Poor Farmer

At 400 million cups a day, America has become a coffee nation By Scott Wapner CNBC September 29, 2011 HOUSTON, Tex.  — There was a time in America when coffee was just a drink. Today, it's something more. It's fancier, tastier, pricier — a magic elixir that satisfies our collective craving and our national addiction to caffeine. If there’s any doubt that America has become a coffee nation, the proof can be found at the U.S. Barista Championship, where connoisseurs battle for a $5,000 cash prize and a shot at making it to the world championship. Top honors are given for the best cup o’ joe in the country. Coffee slinging was once a job. Today, it’s a calling. “We’re going to give people what they want,” said Joshua Boyt, 29, a barista and the owner of Metronome outside Seattle. “That’s what coffee is about. It’s an experience.” “Barista” is Italian for bartender, and just like making a perfect martini, there’s a lot of skill required of these ambassadors ...

KETKnbc.com September 29, 2011 TYLER — It's National Coffee Day Thursday, and in light of the "special day," we decided to look into the seemingly rising prices of our daily cup of joe. It's a luxury to some, but a necessity to others to start our morning off right. We spoke to one local roaster who says the higher bean costs have greatly affected his business. Ray Johnson has owned Coffee City USA in Tyler for 14 years. Johnson's business roasts thousands of pounds of coffee a day, and then sells it to different retailers across the country. Due to the recent rise in bean prices, it's taking a toll on his work. "Right now, it's about $3.25 today. A year-and-a-half ago, it was at about $1.30," Johnson said. Johnson says he doesn't remember bean prices being this steadily high since about 1997. He says coffee prices right now are as volatile as gasoline due to a number of factors, including a rise in demand and the climat...

By Elizabeth Flock The Washington Post September 29, 2011 Today, tell all those smug tea drinkers to take a walk, because it’s international coffee day. Caribou Coffee, 7-11, Thornton's, and Krispy Kreme are all making it easier to feed your addiction by handing out free cups of joe at nationwide locations. (Note the fine print: 7/11’s freebies end at 11 a.m., and at Caribou, it’s buy one, get one for a friend free.) Though rumored to be participating, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks say they will not be handing out free coffee, prompting one fan to write, “I still love your coffee, and I'd still pay for it on National Coffee Day while other people moan and complain, and go to 7-11 for a [expletive] cup of free coffee.” In addition to getting a cup of java, we suggest you celebrate by remembering where coffee came from — a group of hopped-up goats. According to the National Coffee Association, an Ethio¬pian goat herder named Kaldi was the first to realize coffee’s w...