The Name Was Not Created, It Was Given.

In retrospect, it might have been a moment in time when the word needed to be spoken out loud and attached to something physical. I explain it as a moment in the evolutionary naming process sprinkled with a dose of spirituality.

In the beginning there was a piece of wood

Growing up in a lower middle class neighborhood in the Bronx, my family did not celebrate the Thanksgiving Day holiday with a big feast. My first impactful encounter with the Thanksgiving holiday was at the traditional Thanksgiving day football rivalry between Cornell University and University of Pennsylvania. The year was 1959, my senior year at Cornell. My brother and I traveled to Pennsylvania to be at the game. I have no recollection of the game itself, including which team won the game. But after the game, at the final buzzer, my brother and I rushed out of the stands with thousands of other fans to fight for peace of the goalpost which was a tradition back then. With thousands of fans fighting for the crossbar, it was an amazing thrill to be running like a crazy person out of the stadium with a 3 foot piece of the 4 x 4 crossbar under my arm, my brother running at my side. When I left New York City a decade later I loaded it into my '46 Mack truck and headed west. That piece of wood  traveled with me and to this day it remains housed in the Mack truck that helped me escape from Greenwich Village to Aspen Colorado a decade later. It remains in the truck, now parked at my home in Mendocino, California.  

Cornell vs Penn NCAA Thanksgiving Day Football Game Program 1959

Paul's 1946 Mack Truck

Arriving in Aspen without a clue

Upon arriving in Aspen Colorado in the fall of 1969, I set out to find a job. Not being successful in finding one, and with winter coming on, I did some good panic thinking. It was my first experience with small-town rural living and I still had a Greenwich Village New York city state of mind, so it was just a small leap to consider the possibility of opening a coffeehouse. So I began my search for space. I found the basement at 420 Hyman St., rented it, and began to visualize it how it should look as Aspens first and only coffeehouse. Should it look like the Fat Black Pussycat or the Hip Bagel or should it be more European /Middle Eastern in style like to Café Figaro ? I rented the place for $200 a month and began.

Aspen 1970

The first miracle

One early morning an old friend from "the village" back in New York city walked down the steps to my partially finished basement Coffee House. I was sanding a tabletop. Now this fellow, Bob Horn, holds a special place in my heart, and in the serendipity in the name, that was eventually given to the unnamed basement we were both standing in. Bob was my first roommate back in 1961 when I moved for my ancestral home in the Bronx to 66 W. 10th St. in Greenwich Village. We were friends for the entire decade of the 60's and in 1969 when I headed my Mack truck West over the George Washington Bridge towards the Rocky Mountains, he was the only friend I could not find to say goodbye to before I left New York City. It was something that bothered me all the way to my final destination, Aspen Colorado. But when good intentions are deep and honest Providence will step in to help. So I'll redirect this story for a moment to the actual time my Mack truck pulled into Aspen on that first fall afternoon in September. My mind was set on locating the closest gas station. I needed to find water for my dog Panda and some for my trucks radiator. We had just come over Independence Pass. That old truck struggled to get over that 14,000 foot hill, and it too was thirsty.

Aspen Coffee House 1969

I helped Panda out of the truck and set out a bowl for water. I noticed another person with the dog heading for the same water at the pump. I looked up and as he got closer I could see it was my dear friend Bob Horn with his dog Daisy. We both arrived in Aspen with our dogs and our trucks at the same time, neither of us is knowing the other was heading for the same place. Providence? What was the meaning of this miracle I thought ? I would soon find out.

Panda 

Finding Out

A couple of months later Bob walked into my almost finished coffee house to see me working on the table and asked," What are you going call this place?”  I looked up from the rough tabletop and without missing a beat I said," I'm going to call this place Thanksgiving. It was a spontaneous response. It just came out in sort of, a burp. Now I don't really know how such things happen. Were higher powers waiting for the moment when they could act to bring "the word" into the world as a name of a coffee house, and they deemed me worthy? Bob smiled, said he would see me later and left me to my tabletop sanding.

