Blount County Food Connection


It's another dreary day today in beautiful Maryville, Tennessee, but it's hopping at the roastery. With the flavorful smells of roasted coffee wafting through the air,  we are preparing our space (which we just recently renovated... come check us out!) and teaching new staff in preparation for our new 35 Kilo roaster.  Check in later to find out when we will have it up and running (it'll be a great thing to come see). 

Also today we are proud to support Blount County Food Connection in donating a large amount of coffee to give to their families that they provide food for. If you are also interested in donating, they are always eager for donations. Please check out their blog...

Rachel Rising and Unveiling Cafe Femenino Project

On Oct. 2, 2008 at a moving and powerful concert, Rachel Rising, in support of a battered women's home, Haven House, Vienna Coffee Company unveiled their newest coffee to their already high quality selection of speciality coffees...


Welcome to the Cafe Femenino Project!!!
Our excitement for this coffee is high and we hope it will catch on quickly.

Here is how the project works...
VCC has chosen to participate in the Café Femenino Project roasting these Fair Trade Certified, specialty grade, organic coffees and distributing them throughout our region. VCC has selected Haven House (www.havenhousetn.org) as their sponsored local women's organization as allowed by the Café Femenino Project. After paying the women growers a fair price for their green coffee, VCC roasts the beans in small batches to bring out the optimal flavors from each variety.  A portion of all coffee sales then go directly to aid the women at Haven House. Disenfranchised women are being helped on both ends of the project.

What about Sustainability?

A lot of folks, especially in East Tennessee, ask me "what is all this 'stuff' about sustainable Coffee?" Quite simply, I view it as an essential "movement" that must flourish if we are to maintain or "sustain" the high quality coffees that we have grown to know and love!Of course the bigger picture is about our culture and lifestyle; our world and our place in it. It's about whether we choose to be good stewards of God's gifts. That is a subject near to my heart, but pages and pages of blog can be written about that. For now, I'll stick to a more narrow question about "Sustainable Coffee"Sustainable Coffee is coffee that has been grown, processed, traded and handled in a manner that looks to the "long view" of being in the world. It's coffee that reflects a commitment to be fair to all the folks along the way who work to produce the cup. It's coffee that's been grown in a way that is protective of our environment (locally and globally) and the health and welfare of the farmers. It's coffee that is processed with quality and conservation of resources as central tenets of the person or co-op who does the processing. It generally (but not always) includes some "third party" assessment or certification that efforts really have been made to be responsible. It includes certifications like "Organic", "Fair Trade Certified", shade grown, Bird Friendly, Rainforest Alliance Certified. It supports and gains support from organizations like "Coffee Kids" and Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN).At Vienna Coffee Company, we feel strongly about sustainability and are working to make it a larger and larger part of our business. Check back from time to time to learn more. There are also links from our website to several organizations where you can learn more!Ciao,John