“LIVING DIRTY” IN GLOUSTER
Dirty Girl Coffee Spearheads a Caffeine-Fueled Fight for Economic Growth and Women’s Equality
STORY BY JYLIAN HERRING | PHOTOS BY LAUREN PAPP and PROVIDED
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hat started out as a “side hustle” for Jane Cavarozzi turned into the anchor of a larger progressive pathway. Cavarozzi co-founded Dirty Girl Coffee, or DG, a craft-roasted coffee company with the mission of supporting women’s economic development in Appalachia. The roastery’s motto “Get Dirty, Be Dirty, Live Dirty” represents the company’s goal to encourage women. Whether they work in construction or in the home as a full-time mom, DG encourages all women to “Live Dirty.” “People either get a chuckle out of our name, or they really get attached to our mission,” Cavarozzi says. But DG is no joke—sourced with a socially conscious mindset, the coffee is fair trade, organic and shade-grown. Five of the coffee beans come from women-run farms in countries such as Peru and Brazil. Cavarozzi says this sourcing costs more, but social awareness trumps price. After roasting at their center in Glouster, DG sells the coffee to wholesalers across the region, including
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Kindred Market and The Farmacy in Athens County, and Village Taco in Columbus. Cavarozzi also sells coffee beans and fresh brewed coffee almost every Saturday at the Athens Farmer’s Market. Cavarozzi and her wife bought land in Glouster and moved from Columbus after her former boss told Cavarozzi she needed to enjoy more of her life. In the first year of full residency, she worked on connecting with and listening to her neighbors. Cavarozzi began strategizing with developers and Glouster leaders to find her economic niche, which includes the creation of DG. “[Cavarozzi] partnered with a few local nonprofits as well in grant writing and providing great ideas for social change through meaningful community projects,” Celestia Hatthorn, previous DG roaster and farmers market representative says in an email. DG partners with the Glouster Revitalization Organization (GRO), a nonprofit that creates strategies to revitalize the community and support entrepreneurial efforts. One of the projects facilitated by the GRO is the removal of unsafe buildings.
