Michael Wes Vournas

Born August 28, 1962- Passed away September 12, 2009

Michael has passed away after a two and half year battle with cancer. He fought and dealt with this awful disease much like everything else he did in life with courage, humor, tenacity, dignity, and passion. He was a loving husband to Cindy for twenty-six years and a loving father to his daughters Jessica 25 (Jesse Mathieu), Christina 18, and Mikaela 16. He is also survived by his three grandchildren Grace 5, Jack 2, David 1 as well as his Mother Georgia and Brother Andrew.

Although only forty-seven years old Michael led a very full life, marrying the love of his life in Cindy at nineteen years old and having his first child at age twenty-one. Michael was always interested in law enforcement as a kid, which led to his first career job in 1982 as a police officer for the Glendale Police Department for four years. In 1986 while holding various jobs including running a restaurant, he decided to go back to school. He earned a degree in Political Science with honors from the University of Southern California in 1989.

From then forward he hit the ground running. Mike started a fourteen year career in Federal Law Enforcement for Federal Probation and Parole as a Parole Officer. Serving first in the Los Angeles office, Columbus Ohio, and finally in Sacramento/Roseville. He also became a certified Firearms Instructor where he taught proper shooting techniques, and firearm training. Retiring in May of 2003 he needed a change of scenery. This led him to his entrance into the field of coffee importing.

In April of 2002, while in Michael’s kitchen the idea of Vournas Coffee Trading was born. Together with his brother Andrew, Vournas Coffee Trading began on April 15, 2002. Michael besides being an early investor and partner in the company also became Vice President. Mike took a liking not only to coffee, but to the day to day challenges of running a small family owned business. He fell in love with coffee, and the people in the business. He used to say that it is not often that one starts a second career at forty years old. Mike enjoyed the camaraderie with his colleagues, and loved to travel to various parts of the world searching for coffee, and also becoming educated on how the developing world works. He was a great writer and enjoyed writing his blog for the company website. He always took time to be with family and friends. All of this love he gave out over the years came back to him in multiples.

He will be sorely missed, never replaced, and always remembered by those who knew him and loved him. From his electric smile that would light up the room, to his masterful descriptive story telling you always knew that he was your friend. Mike loved watching his beloved USC Trojans play football cheering his team on from Section 15 Row 65 Seat 121.May God bless “Mickey V” as we remember the good times that he brought to all of us throughout our lives.

If you wish to make a donation in Michael’s honor you can do so in two ways. The first is for the Vournas College Fund. The second is for Sarcoma Cancer Research through the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Vournas College Fund
c/o Chase Bank
1678 N. Moorpark Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
 

Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation
Box 951780
Factor Building, Room 8-950
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1780

For Online Donations:
Please visit our website at www.cancer.ucla.edu and click on Make A Gift on the lower tool bar. In the credit card section, which is step 4 in the online donations screen, please include in the comments section a note that it is for Sarcoma Cancer Research.

By Credit Card/By Phone:

If you wish to make a donation by credit card or if you have any questions, please feel free to call Cynthia Sheppard at the Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation at (310) 206-0675. 

According to the bi-annual Reuters Poll released yesterday, Arabica prices are expected to rise by 20 percent by the end of 2009.  The world-wide financial crisis is expected to negatively impact the growers' ability to spend on inputs to production (fertilizer, tree care, etc.) and labor, thus decreasing coffee outputs and enacting the always present supply/demand equation.  At the same time, history shows an increase in coffee consumption during economic downturns.  Yes, believe it or not, consumption rises at home consumption points, and this has been true over every economic contraction over the last forty years.  Think bulk bean sales!

All polled analysts showed a bullish position on coffee.  The coffee market is expected to tighten in 2009/2010, as both Brazilian and Vietnamese crops are expected to be off slightly while world-wide demand stays stable or increases.  Plus, and probably most telling, major fund and investor movement into the coffee market has been made in early 2009, believe it or not! Investors are seeing these conditions and placing their money investments into "long" coffee futures contracts.  The lowest "high" price in the poll was forecast to be 1.20 and the highest "high" was 2.00 p/pd. 

Once again the same old record plays...if you need it and can find comfort on a forward price point, by all means we would recommend depth in availablity secured by forward contracts.  Buy ahead and save your worries when and if it works for you.

Would you believe it if I told you that researchers reported today that waste coffee grounds can provide a cheap, abundant, and environmentally friendly source of biodiesel fuel for powering our cars and trucks?  It is true.  In a new study released today, researchers reported that spent coffee grounds contain between 11 to 20 percent oil by weight, which is about as much as traditional biodiesel sources such as palm and soybean oils.

They postulate that the spent coffee grounds could potentially add 340,000,000 gallons of biodiesel to the world's fuel supply.  The scientists collected spent grounds from a multinational coffeehouse chain and separated the oil.  They then utilized an inexpensive process to convert 100% of the oil into biodiesel.  The resulting fuel actually smells like coffee and has an advantage over traditional bio-fuels in that it is is more stable due to its high antioxidant content.  And, solids left over from the conversion process can actually be converted into ethanol! 

Who knew that coffee could be so good for the environment and taste so wonderful.  Encouraging news for our world.

The famous producers of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffees, Wallenford and Mavis Bank, are for sale.  Currently, the Development Bank of Jamaica holds a 70% ownership stake in Mavis Bank, and is attempting its sale in order to recover a significant sum of money owed to it by the company.  Wallenford is being packaged for divestment and sale.  Jamaica exported 16,200 tons of Blue Mountain coffee last year.  Wallenford and Mavis Bank accounted for nearly 50% of the total exports.  Both coffee producers are owned in part by the government of Jamaica.  In 2005/2006, Wallenford lost $47 million, and in 2006/2007 they lost $56 million.  Income grew from $604 million to $830 million between both years, while the cost of sales and direct expenses also grew from $424 million to $521 million.  Administrative expenses jumped from $138 million to $312 million.  Clearly, there are alot of hands in the mix, many of which must be holding a significant amount of green (money, not beans)... I think the answers to many of your questions regarding the prices of Jamaican coffee might be reflected in several of the above sentences.

