Mugshots is committed to making a positive contribution to our community by being mindful of the environment and our
neighbors, both local and global, in all our actions. We use only fair-trade, organic coffee, and support organic agriculture and local farmers whenever possible. By doing so, we not only support our local economy, but also reduce fuel use associated with shipping.
Working with Equal Exchange, we are able to offer only fair-trade, organic coffee at a reasonable price. Buying fair-trade certified coffee supports farmers by providing an improved economic situation (they are guaranteed a fair price
for their crops), prohibiting forced or exploitative child labor, providing credit to farmers at low rates, promoting sustainable farming methods, encouraging long-term business relationships, and organizing farmers into democratic cooperatives.
Similarly, we select our other suppliers based upon their business ethics and a shared commitment to the “triple bottom
line,” a commitment to people, to profit, and to the planet. To reduce food waste, we send our juice pulp and coffee grounds to Green Meadow Farms for chicken feed and composting. In turn, we purchase a variety of food items from Green Meadow Farms, including seasonal, organic fruits and vegetables, eggs, which come from cage-free vegetarian-fed hens, bacon and ham which come from humanely-raised pigs, and free-range, all natural
turkey breast, which we roast in-house.
In addition to composting, we recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, aluminum and glass. We purchase our cleaning products from Green Village, a local supplier of environmentally-friendly cleaning solutions. Finally, a portion of our electricity is supplied by wind energy, a renewable source of energy with no
fuel and no pollution.
New Milk from Farm Fresh for Chefs!
Mugshots began receiving milk from Farm Fresh for Chefs in February of 2006. We are very excited to provide our customers with this product and are sure that you will notice a difference in taste!* In addition, be sure to try our new Pequea Valley vanilla yogurt also from Farm Fresh for Chefs with organic maple granola.
Farm Fresh for Chefs is a cooperative of five Amish-run family farms located southeast of Lancaster , PA. Situated within a 10 mile radius of each other, the farms raise products ranging from certified organic vegetables to grass-fed dairy. The dairy cows providing the milk are pasture-fed and naturally raised, meaning that they are not fed processed grains or treated with antibiotics or rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone).
Members of the cooperative share responsibility for marketing, distribution, labor and transportation costs. This reduces the average cost of goods available from the cooperative, which means we can provide a superior product at a competitive price. In addition to the economic benefits of this method of distribution, the average ecological impact of each purchase is also reduced by utilizing natural farming methods and sharing the distribution infrastructure.
Most dairy farmers in the Lancaster area still send most of their milk away on a tank truck to a large processing plant. This approach to farming has reduced the number of farmers in Lancaster , but Aaron Stoltzfus, head of the Farm Fresh, says with co-op farming he sees a future for small family farms, one where connections are drawn and link made between farmers and consumers. As more and more people want products that are raw, hormone-free, and directly off the farm, this approach to farming will prove financially profitable for family farmers.
* depending upon demand and storage capacity between 75 and 95 percent of our milk will come from Farm Fresh for Chefs. Half-and-half is currently not available.
