commonly coffee

Back in April of this year I had the chance to spend quite a bit of time over at the Wonderstate booth in Roaster’s Village at SCA Expo. I got to know their team, and enjoy their coffee. And it was then that I knew I would want to share their story here on my blog.

So fast forward a few more months and here we are, sharing the story of Wonderstate Coffee as our Coffee Roaster of the Month for October! Enjoy the read.

Hey Wonderstate, so great to get the chance to connect with you! Help our audience get to know you a bit better…

When we started roasting coffee in 2005, we set out to build a thoughtful company that was mindful of its ecological footprint, addressed the power imbalances in the coffeelands and carried values that reflected the diverse patchwork of small organic farms in our backyard. 

For us, the secret to our success was mirrored in the relationships forged at our local farmer’s market every weekend. We wanted to work with small-scale coffee farmers directly. We sought out those who shared our passion for quality and innovation. We never let failures prevent us from continuing to challenge ourselves and others. 

Sourcing coffee directly is a bit like chasing firefly light, there are magical moments but they are also bound to dark times and deeper learnings. After almost twenty years of Wisconsin summer nights, our coffees continue to get better and our relationships feel stronger than ever. 

We are passionate about finding exceptional coffee and about building relationships with the people who grow it.

Before we go much further, share with our readers what you’re drinking/enjoying these days when it comes to coffee!

The coffee team is sampling some upcoming Ethiopian coffees that are just outstanding – a couple amazing naturals and some very special lots. Right now, we’re thoroughly enjoying a coffee from Yirgacheffe (a little village called Charbanta). Amazing botanical floral notes – it’s beautifully complex with classic Ethiopian acidity. It took us a few years to establish the logistics to get this coffee here and it was absolutely worth it.

Can you tell us a bit about the history of Wonderstate Coffee? Like how did it get started? And what’s the backstory of your name?

Wonderstate Coffee was founded by Caleb Nicholes in 2005 as a coffee roasting company selling to local coop grocery stores. Caleb, coming from the wine industry, was inspired to create the most extraordinary coffee he could, an art Caleb still pursues to this day. Shortly after, TJ Semanchin joined Wonderstate Coffee when he and his wife relocated to Viroqua from Minneapolis. In Minneapolis, TJ had been on the leadership team at Peace Coffee where he developed an earnest desire to support coffee farmers in overcoming the longstanding inequities carried over from colonialism. It was this combination of pursuing extraordinary coffee with earnest intentions that sparked Wonderstate’s mission and guided what it has become today. 

Our company was originally named Kickapoo Coffee to honour the Kickapoo River Valley our roastery calls home. When we came to recognize the ongoing use of the name as an appropriation of the Kickapoo Nation, we changed our name.  

The new name and brand look and feel like a more accurate and authentic representation of who we are. The name Wonderstate represents a sense of being rather than a place. For us, it connotes the curiosity and magic that coffee can spark. 

Wonderstate Coffee continues to engage with and make donations to support Indigenous communities and to the Kickapoo Nation directly, but we recognize that no monetary contributions could ever compensate the Nation for our company’s appropriation of their name

So, home-base for you is Madison, Wisconsin. I’ll be honest, as a Canadian, I’m a bit naïve to the food/beverage culture of Madison beyond dairy! So, tell me more about the coffee culture in your city/state.

We would say the Driftless region is our homebase. Our first cafe and roastery are located in Viroqua (pop 4,500) and we have cafes way up in Bayfield, WI and in our state capitol city, Madison. Our region is rich with organic farms and many of us have become accustomed to beautiful, seasonal produce which finds its way into local dishes and faire. We have many good options for dining and include a vast array of specialties. Coffee culture is strong in Madison – there are four coffee shops within sight of our Madison cafe. It doesn’t stop people from forming a line to the door on weekends!

It was amazing to connect with your team at the SCA Expo back in April. Was this your first time there at Roaster’s Village? How did your team feel the event went? How can these types of events help to grow the specialty coffee community? 

Yes we had a big crew there this year too! Our whole team enjoyed the Expo on different levels. Some people really appreciate the opportunity to learn from experts and see all the new products on the market, but we all agree one of the best parts of Expo is the socializing. The SCA Expo is an excellent opportunity to see old friends and connect in ways that aren’t possible virtually. Tasting coffee with our producers and partners and other roasters is one of our favourite things to do.

I spent some time on your website, and I was pleasantly surprise to see a number of incredible initiatives that Wonderstate is involved in. Can you share more about your decision to go 100% solar powered in your roastery. 

Going solar powered was a momentous step for our small company and supports our desire to shrink our footprint and mitigate our ecological impact. 

We have been tracking our carbon footprint for the past 5 years, solar is now one of many initiatives we are engaged with to reduce the amount of carbon our activities as a business are producing.  

We have noticed how severely climate change is impacting our producer partners, who already bear the brunt of the risk in our industry. We feel like we owe it to them to reduce our impact in the global north.

I also see that your commitment to your 5% Giving Program. Why is this so important to you as a company? Can you share in what ways you are giving back and how this looks for you as a company?

We believe in sharing our success and using our resources to have a positive impact on the world. We partner with organizations that are focused on improving lives and the natural world both where our coffee is grown and where it is enjoyed here at home. 

We give to a number of organizations locally and we have a few larger initiatives at origin that benefit producers and protect lands. One project we’ve signed on to support recently is a nursery for a cooperative in Chiapas. Trees grown there would be distributed to producer members and include shade, fruiting and lumber varieties. The trees contribute to the overall health of the farms. This is just one example of a long term investment producers can make when they are paid fairly.

Lastly, I so appreciate your commitment to “paying farmers more” and how you put this all out there for readers to see on your site. By doing so, how does this impact not just the farmers themselves but the entire supply chain? While this may mean customers pay a bit more for their coffee, share with them why this is necessary for the future of specialty coffee. 

Fair farmer compensation has been an ideal in the world of coffee for more than two decades, and it’s been an ideal for us since we opened our doors. While the fair trade movement and direct trade models have both made meaningful progress in addressing quality of life at origin and inequity in the supply chain, both have fallen short. 

We’ll have to rely on our behaviour to drive the right kind of growth, by taking responsibility for our actions as a company but also as consumers. 

The premium price we pay as roasters (and consumers) for coffee contributes to a healthier ecosystem because when producers are paid fairly they can plan for the future, making longer-term investments in their farms. Many of these investments include using organic and regenerative farming techniques. Studies show that carbon sequestration peaks in conditions that support soil health, micro-organism diversity, and more broadly, the health of the ecosystems around in and coffee farms. 

No one person, organization, or coffee roaster has the answers for addressing the inequity embedded in the story of coffee. We know that our collective effort to address this inequity results in a brighter future for coffee farmers and for coffee as a whole.
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Contact Info:

web: www.wonderstate.com
instagram: @wonderstatecoffee
facebook: facebook.com/wonderstatecoffee
email: hello@wonderstate.com

Find their beans: If you’re looking to get your hands on some beans then definitely check out their web-store for what they’re currently roasting. 

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I just want to say a huge thank you to Lydia and the team from Wonderstate Coffee for helping to share their story. Check out their site, grab yourself some beans, and enjoy! 

Stay Caffeinated,

Tyler