We have heard that coffee cherry will still be sold to meet demand for the 2008/2009 crop, however it is fairly well known that the crop sustained significant damage from the recent hurricanes that plowed through the island.  Losses from Tropical Storm Gustav amounted to 400,000 pounds and are estimated at over $100 million alone.

If I were a betting guy, I would look for prices to move upwards for any Jamaican coffee that will available this holiday season.  Please don't shoot, I am only the messenger of this Jamaican news.  Feel free to talk with us about possible replacement coffees if the prices drive you to "just say no."   

We have a newly launched blog that we hope will be of assistance to our roasters and people with interest in green coffee.  You can find it at http://vournascoffee.blogspot.com

Let us know what you think and if you would like any specific issues addressed.  Thanks for your support. 

Increasingly, we have received requests to provide transaction certificates for each organic coffee purchased from us.  Generally this occurs as the roaster is being inspected for organic certification, and usually after some kind of prompting from the organic inspector.  We understand each of your concerns regarding the desire to make that process go smoothly as we receive annual organic inspections of our transactions and our facilities as well.

Current USDA/NOP regulations (i.e. those laws and rules that govern the lawful status of organic products in the United States) do not require transaction certificates for each organic coffee.  Although some other importers routinely send transaction certificates out, this is an unnecessary expense which I would imagine is accounted for somewhere...  The USDA/NOP regulations only require that you provide to your inspector valid certification proving the company from which you purchased your organic product is certified organic and meets the USDA/NOP standards and requirements.  In other words, Vournas Coffee Trading's organic certificate, issued by CCOF, is sufficient to meet your inspection and recordkeeping needs as proscribed by the United States National Organic Program regulations.  While this might be news to you, it should not be news to your organic inspector.  Keep in mind, transaction certificates are an additional form of revenue for certifying agencies such as QAI and OCIA - that is why they ask for them.

Bottom line: I will gladly provide assistance to you and/or your inspector should either desire assistance.  I have spent many hours researching these specific issues with federal agencies, local and state organic inspection agencies and state health departments.  Our position is supported in writing from our USDA/NOP approved inspection agency, CCOF.  If you still wish to have transaction certificates despite the above info, we can gladly obtain these for you.  There is a fee associated with these certificates - please call for further information.

While organic certification issues may seem as clear as an espresso, please rest assured that all of us at Vournas Coffee Trading stand behind you and will work with you and your inspection agency to ensure your inspection proceeds without difficulty or delay.  Please do not hesitate to call our office and ask for me should you or your inspector wish to discuss this issue further. 

In late July 2007, Andrew and Mike made a trip to New York City for business.  While there, we were able to visit the coffee trading floor at the New York Mercantile Exchange in lower Manhattan.  All coffee contracts traded at the outcry are traded here.  It was the second visit to the trading floor for Andrew, and the first for Mike.  Andrew had visited the NY "Merc," as it is called, when it was housed at the base of the World Trade Center prior to 9/11.  Destroyed by the collapse of the twin towers, all trading functions were moved off-site until this building was able to house the trading operations.  It was quite the scene to watch as contracts (such as those we trade) were executed through shouts, screams and hand gestures.  Talking with several floor traders reveals that the new electronic trading (ICE) may prove the death of outcry trading.  Both Andrew and I sincerely hope that is not the case as the contract traders add the much-needed human element to the trading system.   

POST SCRIPT:  As of several months ago, this contract outcry trading platform has been closed and replaced with the ICE electronic trading platform.   Another change that is sold as progress... We sincerely hope that all the traders land on their feet.  They are an intelligent, hard-working bunch.  We wish them the best.

Most of you are familiar with the Cup of Excellence.  I just returned from participating on the International Jury for the Nicaragua CoE, held in Ocotal, Nicaragua.  What a great experience!  Not only was the opportunity to cup fabulous Nicaraguan coffees a unique and concentrated one, but meeting the participating farmers and visiting many of their farms in our "off" time truly gave full perspective to the Nicaraguan coffee experience.  

I am reminded that only by visting source countries can one capture the true uniqueness of our industry.  In the US we play a huge role in the greater world of coffee.  Every decision we make, every step we take to request increased quality, and every bag we ultimately buy makes an impact in the lives and finances of the farmers and their families.   The CoE is one of the best programs going in specialty coffee that rewards growers for superior quality.   It is enlightening to sit and talk with growers, in this case from Nicaragua, as they ask real and pointed questions regarding the coffee market in the United States. 

Is CoE perfect?  I think they have moved in the market in the right direction by getting a premium price in exchange for premium coffee.  In a global marketplace, there is increasing pressure to deliver products and services for an increasingly reduced price.  We simply cannot sustain this direction in the coffee world.  Especially in a world of increasing demand for quality coffee.  Farmers will plant something more lucrative and pull their coffee trees.  This will leave us in a crisis beyond any seen in the coffee market before.  Therefore, programs which reward for quality - not just give people money to reduce guilt - are the sustainable ones.  The coffee world truly wins when farmers get paid more for a superior product, as it will move more farmers into such production and reward them financially for their efforts.

We look forward to the CoE Nicaragua auction on June 6, 2007, and hope to be the highest bidder on several lots we are interested in offering to our customers by the bag.  We think there is real, sustainable quality in this program and encourage you to learn more about it at www.cupofexcellence.org.