– by Lara Gladych –
Located in the Keating Industrial area, Level Ground Trading is a gem of a company to take in. Take a tour should you ever have the chance; it’s an eye-opening and thought-provoking experience that will conjoin farmers’ stories with each sip of their coffee or tea, and each taste of their many other fairly-traded products.
I met with marketing coordinator Robyn Neufeld. “Our big push this year is letting people know that we’re more than just coffee,” she says. Level Ground currently sources their products from 10 different countries and 5,000 farmers, and they are always looking to add to their lineup. They currently sell coffees, teas, dried fruits, spices, sugar, coconut oil, vanilla and heirloom rices.
All Level Ground coffees originate from South America and Africa. Each is carefully considered to be sure it fits the farmer-focused, ethically-produced profile of the company, and they are selected not only for their quality, but for the relationships that will ensue from their procurement. The same goes for all Level Ground products.
I ask Robyn what’s special about working for this company. “Working hard to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged famers in a way that is sustainable as a company.” When farmers, too, are benefiting, it allows them to further build at the origin, adding value at the source.
Four couples started Level Ground in 1997, and the same families still own the business today. They are a for-profit, pro-farmer business. Stacey Toews is one of the cofounders, and he comes in to meet with me. In my eyes, he embodies the dynamism and vibrancy of Level Ground. “In my mind, Level Ground is not a coffee company,” says Stacey. “We’re in the business of eradicating poverty.”
Level Ground operates on a farmer-first basis. “We go to the countries, we meet the farmers, and we mutually address both our needs and the farmers’ needs,” says Robyn. When you pick up a package of Level Ground coffee, you’ll see a farmer’s picture on the bag. Stacey knows these farmers by name. They’ve been paid for their image to be used, and they take pride in knowing that this is their product out there. The way Level Ground looks at it, “this is not our product, it is the farmer’s product.”
There’s so much to learn from Stacey. What I take away as being of primary importance is that there is a “relational connectedness” at the core of Level Ground Trading. Very simply put, they want to sell everyday products, pay the farmers who produce these products well, help sustain thoughtful farming practices and effect positive change as a result. Yes, they are coffee, and so much more.
For more information visit www.levelground.com.