Later that day

Bob reappeared as I was finishing up, getting ready to go home and said he had gone to the library to search for the word Thanksgiving as it might appear in the Bible, if at all. He said he found the word Thanksgiving in the New Testament. He had located it by using a book called "The Concordance." The word was located in 1 Timothy 4.

"All things that are God-given should be received with thanksgiving”.

The phrase ring true to me and with that kind of support, plus the preceding miracle of my friend Bob arriving in Aspen at the same moment I did, and heading for the same place as I, both of us wanting to get water for our dogs, I stuck with "the word’ and it became "the name”.

We are not claiming it was a religious naming, but more a spiritual naming. We are happy to bring this uplifting word into every day use, into the light, so to speak, for all to feel the power of the word and the lift it gives when spoken into the world. It is the nicest word in the English language. We hope you enjoy seeing it and starting your morning with Thanksgiving.

Joe Seta putting out samples with CEO Jonah Katzeff . Josh Long brewing the coffee in back.

We chose to serve coffees in a variety of roast spectrums: two of our Lights Roasts: Ethiopian Natural process, and Ethiopian washed process; a Guatemalan Dark roast, The Upsetter espresso, and our Royal Decaf coffees (see links below). Except for the espresso and a batch of cold brew Ethiopian natural, we brewed everything else via French Press which made us compete very well against our competitors who were making their coffee in pour overs. Our preference is the ESPRO French Press with its multiple filter layers. The total immersion of a French press develops a depth of flavor with which a pour over just can't compete. We got great feedback on all our coffees – even the Decaf because we were the only presenter that offered one… and ours tastes as full-flavored as any other coffee.

Our Festival Team

left to right: Josh Long, Jennifer Brown, Jonah Katzeff, Nathan Niel

Our festival team included our CEO, Jonah, our cofounder Paul, Josh Long (Roaster), Nathan Nies (barista/Sales Representative), Jennifer Brown (Office Manager) and me. Our stylized baseball jerseys were Jennifer's idea and boy did they make our team look good. The jersey colors worked very well with our branded canopy and really helped make a cohesive statement visually.

We participate in this annual public event to help expand our brand presence in the Bay Area where we are represented but not nearly to the extent as many of the local competitors. It is very safe to say that a lot more of the Bay Area is now familiar with our name, our story, and the flavor of our coffee after this wonderful event.

left to right: Joe Seta, Josh Long, Jonah Katzeff, Nathan Nies

Cups at SF Coffee Fest: "Coffee - Africa's Gift to the World - You're Welcome"

The more we evolve, the more we understand how every choice we make ripples out and affects all aspects of our life. So when choosing your coffee you want to know what’s in it, or in this case more importantly what’s not in it.  

Let’s look at what coffee mold and mycotoxins are and how to avoid them.

First - What is a mycotoxin?

Mycotoxin is defined as any toxic substance produced by a fungus. Mold is a multicellular fungus that signals spoilage due to decay. The mold metabolites, the result of mold’s metabolism process, are called mycotoxins. The mold in coffee typically includes the mycotoxins ochratoxin A and aflatoxin B1.

Do all coffees have mycotoxins?

Based on this study, 45% of coffee beans commercially sold contained Ochratoxin A.

According to this study over 50% of green coffee beans contained Aflatoxin. These toxins can cause poisoning when you ingest too much of them. So yes, trace amounts of mycotoxins have been found in coffee beans, but the amounts are far below safety limits and too low to be of practical significance.

The health effects these mycotoxins can have on our overall toxic burden are worth taking note of, especially if you choose low-end, instant coffee, which has been shown to have the highest mold contents. Dr. Jill Carnahan puts it very well by saying:

"In my opinion, toxin burden is THE biggest cause of declining health and accelerated aging today, so you might want to care anyway. The thing about toxin burden is it’s all about how it adds up within your body. Sure, there might be just a little mold in your coffee but add that to the 84,000 chemicals you’re exposed to each day and you’ve got a big problem. It’s up to you to decide where and how you’ll reduce your chemical burden – but one thing is for sure, we all need to work to reduce the amount of chemicals we’re exposed to.”

