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Introducing the Bee Bold Alliance
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Bee Bold Alliance
A Regenerative Network for Pollinator Protection
Right now, bees are dying worldwide at an alarming rate. Why should you care? Because bees and other pollinators are an essential link in the food chain—our food chain.
The Bee Bold Alliance is a movement to help people attract and sustain pollinators in their home gardens, and at their place of work through habitat restoration and creation.
The Bee Bold Alliance blog will share stories that follow both the root causes for the disappearance of the bees and why it is so important to listen to the pollinators. Join us as we explore the diversity and abundance of our Pollinators of the world.
The Four Areas of Focus:
Culture: How Beauty, Art, and Intention Influence our Ecology
Provisions: The Power of Food & Herbal Medicine for Global Health
Regulation: Regenerative Systems for Ecological Solutions
Support: Soil and Water Health, and Traditional Place-based Knowledge of Native People
In these stories we tell how to collaborate with our Bee Bold Partners for the greater good of all. We will look into how we learn from our mistakes and utilize all of the tools available to us to solve the problem of our disappearing pollinators and the huge impact this has on our ecology.
As a Certified B Corp Thanksgiving Coffee Company is prepared to lead the way for Pollinator Protection in our community and beyond.
The Main Objective
The Bee Bold Alliance is about helping people learn how to attract and sustain pollinators in their home gardens & at their place of work through habitat restoration and creation.
However we will not stop there, we are going to look deeper into the root cause of the disappearance of pollinators and discover modern solutions, that perhaps have previously been overlooked.
To find examples of a sustainable relationship with the earth, we will look to a regenerative ecology network that includes Traditional Ecology Knowledge (TEK). Incorporating the Indigenous place based wisdom gathered from around the world by those who develop and maintain a deep and ancestral connection to the land.
Each One Of Us Carries A Piece Within, It Is Up To Us To Find It, And Use It For The Greater Good.
You too, are part of this solution, and I thank you for being here. Your support on this collaborative project is essential. Your participation will allow us to move forward for a bountiful future for all. If you are coffee drinker, make your coffee our Bee Bold Coffee and support pollinator protection in your local region every morning.
The Beginning
The Bee Bold Alliance came into focus in 2018, just after receiving a loud and clear message that it was “my time” be a steward of this land. Shortly after I received this message, Thanksgiving Coffee Company invited me to relaunch the Bee Bold project.
In revitalizing this campaign, what was once Bee Bold Mendocimo became the Bee Bold Alliance for Pollinator Protectors. The more I learned about my role in leading this campaign, the less I truly know. For example, now I understand it is not about being a “steward”, one who watches over the land, but more importantly one who actively gives to the land before one takes. To be full of gratitude for all we are given. To move through each day with honor and respect for the Earth that gives us every little thing that we need.
The Bee Bold Alliance is a reminder that you can give to the land you live on, to the land you do your business is on, and to the community you are part of. The vision is to build native food forest with Native People, with the seed savers, and to support the health of our new generations. The Bee Bold Alliance is about honoring the original care givers of these lands, and protecting the pollinators who allow us to grow the seeds of real food to nourish our bodies and our hearts.
As we develop this full spectrum ecology system for pollinator protection, we must include the practices of cultural ecology.
- Learn from the wisdom of our elders who remember and hold these stories of how we can adapt to our changing world.
- Revitalise the rich lineage of community song & dance as an important piece of the creation processes in our food system
- Remember and recreate connection to the spirit of life through our culture,
- How is sound health for our ecology manifested?
The Earth is full of abundance, the gifts of life are all around us, and all that we need to survive comes from this great planet Earth. How do we learn to live in harmony with the Earth and all its inhabitants? This is what I want to know, and I will take you through this journey of learning, as we travel many roads and look at many different tools that can be utilized in this work of rebalance, harmony, well being and sound health.
Here we are at the beginning of an emerging network for mutual support of our pollinator protectors: it will grow as we build it. Our World is as resilient as we make it. Let us find this new form of global coherence with the aid of one another. I hope you will join us on this journey. Become a pollinator protector with the growing Bee Bold Alliance here.
Follow the Evolution of the Bee Bold Alliance
2015: The 1st Bee Bold Advisory Committee
2016: Our 1st Bee Bold Event
2016: Fort Bragg becomes 1st Bee City USA in CA
2020: Introducing the Bee Bold Alliance
2020: The Way of the Bee Bold Alliance
2021: 4th World Bee Day
2021: Live Feed- World Bee Day
2022: Expanding Our Story of a Growning Alliance
2023: Native Cinema 2023- Groundworks
Lavender Grace is the Sustainable Consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company
I want to thank the many wonderful advisors who have informed this work
Recommended Reading
Back to the Blog-
![Beyond The Bean: Buzzing with Biodiversity]()
Beyond The Bean: Buzzing with Biodiversity
Your morning coffee can be more than just a boost—it can drive positive change. With our Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certification and our Bee Bold Alliance initiative, we're turning your daily coffee ritual into a force for good. Here's how we're making waves in the world of sustainable agriculture while serving up exceptional coffee.
