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Expanding the Story of our Growing Alliance
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WE ARE THE STORY TELLERS OF OUR FUTURE
The Bee Bold Alliance (BBA) tells a vibrant tale of World renewal. Like the exploratory mycelium, the BBA reaches out and connects diverse aspects of our community to link into the same wisdom stream. This wisdom tells the tale of a path of green. As we grow with up to 40 members, so too our tools expand.
Henry Thomas - Director of Bee RYL Productions 2022
The newest facet of the BBA is our Regenerative Youth Leaders Productions, for short Bee RYL Productions. The team is led by Henry Thomas, alumni of the Tech department at the Mendocino High School. The Bee RYL youth will produce multimedia based on resilience with nature, and the importance of our biodiversity for the survival of our local ecosystems.
The project is underway with the support of the Mendocino Film Festival, Hope 4 Natives, and the Mendocino High School. The first pilot is about two Forest Grandmothers, Pricilla Hunter and Polly Girvin, who have actively been working to protect the Redwood Forests for 40 years.
WATCH THE FILM - FOREST GRANDMOTHER - Produced by the Bee RYL Productions
This all came about synchronistically at a recent rally to protect the Jackson State Demonstrations Forest. Inspired by Tribal Chairman Micheal Hunter's talk, I approached him about collaborting with the BBA. The ensuing dialogue was full of possible pathways where we both sought mutual benefit for the tribes and the lands of Mendocino. The direct result led to the creation of The Bee RYL Productions. In alignment with the primary goal of Hope 4 Natives, which is to establish an active online cultural library, the BBA will help train Pomo youth with multimedia tech skills to support this goal.
The Regenerative Youth Leaders Productions generates a path to valuable job skills through the creation of valuable media to tell stories of resilience and sustainability.
No sooner had the nucleus of the project been formed when I had the pleasure of meeting the new Executive Director of the Mendocino Film Festival (MFF), Angela Matano. There was an immediate outpouring of inspiration to build a partnership and create a wonderful base for the youth project to grow. With the support of MFF’s Technical Director, Marshall Brown, and in alignment with MFF’s vision, Bee RYL Productions will help to offer opportunities for filmmakers and locals to celebrate the power of film, art, and story in the beautiful, natural setting of Mendocino.
The subsequent Bee RYL projects will include:
- Interviews of prominent elders in the community
- Round table discussion on best practices for sustainability
- Support material for the REGENERATIVE YOUTH LEADERS to take action
- Multimedia for all platforms
It has been said that when you truly focus on something you can find the entire universe hitched to it, and that is certainly the case here.
The BBA is a central ring that emanates from Mendocino, sending a signal to each heart to help the seeds of thought sprout and grow a future full of diversity, and food for all. We are working together to tell our story well, and that story is about choosing the path of green.
Thank you to our co-sponsors for the Bee RYL pilot: Coyote Valley Tribe, Fortunate Farms, Sweetwater Inn and Ecospa, Cafe Beaujolais, Corners of the Mouth, Princess Seafood, Mendocino Trail Stewards, and all the support of the volunteers who make this happen.
Give 20% to the Bee Bold Alliance when you buy a Bee Bold Cause Coffee in Dark and Medium, or Decaf. We have raised over $21,000 to support biodiversity and local food security to date.
Read about THE NATIVE CINEMA inspired by this project.
Recommended Reading
Back to the Blog-
![Earth Day Event in Fort Bragg 2024]()
Earth Day Event in Fort Bragg
The Noyo Food Forest is having their annual Earth Day celebration this Saturday at the Learning Garden. This four hour event is a fundraiser for the Farm-to-School and Youth Intern programs that the Noyo Food Forest operates year-round. We partner with the Noyo Food Forest throughout the year, and we especially love being a part of this annual event in Fort Bragg.
15th Annual Earth Day Event
Saturday, April 20, 12 - 4 PM
At the Learning Garden at Fort Bragg High School on Dana Street.This Earth Day event is free and geared toward everyone in the family. There will be live music, and you can participate by putting down a bid for the silent auction, paying entry to bouncy houses, and tasting goodies from local chefs. This is one of the most fun events that happens in the city of Fort Bragg every year. Local organizations and nonprofits are a big part of this event, and you’ll see booths and representatives from the Noyo Marine Science Center, the Mendocino Land Trust, our Mendocino County state parks and many more important parts of the coastal community.