Different Molds growing on Green coffee

How to Avoid Mycotoxins In Your Coffee

One of the best ways to avoid toxic overload from your coffee is to source high-quality, organic coffee beans. Soil health is very important to us at Thanksgiving Coffee, and we work with farmers who do not use synthetic chemicals, such as potentially harmful pesticides and fungicides that pollute the soil.

The health of your coffee begins with how it is grown, how it is processed, stored, and ultimately how it is roasted.

The best option for those with a high mold sensitivity is to choose a wet-processed coffee. This means that the coffee cherry has been washed off and then dried, with a smaller chance of mold potential.

By the time the coffee beans have been roasted, the molds that produce the mycotoxins have all but been burned away. According to another study, roasting can reduce ochratoxin A levels by 69–96%.

Health Benefits of Thanksgiving Coffee

With one of the most robust and long-term supply chains within specialty coffee, Thanksgiving coffee works with the highest quality coffees in the world and you benefit from the health and flavor of this along our entire supply chain.

When you drink Thanksgiving Coffee, you can enjoy all the benefits that good coffee contains including over 1000 bioactive components. Including one of the best sources of antioxidants for many people's diets.

Alongside our farmers, co-ops, importers, and roasters we continue to implement and improve our coffee for the best health of the people and our planet. Still going strong and fuelled by our amazing coffee for over 50 years,  

In an upside-down world – sometimes the only thing right side up is a good cup of coffee. Enjoy the Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidative, Antifungal, Antifibrotic, Anticancer, and Delicious taste of Thanksgiving Coffee. 

More Resources:

Molds, Mycotoxins, and Coffee – Part I of II

Molds, Mycotoxins, and Coffee – Part II of II

Entering the 25th year of End The Embargo Coffee, we find the embargo on Cuba by our government still in place. However, it is now easy to obtain a Visa to travel to Cuba on your own or via the many Social Justice Non profits and Churches that lead mission driven or curated special interest trips to the island.

Back in 1998 we teamed up with Global Exchange, a San Francisco-based nonprofit which was then, a leading proponent in favor of ending the US Cuba hostilities. Jonah Katzeff, now CEO of Thanksgiving Coffee, traveled to Cuba with Global Exchange in the late 90’s. I had complex motives for creating End the Embargo Coffee 25 years ago. My motives were not purely about Social Justice. I was a cigar judge at the time for Cigar Aficionado magazine, and I understood that the quality of Cuban cigars was based on its soil and climate as much as on the human skills that transformed fresh picked tobacco leaf and aged it, blended it, and rolled it into cigars for export. Coffee grown in Cuba I believed, would be as magnificent as their tobacco that were made into their fantastic cigars. I wanted that coffee! However, it was no secret that Thanksgiving Coffee was a supporter of the Nicaraguan revolution, and that I was a Sandinista at heart. I made many visits to Nicaragua in 1985, and in 1986 negotiated a contract to purchase 75,000 pounds of coffee for delivery to the SF/Oakland Bay Area).

America was at war with Nicaragua using unhappy Nicaraguans as it's Mercenaries. Although it was a peoples revolution, almost immediately after the Nicaraguan newspapers reported my contract, President Reagan declared an Embargo on Nicaraguan imports which included my 75,000 pounds. I was caught in the middle of US Foreign Policy. What I did is another story which solidified me as the Premier Craft Coffee Radical in America. Spoiler alert, I challenged the Reagan embargo and broke the embargo. I learned allot from that experience and fifteen years later, it informed my decision to create End The Embargo Coffee.

Coffee grown in Cuba I believed, would be as magnificent as their tobacco...

