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Gillies Blog

SCAA OWES SMALL ROASTERS BIG TIME

 I don’t know if Leonard Nimoy was a coffee lover. Possibly not, but as I have been writing about globalization in recent months Mr. Nimoy, and his alter ego Mr. Spock keep coming to mind. I find myself remembering my youth in a coffee galaxy where the American small roaster community was within a hair’s breadth of disappearing.

10 Reasons 10 SCAA Presidents VOTE NO On Consolidation

This is Donald Schoenholt, co-founder of SCAA, and founder of Roasters Guild. By now you know that there is an SCAA and Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) consolidation vote scheduled for this coming week. I am writing to you for a group of 10 SCAA Past Presidents.

11 SCAA Presidents vote NO!

Unification means Bye Bye SCAA!

A Personal Message on Unification

A Personal Message on Unification from SCAA & Roasters Guild Founding Father, Donald Schoenholt.

A Personal Message on Unification

A Personal Message on Unification from SCAA & Roasters Guild Founding Father, Donald Schoenholt

The Curious Case of Mrs. Lamadrid

Before Karen Cebreros and Kimberly Easson, and the International Women’s Coffee Alliance; before Erna Knutsen, and even Alice Foote MacDougall, there were women in coffee. Among them in 19th Century New York was a woman of many parts, and not a little mystery.

Buying Green Coffee

The study of coffee futures as an investment vehicle is fascinating and the results can be treacherous for those who attempt to ride the tiger of this soft commodity market. I have seen many in the roasted and the green coffee business lose their footing and be overwhelmed in a market turn.

Dubai, Choices, and Universal Human Rights

In 1958, a modest and compassionate American said, “Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home – so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world.”

35th Anniversary of the Founding of SCAA

This year commemorates the 35th Anniversary of the founding of SCAA. To those of you who remember when I had 20/20 vision, black hair and a 33” waist, I raise my SCAA mug to each of you in turn, and wish you well , and thank you for your service to the trade.

Meister for SCA Board

Ms Meister’s vision is, “to contribute to the specialty-coffee professional community and make high-quality coffee more accessible for all through education, communication, ethical traceability, support, promotion, enthusiasm, sticktoitiveness, boosterism, and openness of heart and mind.”

Crain’s New York Stories: Profiles of Business Owners in the 5 Boroughs

Crain’s Publisher Jill Kaplan meets with entrepreneurs around the city and learns of their stories of success, failure, determination and resiliency. In this episode, she meets with our own, Donald Shoenholt. 

CBD in Coffee

Some of our friends in the trade are telling us that there is a pile of money to be made in CBD blended coffee. Maybe there is. Dealing in CBD today is not dissimilar to dealing in alcohol during prohibition under The 18th Amendment, in the 1920’s.
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