Butterfly on coffee leaf, Soppexxcca Coop, Nicaragua
Cultivating Natural Ecosystems
Our coffee farming goes beyond conventional methods. We nurture complete ecosystems where coffee plants thrive alongside native flora and fauna. A single coffee tree can support over 100 insect species, enhancing biodiversity on our farms.
coffee beans ripening in the understory of the forest canopy
Our Environmental Commitments
Our commitment to biodiversity is reflected in two key initiatives:
AT ORIGIN
Smithsonian Bird Friendly ® Certification: This certification is literally the environmental gold standard in the sustainable coffee industry. As holders of the Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certification since 2015, we adhere to the most comprehensive, science-based standards in the coffee industry. This certification requires:
- Multiple layers of native tree canopy providing crucial wildlife habitat
- USDA Organic certification as a foundation, ensuring chemical-free farming
- Regular third-party inspections verifying our environmental impact
- Documented support of migratory birds and local biodiversity
Did you know? A single coffee tree on a certified farm can support over 100 distinct insect species!
AT HOME
The Bee Bold Alliance: This is our initiative to restore biodiversity and support local food security through pollinator protection. The vision is to create a regenerative ecology network in our community for comprehensive pollinator protection. Here are the key principles guiding our path forward:
- Protecting the Soil: We're working toward eliminating harmful pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides from our farming practices. This transition aims to create healthier environments for pollinators while maintaining productive coffee cultivation.
- Watershed Stewardship: Our growing commitment includes developing better water conservation practices, reducing fertilizer usage, and implementing responsible waste management systems.
- Fostering Pollinator Forage: We're exploring ways to integrate more flowering plants throughout our local farms, aiming to provide year-round nutrition that supports healthy pollinator populations.
- Honoring Indigenous Wisdom: We're beginning to build relationships with Native/First Nation peoples in our growing regions, seeking to learn from their traditional knowledge and collaborate on sustainable solutions for the future.
We're reaching out to neighboring farms and communities, inviting them to join us in protecting pollinators. This initiative is beginning to form, and we believe that together, we can create meaningful change.
The Impact of Your Coffee Choice
We believe in the power of collective action. Here are ways you can participate in this journey:
-
Choose coffee that aligns with your environmental values
-
Cultivate native wildflowers in your garden or community spaces
-
Consider natural pest management practices
-
Create undisturbed areas in your garden to provide natural habitats
-
Learn about pollinator-friendly plants suitable for your local ecosystem
Moving Forward Together
We're at an exciting point in our environmental journey, where your choice of coffee can help shape future agricultural practices. Our Bird Friendly® certified coffee demonstrates our established commitment to environmental stewardship, while our developing Bee Bold Coffee initiative shows where we're heading. By choosing these products, you're not just selecting quality coffee—you're supporting the evolution of sustainable and pollinator-friendly agriculture.
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Join us on this journey toward biodiversity conservation through sustainable agriculture. Your support through choosing our Bird Friendly® certified coffee and Bee Bold Coffee helps create positive environmental change, one cup at a time.
Lavender Grace is the Sustainable Ecology Consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Beyond The Bean: Buzzing with Biodiversity
read more -
![Paul's Blend: Roots of Justice]()
Roots of Justice | Paul’s Blend –
Our Founders’ RoastJanuary is a month of return.
After the rush of the holidays, we slow down, reflect, and set intentions for the year ahead. At Thanksgiving Coffee Company, January brings us back to the beginning - to the land, the relationships, and the values that shaped who we are.Paul’s Blend is where that story starts.
Born on the Mendocino Coast in 1972, this Founders’ Roast honors Paul Katzeff’s lifelong belief that coffee could be more than a commodity - that it could be a tool for justice, dignity, and connection between people and place.
This is the coffee that carries our roots.
Paul Katzeff at the original roastery on Noyo Harbor, CA
A Cup Born from Mendocino
Thanksgiving Coffee Company was founded in a working harbor town shaped by fishermen, artists, and back-to-the-land dreamers. Mendocino’s rugged coastline and radical imagination influenced everything - from how we roasted coffee to how we built relationships with farmers around the world.
Paul’s Blend reflects that origin story. It is a classic medium roast crafted with consistency and care, developed through decades of roasting experience and long-standing partnerships with smallholder farmers.
This is not a trend coffee.
It’s a foundational one.Original roastery on the Noyo Harbor, California
Ariel view of the Noyo Harbor with original roastery and new roastery
Roots of Justice in Every Cup
Paul Katzeff came to coffee as a social worker and community organizer. That background shaped the values that still guide Thanksgiving Coffee today:
- Long-term, direct relationships with farming partners
- Paying prices that honor labor and sustain families
- Investing in farmer-led quality control and education
- Believing that quality of life and quality of coffee go hand in hand
Paul helped pioneer farmer-owned cupping labs, co-founded the Specialty Coffee Association, and advocated for organic and shade-grown coffee before it was mainstream.
Paul’s Blend is a tribute to that legacy - steady, thoughtful, and built for the long view.
Paul’s Blend Organic Medium Roast coffee.
Flavor Profile: A Foundational Medium Roast
Paul’s Blend is designed to be approachable, balanced, and deeply satisfying—an everyday coffee shaped by decades of craft and care.
