A friend and I stopped at Mystic Bean Coffee Company a week ago on our way to St. Augustine. Their coffee is fabulous. A big “WOW”. I could hardly wait to go back. Yesterday I had an assignment to take Annie, my Golden Retriever Terrier mix, to a dog spa in St. Augustine as part of a story for Visit Florida.
Guess what? Serendipity – the dog spa is right across the street from Mystic Bean! And so I ordered a latte and had a chance to talk with Michael Sasich, owner of Mystic Bean along with his wife Carol.
“We are a micro brewery. We buy coffee from farmers all over the world,” says Michael.
When you walk in the door, to the right is a glass wall and behind that is the roasting operation. You can buy coffee beans there or from their Web site.
To the left, one whole wall, floor to ceiling, has roasted coffee beans in bright packages. Some are organic, many have a label that says “Stewardship Coffee” but you won’t find the “Fair Trade” label.
Until talking with Michael, I thought “Fair Trade” was the responsible choice, cutting out middlemen and paying coffee and tea growers a living wage.
“Fair Trade and Transfair sold out,” Michael asserts. “They make farmers join cooperatives and the cooperatives get the money and are owned by the likes of Nestle, Starbucks . . . “
Hummm. Food for thought. Mystic Bean has joined the group that endorses Stewardship Coffee.
Here is an excerpt from an article by Mark Thomsen in Sustainability Investment News:
“To be designated a Stewardship coffee, the farms must restrict the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, control erosion, conserve biodiversity in the natural environment, and minimize the consumption of natural resources in processing. The farms must also ensure workers get fair compensation, access to food, water and shelter, medical care, training, a minimal exposure to chemicals, and education for their children.”
Michael and Carol came from Seattle more than a decade ago and have had several coffee companies in St. Augustine, taking a break for a few years to go sailing. Mystic Bean, their new location, has been open for one year.
Coffee is a passion for this couple. Their way of doing business is a mission.
“We see this as a vehicle to helping people in the Third World with their economy, children and families. It helps build schools and clinics. It is our way of giving back,” says Michael.
Mystic Bean Coffee Company is at 470 SR 207, St. Augustine, phone (904) 669-7610. They have food too – homemade cookies, cakes, sandwiches, pizza, and oh yes, free wi fi. My kind of place.
Let’s see, Annie had a bath and a blueberry facial at the dog spa. She had a great time and would like to go back. I’m ready, as long as we can stop at Mystic Bean. There is even a table outside where I can sit with Annie.
Lucy Beebe Tobias is a freelance writer, photographer and artist in Ocala, Florida. She is the Authentic Florida Expert for Visit Florida and the author of “50 Great Walks in Florida.”