Thanksgiving Coffee will be serving up samples of our Bee Bold Blend, our new Nitro Coffee, and the Noyo Food Forest will be selling 12oz bags, as well. All the proceeds benefit the Noyo Food Forest and their important work here in our community. We are very happy to be a part of this awesome event. For more information, visit the Noyo Food Forest Earth Day page on their website, and RSVP on Facebook to share with your friends. Join us on April 20 – see you at the Learning Garden.
Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Partnership with the Noyo Food ForestLearn more about how we support our Mother Earth
Earth Day Event in Fort Bragg 2024
read more -
![Delicious Peace Coffee: Honoring the Legacy, Continuing the Interfaith Journey]()
Banner: Florence Namaja Wabire, Coffee Farmer from Mirembe Kawomera, Uganda
A Cup That Carried More Than Coffee
When Paul Katzeff co-founded Thanksgiving Coffee in 1972, he carried with him the heart of a social worker who believed business could be a tool for justice. That vision led us, in the early 2000s, to a group of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim farmers in Mbale, Uganda. They called their cooperative Mirembe Kawomera—“Delicious Peace.”
For nearly two decades, we roasted their beans and shared their story. Each bag carried more than coffee; it carried proof that people of different faiths could work side by side, building better lives through collaboration.
What We Accomplished Together
With your purchases and support, Delicious Peace became more than a product—it became a movement.
- A $1 rebate per bag funded clean water filters for all 342 cooperative households, drastically reducing illness and freeing income for education and food.
- Clean Cook Stoves replaced traditional open-fire kitchens for the most vulnerable families, using one-tenth the fuel while directing smoke safely outside the home. These stoves reduced illness and burns, curbed deforestation, and became a model for climate resilience, women’s health, and rural job creation.
- Women and girls gained back hours of their days once spent collecting firewood.
- Most importantly, a community once divided grew into a living example of interfaith harmony.
For a dive deeper, the full journey is archived here:
Mirebe Kawomera, M'bale Uganda Photo by Paul Katzeff
Why Delicious Peace Coffee Is No Longer Available
We know this is disappointing news. Some of you first discovered Thanksgiving Coffee through Delicious Peace. We are grateful for every cup you brewed.
Over two decades, we built demand for this coffee from zero to 10,000 pounds a year. It wasn’t easy—the growth came through our own costly marketing of the interfaith story. But importing from Uganda required purchasing a full container, nearly 37,000 pounds. There was never a market for the remaining 27,000 pounds, so we absorbed the excess into other blends in order to keep bringing their coffee in.
Today, with a single container costing about $200,000, that model is no longer financially possible for us as a small, values-driven company. We had to rethink how we continue telling this inspirational interfaith coffee story without jeopardizing the health of our business. Rather than overextend ourselves financially and risk the integrity of our work, we chose to step back responsibly and allow the story to evolve in new ways.
The decision wasn’t easy. Delicious Peace was an extraordinary coffee grown in rich volcanic soil. But more than the flavor, it was the interfaith cooperation that made it truly special. And that is the part of the story that continues today.
Two Boys from Mirembe Kawamera peering out the window. Photo by Paul Katzeff
A New Chapter: Nabugoye Crafts
The spirit of Delicious Peace did not end when the coffee did. It found new soil, new forms, new voices.
One of the cooperative’s original founders, Sinina Namidosi, transformed her crochet skills into a thriving artisan collective. Visitors admired her headpieces—worn in both Muslim and Jewish traditions—and she began teaching other women. Soon, artisans across the community were creating beauty together across faith lines.
Living in rural Mbale meant limited market access. With seed funding from Thanksgiving Coffee and the entrepreneurial spirit of local partner John Elijah, the group registered a business, opened a bank account, and launched an online store. Today, Nabugoye Crafts ships worldwide.
👉 Visit Nabugoye Crafts
Each piece—whether a headpiece, accessory, or textile—carries the same message that once filled your cup: Jews, Christians, and Muslims working side by side, creating beauty, and sustaining their families with dignity.
No Substitution, Only Continuation
There is no true substitute for Delicious Peace. What made it extraordinary wasn’t only the beans, it was the unity behind them. That story now continues through Nabugoye Crafts. By supporting these artisans, you’re keeping the spirit of Delicious Peace alive—helping women earn income, sustain their households, and model interfaith harmony for the next generation.
Fun note: Smithsonian Folkways recording Delicious Peace: Coffee, Music and Interfaith Harmony in Uganda.
