We believe there is no singular best way to prepare and drink coffee. However, all the steps along the supply chain are equally important, and it is in those steps that coffee can become specialty coffee and tie us all together. The farmer, the green coffee buyer, the roaster, the retailer, and even the consumer all play important roles in building a sustainable world for all.

Our community extends beyond the Chesapeake Bay to the broader watershed, across the nation, and all the way to the coffee-producing countries we source from. Therefore, supporting our community goes beyond the people we contact directly with and extends throughout the supply chain. The journey from bean to cup is long, and our goal is to enrich this diverse community by making sound business choices at every level.

The cup of coffee you drink every morning contains 98.7% water. This means a good cup of coffee depends on clean water. Yet billions of people worldwide still suffer from poor access to water. Drinking water is a necessity, but our waterways also provide an essential source of food, transportation, and enjoyment. Throughout our manufacturing process, we choose to take steps to decrease our negative impact on the environment and clean water resources in coffee-producing lands and our backyard.

Through our brand evolution, we continue our important giveback relationship with ORP. We allocate $0.10 from every Oyster Reef item sold, and our funds support their oyster restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay. Since their founding in 1994, and with the support of major partners like the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Horn Point Lab, ORP has planted more than 13.1 billion oysters on 3,000 acres of reef and recycled more than 340,000 bushels of shell!

Our giveback program with The Maryland Zoo began in 2019 with the sale of Hellbender retail bags. Over the years, the giveback grew to include wholesale items, and in 2022, Hellbender Blend was redeveloped using Bird Friendly certified coffees and was also designated as our signature cold brew blend. For this direct giveback, 2% of sales of Hellbender items and $1 from every Cold Brew Keg go to assist in the research and support of the Hellbender Salamander and other native species of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.

Gold Mountain Coffee Growers has a flagship coffee farm, Finca Idealista, in Nicaragua and is also a direct trade farming group that connects farmers of high-cupping specialty coffee directly with coffee roasters. Their member farmers receive microcredit and larger loans, as well as technical assistance, that help them increase yields, expand their farms, invest in processing equipment, and provide for their families. They also work with communities on projects, including running water, libraries in schools, and electricity in homes. Beyond all of that positive work, they also BOUGHT a rainforest just to protect the endangered species there. In a direct giveback to Gold Mountain Coffee Growers, we pay an additional $0.10 per pound on the coffees we purchase from them. This premium supports their rainforest watershed and ecosystem protection efforts.

The CCR team donates time, coffee, and resources to various local community and environmental-focused organizations. Noteworthy events and relationships include: the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Oyster Recovery Partnership's The World is Your Oyster Festival, The Deep Creek Dunk, the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center's Bird House, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, the Maryland Osprey and Nature Festival, and the Watershed Stewards Academy.