Sweetwater Organic Coffee stands apart from many specialty coffee roasters by not just focusing on the beans themselves. Instead, this company works to foster relationships between its customers and those responsible for growing them – its partnership with small-scale farmers allows it to host them at its Gainesville facilities and make annual trips out to visit farms they source from; in addition, Sweetwater also offers education programs for both staff members and the wider community.

Chris Neumann and Nora Edison established Gainesville Coffee four years ago after moving here from Hudson, N.Y. They wanted to start a company that was both socially conscious and ecologically sustainable while producing high-quality product. Fair trade practices ensure that growers receive minimum prices for their crop; proceeds then fund community development programs. Furthermore, organic certification standards are upheld strictly and any excess ground coffee donated directly to grass-root organizations.

Transfair Coffee & Tea Cooperative, the only independent third party certifier of Fair Trade products in the US. As well as contributing to Florida Organic Growers (a state organic certifying agency). Fair Trade and organic certification requires repaying premiums directly back to growers as well as following a stringent auditing process by independent inspectors from Florida Organic Growers; additionally as part of Transfair, premiums must be given on every pound sold and meet rigorous handling and packaging standards.

Neumann says his business requires a large commitment, with a slim profit margin, but believes the extra work to run ethically and sustainably is well worth the extra work involved. Despite all of its challenges, however, Neumann Coffee Roasting Company continues to expand quickly; now boasting 11 employees with plans for an expansion into downtown Gainesville where their new facility will include both barista training classes for industry professionals as well as public coffee brewing classes geared toward home coffee drinkers.

Sweetwater Coffee Roasting Company sells not only their signature roast and retail coffee products, but also offers sustainable to-go ware, syrups and teas at sustainable pricing for customers to take on the go. They offer bulk coffee orders at wholesale pricing so businesses can serve their products in-house.

This company plans to open their third location by 2021 and are actively engaging with the local community on several projects. They are working alongside other food companies in Gainesville to establish a food hub, hoping to bring in live music through live-music venues possibly run in partnership with local breweries, supporting a local farmstead by providing produce from Frog Song Kitchen, Buddha’s Garden, High Springs Orchard, Meacham Urban Farm as well as potentially creating their own organic, fair-trade beer that uses locally-grown ingredients as part of their plan to establish an economy that works for everyone involved – part of their plan to establish an economy that works.