With Gratitude
To all who supported Delicious Peace over the years: thank you. You funded clean water, you stood for interfaith peace, and you proved that coffee can be a force for justice. While the coffee itself is no longer on our shelves, the story lives on—now in the hands of Ugandan women artisans whose work is as purposeful as it is beautiful.
With gratitude,
The Thanksgiving Coffee Family
Lavender Grace is the Sustainability Consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Stay in touch - we like to stay connected
Delicious Peace Coffee: Honoring the Legacy, Continuing the Interfaith Journey
read more -
![Namanyonyi Co-op United A Community]()
Namanyonyi Co-op united a community
The wheels were set in motion many years ago when Thanksgiving Coffee began our work with the Ugandan Coffee Cooperative “Delicious Peace” to bring their Interfaith coffee to market. For those of you who have been following us on this unique journey, we want to share another perspective. It is an article written by an organization that understands cooperatives are run by people, and people have many ups and downs.
"We love this story of multiple faiths helping each other, moving beyond personal beliefs"
Child from the "Delicious Peace" Coffee Cooperative in Uganda.
The author is Rebecca Harvey, the executive editor of Co-operative News. She was very intrigued about the journey this cooperative has been on and contacted Thanksgiving to learn about our involvement. We had the opportunity to speak with her and share our story. We also learned that Co-op News has been around for over 150 years to support the communication between all the many cooperatives in England, and now the World.
Sorting green coffee at Namanyonyi Co-op.
The Article For You To Read:
How A Coffee Co-op United A Community – And Was Reborn After A Leadership Crisis
More of our history with the Delicious Peace Cooperative:
2009: Delicious Peace Moves Forward
2014: A Trip To Africa
2020: Delicious Peace Coffee: A New Story
2023: Evolution of Change
Where it all began - the Delicious Peace Coffee
Lavender Grace is the Sustainability Consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company.
Namanyonyi Co-op United A Community
read more
Earth Day Event in Fort Bragg
The Noyo Food Forest is having their annual Earth Day celebration this Saturday at the Learning Garden. This four hour event is a fundraiser for the Farm-to-School and Youth Intern programs that the Noyo Food Forest operates year-round. We partner with the Noyo Food Forest throughout the year, and we especially love being a part of this annual event in Fort Bragg.
15th Annual Earth Day Event
Saturday, April 20, 12 - 4 PM
At the Learning Garden at Fort Bragg High School on Dana Street.
This Earth Day event is free and geared toward everyone in the family. There will be live music, and you can participate by putting down a bid for the silent auction, paying entry to bouncy houses, and tasting goodies from local chefs. This is one of the most fun events that happens in the city of Fort Bragg every year. Local organizations and nonprofits are a big part of this event, and you’ll see booths and representatives from the Noyo Marine Science Center, the Mendocino Land Trust, our Mendocino County state parks and many more important parts of the coastal community.
Thanksgiving Coffee will be serving up samples of our Bee Bold Blend, our new Nitro Coffee, and the Noyo Food Forest will be selling 12oz bags, as well. All the proceeds benefit the Noyo Food Forest and their important work here in our community. We are very happy to be a part of this awesome event. For more information, visit the Noyo Food Forest Earth Day page on their website, and RSVP on Facebook to share with your friends. Join us on April 20 – see you at the Learning Garden.
Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Partnership with the Noyo Food Forest
Learn more about how we support our Mother Earth
Earth Day Event in Fort Bragg 2024
read more
Banner: Florence Namaja Wabire, Coffee Farmer from Mirembe Kawomera, Uganda
A Cup That Carried More Than Coffee
When Paul Katzeff co-founded Thanksgiving Coffee in 1972, he carried with him the heart of a social worker who believed business could be a tool for justice. That vision led us, in the early 2000s, to a group of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim farmers in Mbale, Uganda. They called their cooperative Mirembe Kawomera—“Delicious Peace.”
For nearly two decades, we roasted their beans and shared their story. Each bag carried more than coffee; it carried proof that people of different faiths could work side by side, building better lives through collaboration.
What We Accomplished Together
With your purchases and support, Delicious Peace became more than a product—it became a movement.
- A $1 rebate per bag funded clean water filters for all 342 cooperative households, drastically reducing illness and freeing income for education and food.
- Clean Cook Stoves replaced traditional open-fire kitchens for the most vulnerable families, using one-tenth the fuel while directing smoke safely outside the home. These stoves reduced illness and burns, curbed deforestation, and became a model for climate resilience, women’s health, and rural job creation.
- Women and girls gained back hours of their days once spent collecting firewood.
