Most people outside of Maine haven’t heard of the small town of Deer Island, ME. In the 2010 census, the town only have 2,000 people living there. Nevertheless it has become a popular tourist location. Among the many hidden gems you can find there lies 44 North Coffee, a women-owned coffee roaster. Since 2010, the small roaster has provided locals and tourists alike delicious coffee from their roastery space located approximately at the 44 degree north parallel.

44 North is a member of Cooperative Coffees. Cooperative Coffee is a green coffee importing cooperative that allows it’s members to responsibly import green coffee from all over the world. You can look up the contracts for any of the coffee you purchase from a Cooperative Coffees member at www.FairTradeProof.org. From the 44 North website:

While the coffee industry is a $83.5 billion industry, unfortunately very little of that makes it back to the people who are growing and processing the coffee. Here at 44 North Coffee our goal is to spread the profit margin from your cup or bag of coffee back to the farmers and everyone in between.

Recently, Cooperative Coffees won the Barista Magazine Sustainability Award for their business model. Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, Cooperative Coffees has listened to the needs of their producers and raised more than $120,000 to help meet the challenges of food insecurity, medical supply scarcity, and more.

To combat the waste that the coffee industry often causes, 44 North sells all of their coffees in brown bags lined with a thin “plastic” PLA which is generally made from corn or sugar beet pulp. While this reduces their footprint, they do recommend moving the coffee to an airtight container if you plan on storing it for some time.

44 North enjoys being part of their community. Their cafes have become gathering places for regulars and visitors. They often partner with local small businesses and non-profits, including locally made pies on Fridays, locally sourced takeout meals, or a raw bar popup with local oyster farmers.