Tasting Notes:
- Blueberry and gentle fruit sweetness
- Smooth cocoa and milk chocolate tones
- Soft cashew nuttiness
- Clean, comforting finish
It’s a coffee that meets you in the morning and stays with you through the day - expressive without being loud, familiar yet layered, and grounded in the flavors Paul has always loved most.
Paul's Blend is one of the award-winning coffee roasts from our 2017 Roaster of the Year prize.
Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and the Roots of Economic Justice
January is also a time to honor leaders who shaped the path toward justice, dignity, and shared responsibility. As we observe Martin Luther King Jr., we reflect on Dr. King’s enduring belief that civil rights and economic justice are inseparable - that a truly just society must honor the dignity of labor and ensure fairness within the systems that sustain everyday life.
Dr. King spoke often about the moral responsibility of both institutions and individuals, calling for an economy rooted in respect, equity, and human worth. He believed that progress is built not only through historic moments, but through consistent, values-driven actions - often quiet and unseen- that collectively shape the future.
Choosing where your coffee comes from is one of those choices. Every cup of Paul’s Blend supports long-standing relationships, ethical sourcing, and a belief that economic fairness begins with respect and reciprocity.
The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where civil rights and economic justice were brought together in a call for dignity, fair labor, and shared humanity.
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom stands as a powerful reminder that the movement for civil rights was also a movement for economic justice. It called for fair labor, living wages, and systems that recognize the full dignity of every person’s work.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. understood that justice must be woven into daily life - from wages and work to how communities care for one another. As we reflect on this moment in January, we are reminded that meaningful change is carried forward through sustained commitment and everyday choices - values lived out not only in moments of history, but in the practices we choose to uphold.
Paul’s East Harlem Buying Club, 1962
These photographs document a food buying club organized by mothers in East Harlem in 1962, operating out of the basement of a public housing project. Faced with high food prices, limited access to fresh ingredients, and the daily pressures of poverty, these women came together to solve a shared problem: food security for their families.
By pooling resources and purchasing food collectively, they lowered household food costs and increased disposable income - profits were shared, and expenses reduced through cooperation rather than competition. The food they sourced reflected their own cultural traditions, allowing families to eat healthier, familiar meals while maintaining dignity and autonomy.
Mothers in East Harlem working together in 1962 to organize a cooperative food buying club, using collective purchasing to improve food access, reduce costs, and strengthen community resilience. Photos by Paul Katzeff
An unexpected outcome emerged alongside the economic impact. The act of solving a community problem together fostered pride, hope, and a renewed sense of agency. The enthusiasm visible in these images reflects more than a transaction - it reveals the mental and emotional benefits of collective action and women-led leadership.
This grassroots model would later inform the next generation of food cooperatives, including Ukiah Natural Foods, and ultimately influence the cooperative principles that shaped businesses like Whole Foods Market. Long before “alternative food systems” entered the mainstream, these women demonstrated that necessity, creativity, and cooperation could build resilience from the ground up.
The values that shaped this moment - cooperation, dignity, and shared prosperity - would later shape how Paul approached coffee. Paul’s Blend carries that lineage forward, offering a daily ritual grounded in justice, relationship, and care.
Simple Recipe:
Paul’s Mendocino Morning LatteA grounding ritual for the start of the year.
Ingredients:
- Double espresso brewed with Paul’s Blend
- Steamed milk
- Light honey drizzle
Instructions:
- Pull a double espresso using Paul’s Blend.
- Steam milk until silky.
- Combine and finish with a gentle honey drizzle.
Enjoy slowly - best paired with a quiet January morning and a clear intention for the day ahead.
A Cup That Started a Movement
Paul’s Blend is more than our Founders’ Roast.
It’s a reminder of what’s possible when coffee is rooted in land, relationship, and justice.As we begin a new year, we invite you to start your mornings with intention - grounded in gratitude, guided by values, and connected to a story that began over fifty years ago on the Mendocino Coast.
Where to Go Next
Stay Connected
Join our mailing list - for stories from origin, brewing tips, and seasonal releases.With Gratitude Since 1972
To our farmers, our Mendocino community, and everyone who shares this daily ritual with us - thank you.
Your cup carries our roots forward.
Not Just a Cup, But a Just Cup™
Lavender Grace is the Sustainability Consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Stay in touch - we like to stay connected
Paul's Blend: Roots of Justice
read more -
![Global Citizenship Through Coffee: The Bridges We Build]()
COFFEE AS A CULTURAL BRIDGE
December on the Mendocino Coast carries a special kind of quiet as the fog lifts off the headlands, the lights in kitchen windows glow, and that first cup of coffee warms cold hands. This December we want to celebrate Global Citizenship: the understanding that every cup we brew is connected to lives and landscapes far beyond our own.
For more than fifty years, coffee has been our medium.
Our message is building connection.From our roastery in Fort Bragg spanning all the way to the hillsides of Rwanda, our work is guided by our intention: to inspire possibility and awaken potential in the communities we serve.
This month, we honor Rwanda’s story of healing, the spirit of the Dr. Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award, and the farmers whose craft fills your cup.
