s
order. Just Coffee recently restyled their retail bags to respond to customer
requests for packaging which is more freshness-oriented. The new bags are
moisture resistant and have an air valve that releases excess air in the bag
which could otherwise make the coffee lose its flavor. The new packaging will
keep your coffee fresh for up to three months as whole beans and for up to six
weeks as ground coffee. Our student-artwork-adorned custom labels are
being reformatted to fit the new bags.
Just Coffee asked that we pass along the information that the decision to
move to the new packaging was difficult because Just Coffee remains
concerned about environmental impact of their business, and the new bags
are not recyclable. However, the bag company who manufactured the kraft
bags admitted that the thin liner in the old bags rendered them nonbiodegradable, too. Once Just Coffee realized they were using bags that
wouldn’t recycle and didn’t keep coffee fresh, they decided to change. On the
up side, the bags are purchased from a Wisconsin manufacturer, and Just
Coffee has stepped up efforts to recycle in other areas: Bike deliveries will
expand thanks to a stronger cargo trailer, new bulk bags at retail centers will
be completely biodegradable, and Just Coffee continues its tradition of
recycling boxes that are not needed by other community businesses.
Why are the new bags only 12 ounces? Most other coffee suppliers in the US
use 12 ounce packages, and that has caused 12 ounce bags to be the
standard bag produced. One pound bags would need to be custom-made,
which would have made one pound bags nearly 47 cents per bag more
expensive than the old kraft bags. The 12 ounce version is only 14 cents more
expensive.
How does this affect the pricing? The price on coffee has dropped to reflect
the fact that there is less coffee in each package. The price then went up
slightly to reflect the increased price of the new packaging and the increased
labor in filling the bags, which have the extra step in production to heat seal
the tops. Just Coffee is also using this opportunity to break out varieties of
coffee by their real price. Formerly, coffee was priced based on a general
“blend” of all the coffee prices. We’ve decided to price the three regular
coffees at the nine dollar price level and the decaffeinated coffee at $9.50.
With the new pricing, Big Oak will actually be making a little more on each
kind of coffee than we were making under the one pound prices. Note the
side bar coffee menu and price list to see what Big Oak will earn from each
type of coffee.
Tea prices and packaging are staying exactly the same, but we’re happy to
introduce the closest thing Rishi Tea makes to tea bags: Classic black iced
tea is now available in flow-through pouches, each of which make a quart of
delicious iced tea. Iced tea pouches come 5 pouches to a box for $4.50.
We’re proud to be part of the fair trade movement, and we hope you’ll support
fair trade and our school by considering a coffee or tea purchase this month!
The money we make from the sale of these products will be used to fund
improvements in our outdoor areas.
Give it a try! Use the attached order form to place your orders.
For more information, contact Nicole Schneider at 249-3991 or
bocc@charterinternet.com.