I was inspired by my experiences in Nicaragua. I wanted to do my part for the coffee farmers, and agricultural workers in Cuba. I wanted to put my stake in the ground to be the first to bring Cuban coffee to the United States. When we created the packaging for in the embargo coffee the Pope had just visited Cuba. Daniel Ortega, President and one of the nine commandants of the Nicaraguan revolutionary army (FSLN) that defeated the Samosa Dictatorship in 1979, came to meet the Pope at the airport. The Pope was not a happy Pope in the moment, and pointed and accusatory finger at the President of Nicaragua as he reached to kiss the popes ring. A photo of that moment became a poster, which became an International memorial to the Revolution. I saw one in Rwanda in the home of a coffee farmer twenty years later. I couldn’t help myself. I used it for the dark roast graphic. Che was chosen for the light roast.

It should be noted that the artist who created that likeness of Che was interviewed for an article in Business Week Magazine. He commented on the use of the image, disapproving of Seagram’s use of the image to sell vodka, but approved Thanksgiving Coffee’s use as the image representing coffee for End the Embargo. The week that publication hit the newsstands we sold 5,000 12 oz. packages.

For many years afterwards, I received quite a number of nasty letters and phone threats from Cuban immigrants living in Miami, who had, in their words, escaped Cuba to find freedom in America. They weren’t poor Cubans, but the wealthy, who had prospered as part of the pre revolution economy. I carried on an interesting dialogue with the detractors of our of our anti-embargo activism. As the Cuban political situation mellowed over time, the threats and nasty accusations slowed to a trickle.

Today, after quarter century of Che, and the Pope, being on grocery shelves, and in our online web store, we begin the process of ending our relationship with this revolutionary product line. Although the issue is still important, we just don’t have the staff to promote this product the way it needs to be promoted to achieve its educational aims. We have not changed our politics of inclusion and social justice, nor have we changed our opinion about whether or not the embargo should stand or fall. We believe that the Cuban embargo is an inappropriate way to achieve peace between nations. This embargo, as all embargoes do, impacts the poorest of the Cuban citizens. It does not impact wealthy Cubans in Cuba. Che and the Pope now, just sit patiently on store shelves looking out quietly as people pass by and choose other coffees that have a more current pressing social, environmental, and economic justice issues.

After a quarter century the time to retire these iconic images is for us, now. If you wish to continue to support the Cuban Cuban people and wish to see the embargo on Cuban products ended, here is the original organization that we supported which you can also support by contributing your energy and and/or financial support. They do the work that we can no longer do.

Global Exchange - Normalize Relations with Cuba

Let’s say goodbye to End the Embargo Coffee until such time when Thanksgiving Coffee Company has the employee power to give this product is due. Cuban coffee never got to the United States but Thanksgiving’s Embargo Coffee package recently got to Cuba. Photographs below show Susan Savage of the Mendocino Coast Community Healthcare District delivering Che to one of her friends in Cuba in late January 2023

End of Story

This is not a small event – dozens of wineries, restaurants, artists, and musicians come together to entertain the guests for several hours prior to the main event, which is a grand live auction. This year the goal was to raise $200,000 in the auction in 90 minutes. They did exactly that. This year’s Fund-a-Need targeted nursing education – to train and retain nurses in our area – which is one of the greatest needs we have.

Thanksgiving had a new location for this year. We were inside the main auction tent, right in the heart of the action. We had tremendous exposure with our canopy displaying proudly during the auction. We expanded our offerings this year to include espresso drinks and cold brew, in addition to several varieties of drip coffee. The weather is always a factor, so the ability to pivot from hot to cold was very helpful.

We fielded a great team and had a lot of fun representing our company for a great cause. It makes us feel better knowing that we are really contributing to our community while having such a wonderful time.

Doing Good in the World has always fueled Thanksgiving Coffee Company’s business, that is until we began our journey into a Regenerative Business Model (one that unlocks new levels of innovation, financial results, and customer loyalty while building human capacity to contribute). Through this emerging experience we have begun to untangling what “Good” actually means. We are learning to go beyond the “Do Good” paradigm and learn how to progress into a “Be Good” business.