Honoring the Dr. Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award
In 2008, the interfaith coffee farmers of East Africa and Thanksgiving Coffee Company were honored with the Dr. Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award from the Institute for Global Leadership at Tufts University.
The award recognized:
- our commitment to ethical and fair trade;
- our work empowering and connecting farmers and consumers;
- our pursuit of economic and social justice and environmental sustainability;
- and our belief that every person can help create a more peaceful world.
For us, this wasn’t simply a recognition of the past, but a compass for the future. It affirmed what has always been at the heart of Thanksgiving Coffee: coffee as a bridge between cultures, between faiths, and between people who may never meet but are deeply connected through the choices we make every day.
Rwanda: Rebuilding Through Relationship
Dukunde Kawa Cooperative farms span ten kilometers in Rwanda’s northern hills, where over 80% of members are women. Fair Trade Certified and winners of the SCAA Sustainability Award, this cooperative produces elegant coffee through meticulous daily harvesting and processing. Farmers bring fresh cherries to central washing stations in Musasa, where they are depulped, fermented, washed, and dried on raised beds—creating a cup with natural sweetness, citric brightness, and deep cocoa notes.
Coffee Farmers sorting coffee cherries, Rwanda
Mother and coffee farmer of Dukunde Kawa Cooperative, Rwanda
Rwandan coffee growing in the hills
Overlooking the drying racks from atop a beautiful mountain view, Rwanda
Gorilla Fund Legacy
Our relationship with Rwanda began in 2004, when Co-Founder Joan Katzeff traveled there to establish her first solo international partnership with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. It was a defining moment in our history — a woman-led sourcing journey rooted in relationship, ecological responsibility, and courage.
In 2005, Co-Founder Paul Katzeff followed as part of a USAID initiative, working alongside Rwandan cooperatives to develop cupping labs and strengthen farmer-led quality. Together, Joan and Paul built a partnership that connected coffee farming, community renewal, and gorilla conservation across almost two decades.
Through this collaboration, we launched the Gorilla Fund Cause Coffee line in 2005, using Fairtrade Rwandan coffee to support the protection of mountain gorillas and the communities who share their habitat. In 2017, we expanded this legacy with Grauer’s Gorilla Coffee, made with Organic and Fairtrade beans from the Congo to support critically endangered Grauer’s gorillas.
In total, our Gorilla Fund Coffees raised $106,209 to support conservation, education, and habitat protection in Rwanda and the Congo.
This partnership reflects the heart of our ethos: a cup that protects life, uplifts communities, and strengthens the ecosystems we all share.
A December Pairing: Coffee + Cake
Featured Coffee: Rwanda Dukunde Kawa
This Rwanda Single Origin is the featured coffee of the month. It is an invitation to taste the elegance and strength of Rwandan craftsmanship. This is a coffee to slow down with. One to sip while you read, cook, or watch the morning light move across your own horizon.
- Red plum brightness
- Hibiscus and floral lift
- Honeyed sweetness
- Cocoa depth
- Clean, lingering finish
Featured Recipe: East African Coconut Cardamom Cake
A simple, beautiful cake inspired by coastal East African flavors, created to pair with Rwanda Single Origin. Best made with organic ingredients.
Serves: 8
Time: ~10 minutes prep + 35 minutes bake
Difficulty: EasyIngredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup canned coconut milk (full-fat preferred)
- ½ cup melted butter or coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional but lovely)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (for topping, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch round cake pan or loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the coconut milk, melted butter or oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. If using, sprinkle shredded coconut evenly over the top.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes in a round pan (or up to 40 minutes in a loaf pan), until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool slightly, then slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Enjoy a slice with a fresh cup of Rwanda Single Origin, and notice how the cardamom and coconut cradle the coffee’s brightness in a gentle, inviting way.
How to Practice Global Citizenship with Your Cup
Global citizenship can feel like a big idea, but it lives in very small, daily choices.
Here are a few simple ways to bring this theme to life:
- Brew with intention. Take a quiet moment to acknowledge the farmers, land, and hands that brought this coffee to you.
- Learn a farmer story. Visit our blog and read more about our origin partners and interfaith cooperative work.
- Share a cup. Make Rwanda coffee for a friend, neighbor, or coworker, and tell them a bit about the people behind the beans.
- Leave a review. Your feedback helps us tell farmer stories and grow support for relationship-grown coffee.
- Stay connected. Join our email list for monthly stories from origin, regenerative sourcing updates, and recipe pairings.
Every time you choose coffee that honors the people and our planet, you’re participating in a different kind of economy. An economy that is rooted in gratitude, reciprocity, and long-term relationship.
To our long-time customers and to those finding us for the first time, thank you. Your daily coffee ritual makes this work possible.
To the farmers of Rwanda: we see your courage, your craft, and your commitment to community. It is our honor to stand in partnership with you.
From our harbor in Fort Bragg to your table, may this season remind us how deeply connected we truly are, and how every choice we make can help shape a more just and compassionate world.
