by Melissa Reiss, Purchasing Assistant
This month, you’ll notice what looks like a new local coffee in the Co-op enrobed in bright blue, mustard yellow, and white bags. Meet Wonderstate Coffee. For fifteen years, they were known as Kickapoo Coffee, named after the river that runs through Viroqua where they are based. Recently they recognized their use of the name as an appropriation of the Kickapoo Nation and have conducted a full re-brand.
I spoke with Justin Sprecher, the Co-op’s main liaison at Wonderstate, for more on their name change and other initiatives.
Melissa: Thanks for taking some time to speak with me today, Justin! What is your role at Wonderstate Coffee?
Justin: “Hi Melissa, I’m the Interim Brand and Marketing Manager for Wonderstate Coffee.”
Why did Wonderstate Coffee change their name and what is the story behind the name Wonderstate? What does your new logo depict?
“Wonderstate was originally founded as Kickapoo Coffee in 2005. We chose the name with the intention of honoring where our business has its roots: the Kickapoo River Valley. But as the brand spread outside of Wisconsin we became more and more aware that Kickapoo is not just the name of a river. The Kickapoo are a People.
“The Kickapoo Nation is composed of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma, the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, and the Mexican-Kickapoos. By using “Kickapoo,” we claimed a name that was never ours to take. The decision to use their name, and to continue to roast under it, was an act of appropriation. In an effort to right that wrong, we decided to change our name.
“As a company committed to social justice and the pursuit of a more fair and equitable world, our name change reflects a desire to hold ourselves accountable. It is not the result of a change in ownership or management. We are still the same people, roasting the same coffee, committed to the same values.
“Wonderstate means a lot of different things to us at the roastery. To me personally, it speaks to always being in a constant state of wonder and allowing small simple things to constantly amaze me. I love being outdoors—hiking, biking, canoeing, you name it. Being outdoors lets me slow down, switch off and take in the little wonders around me. Light glinting off a lake, the sound of the wind blowing through a field of grass, the smell of damp forest floor. Coffee is similar. The process of slowing down to make and savor a good cup of coffee allows time for reflection.
“The bug in our logo is a cicada. Historically, cicadas represent personal change, renewal and transformation. We feel it represents the change we’ve undergone as a brand and the excitement of our future going forward.”
What is your Raise The Bar initiative? How is it different from Fair Trade Certified?
“Fair farmer compensation has been an ideal in the world of coffee for more than two decades. It's been an ideal for us since we opened our doors. The fair trade movement and direct trade model have both made meaningful progress in addressing poverty at origin and inequality in the supply chain, but we felt we can go a step further.
“Coffee farmers make less today than they did 40 years ago, even as the specialty coffee market has bloomed. Initiatives like Fair Trade haven’t kept pace with inflation and the costs of production and the direct trade movement tends to leave many farmers behind. The more closely we looked at the dynamics affecting farmer pay, the more certain we were that something had to change.
“In response, we created our ‘Raise the Bar’ minimum price guarantee for our farmers. When we started the program in 2017 we established a minimum payment that was 70% higher than the conventional Fair Trade guarantee, and we have committed to paying more every year: our guarantee is now more than 80% above the conventional Fair Trade price. While this is one of the highest published minimum prices in the States, we don't want it to be. Our hope is that others will join us in taking the next steps to create a more equitable and sustainable coffee supply chain.”
What is your 5% giving program?
“Every year we donate 5% of our profits to initiatives that strengthen rural, agricultural communities. Our roastery is located in a small community of Viroqua, Wisconsin, and our coffee farmers are located in some of the most remote places on the planet, small villages in the highlands of Central and South America and in Africa. We’re all a connected community.”
Speaking of community, what was your first experience with the Willy Street Co-op? Are there other staff members at Wonderstate that have ties to the Co-op’s community here in Madison?
“My first experience with the Willy Street Co-op was in the mid 2000s when I was a student at UW–Madison. I remember riding my bike over the Eastside location and feeling like it was the end of the earth—a feeling most undergrads seem to have anywhere east of the Capitol! I immediately fell in love with the Co-op and the Eastside. So much so that a few years later, after I graduated, I moved directly across the street from the Co-op. I’ve moved a little farther east over the years but am still thrilled to be living close to the Co-op in the Atwood neighborhood.
“Many of the Wonderstate staff have a deep connection to the Co-op as well. One of our owners, Caleb, and our events and outreach manager, Havvah, are both former Madison residents. Our production manager, Jackie, worked at Willy East for almost 10 years before moving to Viroqua.”
Thank you, Justin, for your time! For more information, head over to Wonderstatecoffee.com