PROCESS

During the alliance-building, it was a natural progression for Thanksgiving Coffee Company to develop a Regenerative Business Model and dive deep into an evolution for the company. Under the guidance of second generation CEO Jonah Katzeff, and our resource Heather Paulsen, we began Carol Sandford’s Regenerative Business Development course and are now in our second year with this work.

The goal of a regenerative business is
 to be okay with constant changes, look at what is possible, and
empower those around you to become their own expert.

It is not a quick process, nothing about this is a quick fix because life is complicated. The planet is full of diverse ways of being, and thinking, and everyone and everything has different needs. We are learning that the goal of a regenerative business is to be okay with the constant changes, look at what is possible, and empower those around you to be their own expert in doing the same. This is no small task, yet one we are willing to develop and grow. Thanksgiving coffee is willing to find what makes our company indispensable and most importantly un-perturbable in the modern world of coffee.

OUTCOME

We are learning the importance of “Being Mindful”, and how the thoughts that circle and inhabit our minds become our actions. We are practicing how to “Be Self-aware”, and how the energies we each bring to the table and how we show up within each moment are tangible ways of evolving our thinking. Learning more about “Being Purposeful” in how we conduct our business and how Thanksgiving Coffee can improve your lives, and make it Better for you to Achieve Your Goals. This is what is real for us..

The end results are still out. Will our company survive for another 50 years? Will our coffee continue to brighten your morning and support you through your life to make it better and improve our planet? Although we cannot foretell the future, we know that in this moment we are all working honestly to evolve our way of being. We envision a World full of health and happiness, full of nourishment, community, and well-being. With each bean we roast, with each farmer we purchase from, and with each family working here in our Roastery, we envision ourselves regenerating the planet for generations to come. Wouldn't that Be Good?

We Did it Again!

We re-certified as a B Corp with a score of 107.3, over double the score of an ordinary business. The world of specialty coffee has changed so much since our humble beginnings, yet one constant has always been true for us, to use coffee as a medium for change.

Our Co-Founder Paul Katzeff's early experience in Nicaragua showed us "why" it is so important to improve the lives of our coffee farmers and their communities. Over the years we have gotten better at the "how", and now our farmer's green coffee beans have grown into the award-winning roasted coffee beans that we share with you.

All Round

The initial certification was in 2015 with B Lab, the third-party certifier. Every three years we are up to re-certify with the latest version of the B Impact Assessment. Their rigorous certification process is evaluated on 5 aspects of our business; Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers. In essence, B Lab is helping us to ensure a high level of transparency so we can see how our ideals stack up with our actions.  

Recognized

Every year, B Lab recognizes the B Corps that have achieved the highest verified scores in the five impact areas evaluated on the B Impact Assessment. We are honored as Best For The World: Changemakers 2019 and Best For The World: Community from 2016 - 2018.

Our team loves what they do, and we hope you love the mix of good beans, and good people, all doing good for our communities.

Evolve

We continue to learn as our business navigates our fifth decade of specialty coffee roasting. To get better and better, B Corp certification challenges us to align with our values and spotlight areas we want to improve on. One area of our focus is with you, our customers. Please reach out with your suggestions, and let us know what you want to see from us. We will do our best to show up for you. Our team loves what they do, and we hope you love the mix of good beans, and good people, all doing good for our communities. Thanksgiving Coffee continues to roast fine beans and bring you excellent coffee. Thank you for being part of our Thanksgiving Family - you matter to us.

Image from Cafe Dota's Facebook Page

July is only halfway done and yet the events are nonstop! Getting out amongst the world of coffee lovers gives us the best connection possible and exposure of our products to a wide range of audiences.

We have been doing lots and lots of non-stop local (and not-so-local) events recently, including:

Caspar-Fest

 An annual event at the Caspar Community Center that brings the community together with local vendors and music in celebration of Caspar, CA

The Redwood Coast Recreation Center

Here we offered our coffee to support the center in Sea Ranch, CA

B Local Bay Area

This event was a group mixer for B Corps in San Francisco. As a certfied B Corp we enjoy meeting and working with our local chapter to learn about the good work and practices of our colleagues.