Not Just A Cup, But A Just Cup™
Lavender Grace is the Sustainable consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Stay in touch - we like to stay connected
Global Citizenship Through Coffee: The Bridges We Build
read more - our commitment to ethical and fair trade;
Beyond The Bean: Buzzing with Biodiversity
Your morning coffee can be more than just a boost—it can drive positive change. With our Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certification and our Bee Bold Alliance initiative, we're turning your daily coffee ritual into a force for good. Here's how we're making waves in the world of sustainable agriculture while serving up exceptional coffee.
Butterfly on coffee leaf, Soppexxcca Coop, Nicaragua
Cultivating Natural Ecosystems
Our coffee farming goes beyond conventional methods. We nurture complete ecosystems where coffee plants thrive alongside native flora and fauna. A single coffee tree can support over 100 insect species, enhancing biodiversity on our farms.
coffee beans ripening in the understory of the forest canopy
Our Environmental Commitments
Our commitment to biodiversity is reflected in two key initiatives:
AT ORIGIN
Smithsonian Bird Friendly ® Certification: This certification is literally the environmental gold standard in the sustainable coffee industry. As holders of the Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certification since 2015, we adhere to the most comprehensive, science-based standards in the coffee industry. This certification requires:
- Multiple layers of native tree canopy providing crucial wildlife habitat
- USDA Organic certification as a foundation, ensuring chemical-free farming
- Regular third-party inspections verifying our environmental impact
- Documented support of migratory birds and local biodiversity
Did you know? A single coffee tree on a certified farm can support over 100 distinct insect species!
AT HOME
The Bee Bold Alliance: This is our initiative to restore biodiversity and support local food security through pollinator protection. The vision is to create a regenerative ecology network in our community for comprehensive pollinator protection. Here are the key principles guiding our path forward:
- Protecting the Soil: We're working toward eliminating harmful pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides from our farming practices. This transition aims to create healthier environments for pollinators while maintaining productive coffee cultivation.
- Watershed Stewardship: Our growing commitment includes developing better water conservation practices, reducing fertilizer usage, and implementing responsible waste management systems.
- Fostering Pollinator Forage: We're exploring ways to integrate more flowering plants throughout our local farms, aiming to provide year-round nutrition that supports healthy pollinator populations.
- Honoring Indigenous Wisdom: We're beginning to build relationships with Native/First Nation peoples in our growing regions, seeking to learn from their traditional knowledge and collaborate on sustainable solutions for the future.
We're reaching out to neighboring farms and communities, inviting them to join us in protecting pollinators. This initiative is beginning to form, and we believe that together, we can create meaningful change.
The Impact of Your Coffee Choice
We believe in the power of collective action. Here are ways you can participate in this journey:
-
Choose coffee that aligns with your environmental values
-
Cultivate native wildflowers in your garden or community spaces
-
Consider natural pest management practices
-
Create undisturbed areas in your garden to provide natural habitats
-
Learn about pollinator-friendly plants suitable for your local ecosystem
Moving Forward Together
We're at an exciting point in our environmental journey, where your choice of coffee can help shape future agricultural practices. Our Bird Friendly® certified coffee demonstrates our established commitment to environmental stewardship, while our developing Bee Bold Coffee initiative shows where we're heading. By choosing these products, you're not just selecting quality coffee—you're supporting the evolution of sustainable and pollinator-friendly agriculture.
Join us on this journey toward biodiversity conservation through sustainable agriculture. Your support through choosing our Bird Friendly® certified coffee and Bee Bold Coffee helps create positive environmental change, one cup at a time.
Lavender Grace is the Sustainable Ecology Consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Beyond The Bean: Buzzing with Biodiversity
read more
Beyond The Bean: Buzzing with Biodiversity
Your morning coffee can be more than just a boost—it can drive positive change. With our Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certification and our Bee Bold Alliance initiative, we're turning your daily coffee ritual into a force for good. Here's how we're making waves in the world of sustainable agriculture while serving up exceptional coffee.
Butterfly on coffee leaf, Soppexxcca Coop, Nicaragua
Cultivating Natural Ecosystems
Our coffee farming goes beyond conventional methods. We nurture complete ecosystems where coffee plants thrive alongside native flora and fauna. A single coffee tree can support over 100 insect species, enhancing biodiversity on our farms.
coffee beans ripening in the understory of the forest canopy
Our Environmental Commitments
Our commitment to biodiversity is reflected in two key initiatives:
AT ORIGIN
Smithsonian Bird Friendly ® Certification: This certification is literally the environmental gold standard in the sustainable coffee industry. As holders of the Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certification since 2015, we adhere to the most comprehensive, science-based standards in the coffee industry. This certification requires:
- Multiple layers of native tree canopy providing crucial wildlife habitat
- USDA Organic certification as a foundation, ensuring chemical-free farming
- Regular third-party inspections verifying our environmental impact
- Documented support of migratory birds and local biodiversity
Did you know? A single coffee tree on a certified farm can support over 100 distinct insect species!
AT HOME
The Bee Bold Alliance: This is our initiative to restore biodiversity and support local food security through pollinator protection. The vision is to create a regenerative ecology network in our community for comprehensive pollinator protection. Here are the key principles guiding our path forward:
- Protecting the Soil: We're working toward eliminating harmful pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides from our farming practices. This transition aims to create healthier environments for pollinators while maintaining productive coffee cultivation.
