Debra DiBernardo: Committed to Coffee
Roast House Coffee owner hopes to gently change the equation
Debra Di Bernardo knows a thing or two about living sustainably. The daughter of an Italian immigrant and one of eight siblings, Di Bernardo remembers always having a full house of not only her parents, brothers and sisters, but aunts, uncles and grandparents as well; reuse and recycle was ingrained in her core.
“Everything was reused, I grew up in hand-me-downs, all our food was made from scratch…it’s what I knew,” says Di Bernardo.
However, it wasn’t until her father uprooted them from New York to a farm on 10 acres in Terrabonne, Ore., that her awareness broadened to encompass the importance of being kind to Mother Earth.
Regularly reading “Mother Earth News,” which embraced the recently revived back-to-the-land movement of the time with a focus on ecology and self-sufficiency, the Di Bernardos started growing their own organic food and raising their own animals, although she claims they weren’t very good at it.
Years later, when she met her husband, Jim Haynes, who was of like mind on environmental issues, “that’s when it really all coalesced; we were a support system for each other’s beliefs.”
In January, Di Bernardo decided to take those beliefs and pour them into a new business, Roast House Coffee — which they say is Spokane’s only small batch artisan roaster that specializing in private labeling (custom labeling their coffees for businesses).
Her and roastmaster, Dave Rier, both formerly of Thomas Hammer, support farmers who sustainably grow and produce exceptional quality, shade-grown and organic coffees in small lots at Fair Trade or greater prices. The values are similar to a Slow Food approach, says Di Bernardo, who serves on the local Slow Food chapter board.
“We weren’t interested in just competing; we want to gently change the equation,” says Di Bernardo.
An ardent supporter of sustainable and environmental programs including Sustainable September, SpokeFest, Friends of the Falls, and the Recycling Foundation, Di Bernardo is also an avid cyclist who can often be found pedaling to deliver her beans, enabling her to fully engage with her community and her clients; which is of utmost importance to her personally and to the integrity of her business as well.
“If we’re going to make a difference, we need to create a bond,” says Di Bernardo. “It isn’t just about net profit; it’s about sharing the bean and community, locally and afar.”
What earth-friendly products are on your “favorites” list right now?
Local produce, raw sugar, organic cottons, durable shopping bags, LED lighting, homemade laundry detergent, locally produced goat cheese, Spokane’s Family Farm milk, natural charcoal, ceramics made anywhere but China, my bike.
What is something simple, yet sustainable, you practice in your personal life that maybe not everyone thinks of but anyone can do?
We always carry our own shopping bags and give extra bags to people in line who forgot theirs; in making purchasing decisions we look to suppliers within our community among small business owners (yes it can be more expensive, but more of each dollar spent stays within our community thereby supporting others within our community); we hang our clothes out on the clothesline most of the year; we have a gravel driveway vs. hardscape which allows water to filter back into the aquifer instead of creating run-off.
What is your next goal in living sustainably?
At Roast House, we’re currently looking at replacing the old fluorescent lights with energy efficient (possibly LED) lighting and possibly an alternative fuel vehicle for coffee deliveries (bike deliveries do have limits!), and always to keep learning how to gently share. At home, we’re looking at recapturing water runoff for use in our garden and replacing our forced gas air with in-floor radiant heat
What issues do you think people should be more aware of in regards to sustainable living?
Supporting local businesses! It starts and ends here. And it’s not just about consumers but local businesses as well, who all need to support each other by making those personal connections. We can be the starting point for social innovation, as effective agents for change on economic, community, and environmental challenges, with a deep connection to place and relationships.
What would you like to see happen in Spokane with regards to sustainability, in the next five years?
Protect and expand our natural urban forest and clean and protect our water resources. I’ve read that only 3.8 percent of all water is ‘fresh.’ One percent of that is in liquid form and half of that 1% is deemed unhealthy by the World Health Organization.
At Roast House, we have a picture of our Guatemalan coffee farmer washing his green beans in a trough, covered by banana leaves to reduce evaporation. Here we use water to wash our sidewalks, driveways and streets. We take our region’s perceived abundance of water far too casually.