The Mendocino Music Festival!

We have been serving coffee as a sponsor of the Music Festival since it's humble beginnings in 1986.

Coffee brings people together. We are happy to support our community to learn and grow and celebrate one another with great coffee.

The World’s Largest Salmon BBQ happened on 7/1, and again – Thanksgiving Coffee was there! This event brings together thousands of salmon lovers to raise money for salmon habitat restoration. The salmon fishery in California was closed this year – completely – in order to let the salmon population rebound, so everything that we can do to support increased spawning grounds will help the salmon, our local economy, and the entire ecosystem.

Our booth provided hot coffee (Mocha Java and Royal Decaf) and cold brew (Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Natural from the Gedeb region) in exchange for any donation to Salmon Restoration. We raised nearly $500 from donations alone. Our Office Manager, Jennifer, CEO Jonah, and co-founders Paul and Joan were on hand with Sales and Marketing Manager, Joe, to keep the coffee flowing for 8 hours.

All we can do to support increased spawning grounds will help the salmon,
our local economy, and the entire ecosystem.

We were not alone in this effort: fellow B Corps including North Coast Brewing Company and Harvest Market were on hand to donate, raise additional funds, and support the cause. The menu usually includes corn on the cob, but corn was in short supply this year, so Harvest Market was able to source organic new potatoes to supplant the menu.

Dozens of volunteers helped pull this event together and make it run smoothly including Rotary International (with participation from both Fort Bragg and Mendocino chapters), California Conservation Corp., Mendocino Sheriff’s Department, Salmon Restoration Association, and the celebrity grill team including lots of local dignitaries including Fort Bragg’s Mayor, several County Commissioners, local business owners, and many, many more.

The event had a lively festival atmosphere with great weather, great vibes and lots of live music including West of Nowhere (pictured), Steven Bates Band, the Caspar Kings, Earl Oliver, and Deep Pockets who started the day off with some very danceable grooves. One of the highlights is the annual release of the supporting shirt… this year’s shirt slogan, “If you must smoke – smoke salmon.”

Original Post from Mara Elephant Project by Claire Bolles

Protecting Elephants and Their Habitats Across the Greater Mara Ecosystem

It is World Female Ranger Week, a time set aside to highlight the important conservation work undertaken by women on the frontline. The first ever World Female Ranger Award winner Caren Yegon just completed a month-long LEAD Ranger training at the Wildlife Works facility in Rukinga, Kenya. (Our cause coffee partner) The Mara Elephant Project  / Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Mau De-Snaring Unit lead ranger was joined by 13 rangers, which included nine women, from other conservation organizations for the Bush School Instructor course facilitated by both LEAD Ranger and special guest instructors.

Caren will take the skills she learned and bring them back to educate other MEP rangers. Skills like making safe drinking water in the field, using various signals to communicate when you’re lost or need to be discreet, making shelter and fire with basic supplies, navigating in the field without technology and more.

As we join other conservation organizations celebrating World Female Ranger Week, we continue our commitment to nurture a diverse and inclusive workforce thanks to your support.

A special thanks to LEAD Ranger for their commitment to nature’s first responders and to How Many Elephants for supporting World Female Ranger Week to shine a light on women like Caren.

You can send more Mara Elephant Project rangers like Caren for training in 2023, when you purchase Protect Our Elephants coffee. Support the MEP conservation heroes.

The booth came from TCC, but Chef Julian from the Waiting Room/Café Beaujolais brought his staff to operate it with great style and delicious offerings.

“It was Spaz-iale!”

The weather cooperated – never too hot, or too windy - but allowed all to enjoy three days of Peace, Love and Music. Thanks to Ksenia, Shelly and the whole crew at SNWMF for making it a wonderful experience all around.

As the SNWMF social media post said… “It was Spaz-iale!”