- Watershed Stewardship: Our growing commitment includes developing better water conservation practices, reducing fertilizer usage, and implementing responsible waste management systems.
- Fostering Pollinator Forage: We're exploring ways to integrate more flowering plants throughout our local farms, aiming to provide year-round nutrition that supports healthy pollinator populations.
- Honoring Indigenous Wisdom: We're beginning to build relationships with Native/First Nation peoples in our growing regions, seeking to learn from their traditional knowledge and collaborate on sustainable solutions for the future.
We're reaching out to neighboring farms and communities, inviting them to join us in protecting pollinators. This initiative is beginning to form, and we believe that together, we can create meaningful change.
The Impact of Your Coffee Choice
We believe in the power of collective action. Here are ways you can participate in this journey:
-
Choose coffee that aligns with your environmental values
-
Cultivate native wildflowers in your garden or community spaces
-
Consider natural pest management practices
-
Create undisturbed areas in your garden to provide natural habitats
-
Learn about pollinator-friendly plants suitable for your local ecosystem
Moving Forward Together
We're at an exciting point in our environmental journey, where your choice of coffee can help shape future agricultural practices. Our Bird Friendly® certified coffee demonstrates our established commitment to environmental stewardship, while our developing Bee Bold Coffee initiative shows where we're heading. By choosing these products, you're not just selecting quality coffee—you're supporting the evolution of sustainable and pollinator-friendly agriculture.
Join us on this journey toward biodiversity conservation through sustainable agriculture. Your support through choosing our Bird Friendly® certified coffee and Bee Bold Coffee helps create positive environmental change, one cup at a time.
Lavender Grace is the Sustainable Ecology Consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Beyond The Bean: Buzzing with Biodiversity
read more
Roots of Justice | Paul’s Blend –
Our Founders’ Roast
January is a month of return.
After the rush of the holidays, we slow down, reflect, and set intentions for the year ahead. At Thanksgiving Coffee Company, January brings us back to the beginning - to the land, the relationships, and the values that shaped who we are.
Paul’s Blend is where that story starts.
Born on the Mendocino Coast in 1972, this Founders’ Roast honors Paul Katzeff’s lifelong belief that coffee could be more than a commodity - that it could be a tool for justice, dignity, and connection between people and place.
This is the coffee that carries our roots.
Paul Katzeff at the original roastery on Noyo Harbor, CA
A Cup Born from Mendocino
Thanksgiving Coffee Company was founded in a working harbor town shaped by fishermen, artists, and back-to-the-land dreamers. Mendocino’s rugged coastline and radical imagination influenced everything - from how we roasted coffee to how we built relationships with farmers around the world.
Paul’s Blend reflects that origin story. It is a classic medium roast crafted with consistency and care, developed through decades of roasting experience and long-standing partnerships with smallholder farmers.
This is not a trend coffee.
It’s a foundational one.
Original roastery on the Noyo Harbor, California
Ariel view of the Noyo Harbor with original roastery and new roastery
Roots of Justice in Every Cup
Paul Katzeff came to coffee as a social worker and community organizer. That background shaped the values that still guide Thanksgiving Coffee today:
- Long-term, direct relationships with farming partners
- Paying prices that honor labor and sustain families
- Investing in farmer-led quality control and education
- Believing that quality of life and quality of coffee go hand in hand
Paul helped pioneer farmer-owned cupping labs, co-founded the Specialty Coffee Association, and advocated for organic and shade-grown coffee before it was mainstream.
Paul’s Blend is a tribute to that legacy - steady, thoughtful, and built for the long view.
Paul’s Blend Organic Medium Roast coffee.
Flavor Profile: A Foundational Medium Roast
Paul’s Blend is designed to be approachable, balanced, and deeply satisfying—an everyday coffee shaped by decades of craft and care.
Tasting Notes:
- Blueberry and gentle fruit sweetness
- Smooth cocoa and milk chocolate tones
- Soft cashew nuttiness
- Clean, comforting finish
It’s a coffee that meets you in the morning and stays with you through the day - expressive without being loud, familiar yet layered, and grounded in the flavors Paul has always loved most.
Paul's Blend is one of the award-winning coffee roasts from our 2017 Roaster of the Year prize.
Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and the Roots of Economic Justice
January is also a time to honor leaders who shaped the path toward justice, dignity, and shared responsibility. As we observe Martin Luther King Jr., we reflect on Dr. King’s enduring belief that civil rights and economic justice are inseparable - that a truly just society must honor the dignity of labor and ensure fairness within the systems that sustain everyday life.
Dr. King spoke often about the moral responsibility of both institutions and individuals, calling for an economy rooted in respect, equity, and human worth. He believed that progress is built not only through historic moments, but through consistent, values-driven actions - often quiet and unseen- that collectively shape the future.
Choosing where your coffee comes from is one of those choices. Every cup of Paul’s Blend supports long-standing relationships, ethical sourcing, and a belief that economic fairness begins with respect and reciprocity.
The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where civil rights and economic justice were brought together in a call for dignity, fair labor, and shared humanity.