- Most importantly, a community once divided grew into a living example of interfaith harmony.
For a dive deeper, the full journey is archived here:
Mirebe Kawomera, M'bale Uganda Photo by Paul Katzeff
Why Delicious Peace Coffee Is No Longer Available
We know this is disappointing news. Some of you first discovered Thanksgiving Coffee through Delicious Peace. We are grateful for every cup you brewed.
Over two decades, we built demand for this coffee from zero to 10,000 pounds a year. It wasn’t easy—the growth came through our own costly marketing of the interfaith story. But importing from Uganda required purchasing a full container, nearly 37,000 pounds. There was never a market for the remaining 27,000 pounds, so we absorbed the excess into other blends in order to keep bringing their coffee in.
Today, with a single container costing about $200,000, that model is no longer financially possible for us as a small, values-driven company. We had to rethink how we continue telling this inspirational interfaith coffee story without jeopardizing the health of our business. Rather than overextend ourselves financially and risk the integrity of our work, we chose to step back responsibly and allow the story to evolve in new ways.
The decision wasn’t easy. Delicious Peace was an extraordinary coffee grown in rich volcanic soil. But more than the flavor, it was the interfaith cooperation that made it truly special. And that is the part of the story that continues today.
Two Boys from Mirembe Kawamera peering out the window. Photo by Paul Katzeff
A New Chapter: Nabugoye Crafts
The spirit of Delicious Peace did not end when the coffee did. It found new soil, new forms, new voices.
One of the cooperative’s original founders, Sinina Namidosi, transformed her crochet skills into a thriving artisan collective. Visitors admired her headpieces—worn in both Muslim and Jewish traditions—and she began teaching other women. Soon, artisans across the community were creating beauty together across faith lines.
Living in rural Mbale meant limited market access. With seed funding from Thanksgiving Coffee and the entrepreneurial spirit of local partner John Elijah, the group registered a business, opened a bank account, and launched an online store. Today, Nabugoye Crafts ships worldwide.
👉 Visit Nabugoye Crafts
Each piece—whether a headpiece, accessory, or textile—carries the same message that once filled your cup: Jews, Christians, and Muslims working side by side, creating beauty, and sustaining their families with dignity.
No Substitution, Only Continuation
There is no true substitute for Delicious Peace. What made it extraordinary wasn’t only the beans, it was the unity behind them. That story now continues through Nabugoye Crafts. By supporting these artisans, you’re keeping the spirit of Delicious Peace alive—helping women earn income, sustain their households, and model interfaith harmony for the next generation.
Fun note: Smithsonian Folkways recording Delicious Peace: Coffee, Music and Interfaith Harmony in Uganda.
With Gratitude
To all who supported Delicious Peace over the years: thank you. You funded clean water, you stood for interfaith peace, and you proved that coffee can be a force for justice. While the coffee itself is no longer on our shelves, the story lives on—now in the hands of Ugandan women artisans whose work is as purposeful as it is beautiful.
With gratitude,
The Thanksgiving Coffee Family
Lavender Grace is the Sustainability Consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company
Stay in touch - we like to stay connected
Delicious Peace Coffee: Honoring the Legacy, Continuing the Interfaith Journey
read more
Namanyonyi Co-op united a community
The wheels were set in motion many years ago when Thanksgiving Coffee began our work with the Ugandan Coffee Cooperative “Delicious Peace” to bring their Interfaith coffee to market. For those of you who have been following us on this unique journey, we want to share another perspective. It is an article written by an organization that understands cooperatives are run by people, and people have many ups and downs.
"We love this story of multiple faiths helping each other, moving beyond personal beliefs"
Child from the "Delicious Peace" Coffee Cooperative in Uganda.
The author is Rebecca Harvey, the executive editor of Co-operative News. She was very intrigued about the journey this cooperative has been on and contacted Thanksgiving to learn about our involvement. We had the opportunity to speak with her and share our story. We also learned that Co-op News has been around for over 150 years to support the communication between all the many cooperatives in England, and now the World.
Sorting green coffee at Namanyonyi Co-op.
The Article For You To Read:
How A Coffee Co-op United A Community – And Was Reborn After A Leadership Crisis
More of our history with the Delicious Peace Cooperative:
2009: Delicious Peace Moves Forward
2014: A Trip To Africa
2020: Delicious Peace Coffee: A New Story
2023: Evolution of Change
Where it all began - the Delicious Peace Coffee
Lavender Grace is the Sustainability Consultant for Thanksgiving Coffee Company.