Joseph Paff
Joseph Paff established Gold Rush Coffee 1980. He was educated at UC Berkeley in Political Science and graduated in 1966. He took time off to help write the Poverty Program in Washington DC in 1963 and was a political activist in civil rights and farm worker rights. He taught Political Science at the University of Toronto from 1966 to 1967 and at Stanford from 1967 to 1973. He also worked for Field Foundation and Robert F Kennedy Memorial.
Joe created Gold Rush Coffee in 1980. Alfred Peet helped establish Gold Rush, designing the roaster and teaching tasting and blending coffees. The Paff family was already certified as organic vegetable growers on our Northern California small family farm. Gold Rush began looking for organic green coffee to roast; first offering Sumatra coffee that had been tested for chemical residues, then a Mexican coffee from Chiapas certified by Demeter Foundation (the first certified organic coffee in the US) and finally offering organic coffees from many coffee growing regions.
Joe has participated as judge in coffee competitions in Panama, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. These competitions contributed to increased dialogue and knowledge of quality-enhancing practice among coffee producers and handlers. In the last several years this transparency has had substantial impact on the quality of product from improved agricultural and processing methods. This process culminated in internet green coffee auctions by producers. These on-line auctions have increased returns and recognition for producers of outstanding coffees.
Gold Rush Coffee in addition to wholesale roasting, operates a retail drive-through espresso shop in that is solar-powered and has 40% of its footprint dedicated to wetland protection. The wholesale factory has purchased and preserved twenty acres that were formerly destined to be logged.
Joe created Gold Rush Coffee in 1980. Alfred Peet helped establish Gold Rush, designing the roaster and teaching tasting and blending coffees. The Paff family was already certified as organic vegetable growers on our Northern California small family farm. Gold Rush began looking for organic green coffee to roast; first offering Sumatra coffee that had been tested for chemical residues, then a Mexican coffee from Chiapas certified by Demeter Foundation (the first certified organic coffee in the US) and finally offering organic coffees from many coffee growing regions.
Joe has participated as judge in coffee competitions in Panama, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. These competitions contributed to increased dialogue and knowledge of quality-enhancing practice among coffee producers and handlers. In the last several years this transparency has had substantial impact on the quality of product from improved agricultural and processing methods. This process culminated in internet green coffee auctions by producers. These on-line auctions have increased returns and recognition for producers of outstanding coffees.
Gold Rush Coffee in addition to wholesale roasting, operates a retail drive-through espresso shop in that is solar-powered and has 40% of its footprint dedicated to wetland protection. The wholesale factory has purchased and preserved twenty acres that were formerly destined to be logged.