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom stands as a powerful reminder that the movement for civil rights was also a movement for economic justice. It called for fair labor, living wages, and systems that recognize the full dignity of every person’s work.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. understood that justice must be woven into daily life - from wages and work to how communities care for one another. As we reflect on this moment in January, we are reminded that meaningful change is carried forward through sustained commitment and everyday choices - values lived out not only in moments of history, but in the practices we choose to uphold.
Paul’s East Harlem Buying Club, 1962
These photographs document a food buying club organized by mothers in East Harlem in 1962, operating out of the basement of a public housing project. Faced with high food prices, limited access to fresh ingredients, and the daily pressures of poverty, these women came together to solve a shared problem: food security for their families.
By pooling resources and purchasing food collectively, they lowered household food costs and increased disposable income - profits were shared, and expenses reduced through cooperation rather than competition. The food they sourced reflected their own cultural traditions, allowing families to eat healthier, familiar meals while maintaining dignity and autonomy.
Mothers in East Harlem working together in 1962 to organize a cooperative food buying club, using collective purchasing to improve food access, reduce costs, and strengthen community resilience. Photos by Paul Katzeff
An unexpected outcome emerged alongside the economic impact. The act of solving a community problem together fostered pride, hope, and a renewed sense of agency. The enthusiasm visible in these images reflects more than a transaction - it reveals the mental and emotional benefits of collective action and women-led leadership.
This grassroots model would later inform the next generation of food cooperatives, including Ukiah Natural Foods, and ultimately influence the cooperative principles that shaped businesses like Whole Foods Market. Long before “alternative food systems” entered the mainstream, these women demonstrated that necessity, creativity, and cooperation could build resilience from the ground up.
The values that shaped this moment - cooperation, dignity, and shared prosperity - would later shape how Paul approached coffee. Paul’s Blend carries that lineage forward, offering a daily ritual grounded in justice, relationship, and care.
Simple Recipe:
Paul’s Mendocino Morning Latte
A grounding ritual for the start of the year.
Ingredients:
- Double espresso brewed with Paul’s Blend
- Steamed milk
- Light honey drizzle
Instructions:
- Pull a double espresso using Paul’s Blend.
- Steam milk until silky.
- Combine and finish with a gentle honey drizzle.
Enjoy slowly - best paired with a quiet January morning and a clear intention for the day ahead.
A Cup That Started a Movement
Paul’s Blend is more than our Founders’ Roast.
It’s a reminder of what’s possible when coffee is rooted in land, relationship, and justice.
As we begin a new year, we invite you to start your mornings with intention - grounded in gratitude, guided by values, and connected to a story that began over fifty years ago on the Mendocino Coast.
Where to Go Next
Stay Connected
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With Gratitude Since 1972
To our farmers, our Mendocino community, and everyone who shares this daily ritual with us - thank you.
Your cup carries our roots forward.
Not Just a Cup, But a Just Cup™
Lavender Grace is the Sustainability Consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Stay in touch - we like to stay connected
Paul's Blend: Roots of Justice
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COFFEE AS A CULTURAL BRIDGE
December on the Mendocino Coast carries a special kind of quiet as the fog lifts off the headlands, the lights in kitchen windows glow, and that first cup of coffee warms cold hands. This December we want to celebrate Global Citizenship: the understanding that every cup we brew is connected to lives and landscapes far beyond our own.
For more than fifty years, coffee has been our medium.
Our message is building connection.
From our roastery in Fort Bragg spanning all the way to the hillsides of Rwanda, our work is guided by our intention: to inspire possibility and awaken potential in the communities we serve.
This month, we honor Rwanda’s story of healing, the spirit of the Dr. Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award, and the farmers whose craft fills your cup.
Honoring the Dr. Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award
In 2008, the interfaith coffee farmers of East Africa and Thanksgiving Coffee Company were honored with the Dr. Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award from the Institute for Global Leadership at Tufts University.
The award recognized:
- our commitment to ethical and fair trade;
- our work empowering and connecting farmers and consumers;
- our pursuit of economic and social justice and environmental sustainability;
- and our belief that every person can help create a more peaceful world.
For us, this wasn’t simply a recognition of the past, but a compass for the future. It affirmed what has always been at the heart of Thanksgiving Coffee: coffee as a bridge between cultures, between faiths, and between people who may never meet but are deeply connected through the choices we make every day.
Rwanda: Rebuilding Through Relationship
Dukunde Kawa Cooperative farms span ten kilometers in Rwanda’s northern hills, where over 80% of members are women. Fair Trade Certified and winners of the SCAA Sustainability Award, this cooperative produces elegant coffee through meticulous daily harvesting and processing. Farmers bring fresh cherries to central washing stations in Musasa, where they are depulped, fermented, washed, and dried on raised beds—creating a cup with natural sweetness, citric brightness, and deep cocoa notes.
Coffee Farmers sorting coffee cherries, Rwanda
Mother and coffee farmer of Dukunde Kawa Cooperative, Rwanda
Rwandan coffee growing in the hills
Overlooking the drying racks from atop a beautiful mountain view, Rwanda
Gorilla Fund Legacy
Our relationship with Rwanda began in 2004, when Co-Founder Joan Katzeff traveled there to establish her first solo international partnership with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. It was a defining moment in our history — a woman-led sourcing journey rooted in relationship, ecological responsibility, and courage.
