Three Story Coffee also sells other direct trade items such as baskets, woodcarvings, loose-leaf tea, chocolate and jewelry. Each item represents connections and relationships that the Andersons have forged during the past several years. “We are focused on building direct trade relationships with the farmers,” Anderson says. “We want to know the farmers, pay them a fair price and then work with them to improve their product to add even more value for them in the future.” Anderson believes that for coffee to be great, it should be great for everyone. That means that a portion of coffee purchases from Three Story can be designated to one of a list of missionaries working in countries such as Sierra Leone, Bolivia and South Africa. Three Story also supports projects that impact widows and orphans, programs that teach people how to grow food and sustain their families and education programs that help break the cycle of poverty. As t h e y l o o k t o w a r d t h e f u t u r e , Anderson says he has realized that, based on their vision and goals, Three Story Coffee might work better as a not-for-profit organization rather than the for-profit company they’ve operated as for the past year. “We have just started looking at transitioning,” he says. “We have realized that since our focus on the farmer side is relationships, education, community development and missions as well as education and awareness on the consumer side, a nonprofit structure might be a better fit.” Anderson also plans to continue to grow his network of farmers. A list on the wall of his office is a visual reminder of the progress he seeks. “I keep a list on my wall of the countries we want to go to and the connections we have made in those countries,” Anderson says. “I have been amazed at the people we have crossed paths with that can create opportunities to build relationships in these coffee communities.” JC
Learn more about Three Story Coffee and the farmers behind its most popular brews at threestorycoffee.com. 52 | July/August 2013