In 2005, Co-Founder Paul Katzeff followed as part of a USAID initiative, working alongside Rwandan cooperatives to develop cupping labs and strengthen farmer-led quality. Together, Joan and Paul built a partnership that connected coffee farming, community renewal, and gorilla conservation across almost two decades.
Through this collaboration, we launched the Gorilla Fund Cause Coffee line in 2005, using Fairtrade Rwandan coffee to support the protection of mountain gorillas and the communities who share their habitat. In 2017, we expanded this legacy with Grauer’s Gorilla Coffee, made with Organic and Fairtrade beans from the Congo to support critically endangered Grauer’s gorillas.
In total, our Gorilla Fund Coffees raised $106,209 to support conservation, education, and habitat protection in Rwanda and the Congo.
This partnership reflects the heart of our ethos: a cup that protects life, uplifts communities, and strengthens the ecosystems we all share.
A December Pairing: Coffee + Cake
Featured Coffee: Rwanda Dukunde Kawa
This Rwanda Single Origin is the featured coffee of the month. It is an invitation to taste the elegance and strength of Rwandan craftsmanship. This is a coffee to slow down with. One to sip while you read, cook, or watch the morning light move across your own horizon.
- Red plum brightness
- Hibiscus and floral lift
- Honeyed sweetness
- Cocoa depth
- Clean, lingering finish
Featured Recipe: East African Coconut Cardamom Cake
A simple, beautiful cake inspired by coastal East African flavors, created to pair with Rwanda Single Origin. Best made with organic ingredients.
Serves: 8
Time: ~10 minutes prep + 35 minutes bake
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup canned coconut milk (full-fat preferred)
- ½ cup melted butter or coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional but lovely)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (for topping, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch round cake pan or loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the coconut milk, melted butter or oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. If using, sprinkle shredded coconut evenly over the top.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes in a round pan (or up to 40 minutes in a loaf pan), until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool slightly, then slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Enjoy a slice with a fresh cup of Rwanda Single Origin, and notice how the cardamom and coconut cradle the coffee’s brightness in a gentle, inviting way.
How to Practice Global Citizenship with Your Cup
Global citizenship can feel like a big idea, but it lives in very small, daily choices.
Here are a few simple ways to bring this theme to life:
- Brew with intention. Take a quiet moment to acknowledge the farmers, land, and hands that brought this coffee to you.
- Learn a farmer story. Visit our blog and read more about our origin partners and interfaith cooperative work.
- Share a cup. Make Rwanda coffee for a friend, neighbor, or coworker, and tell them a bit about the people behind the beans.
- Leave a review. Your feedback helps us tell farmer stories and grow support for relationship-grown coffee.
- Stay connected. Join our email list for monthly stories from origin, regenerative sourcing updates, and recipe pairings.
Every time you choose coffee that honors the people and our planet, you’re participating in a different kind of economy. An economy that is rooted in gratitude, reciprocity, and long-term relationship.
To our long-time customers and to those finding us for the first time, thank you. Your daily coffee ritual makes this work possible.
To the farmers of Rwanda: we see your courage, your craft, and your commitment to community. It is our honor to stand in partnership with you.
From our harbor in Fort Bragg to your table, may this season remind us how deeply connected we truly are, and how every choice we make can help shape a more just and compassionate world.
Not Just A Cup, But A Just Cup™
Lavender Grace is the Sustainable consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Stay in touch - we like to stay connected
Global Citizenship Through Coffee: The Bridges We Build
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Our 2024 Impact Report
At Thanksgiving Coffee, every roast begins with a question: What really matters?
In 2024, we found answers by listening—to farmers, to customers, to our team, and to the land. The result is the most honest and grounded Impact Report (pdf) yet: a reflection of where we’ve been and where we’re headed next.
As we simplify our product line to focus on what we do best, we’re holding tight to the relationships and regenerative values that have always defined our work. That means sourcing from smallholder cooperatives, supporting ecological resilience, and roasting every bean with care and intention.
“Coffee, when done right, Is A Relationship.”
In 2024, we listened more deeply than ever:
⭐ 88.9% of our green coffee was Certified Organic
⭐ $91,529 donated to causes we care about
⭐ Verified health and income gains from clean energy investments in Uganda
⭐ Roasting with purpose for 52 years and counting
Our Ongoing Commitments
We remain committed to being ethically sourced and artisan roasted, maintaining over 88% of our coffees certified Organic, and guiding all purchases by our Purchasing for a Healthier Planet criteria. (This criteria was established in 1995 and is still going strong.)
While we're retiring many of our Cause Coffees this year, a few important ones will remain and their impact continues. From restoring pollinator habitat to protecting migratory bird forests, your daily cup still fuels change where it’s needed most.
Biodiversity loss is one of the most urgent challenges of our time, and we’re proud to stand with the growers, ecologists, and educators who are working to reverse it—one forest, one garden, one farm at a time.
Past Impact Reports
Lavender Grace is the Sustainability Consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company