It’s the beverage that starts our day. Some like it black, some prefer a mixologist worthy creation, and most think of it as the flavor additive to cream and sugar. It’s literally the most consumed beverage in the world! Over 450 million cups of it are consumed daily in the US and 400 billion cups consumed worldwide, that’s A LOT of caffeinated (or decaffeinated, whatever) people walking around.
But for a large portion of the world, it’s not a cup of mental fuel, but a botanical that fuels the livelihood of millions. 80% of the world’s coffee is produced by smallholder farms, these are farms that are less than five acres in size. Popular opinion is that they only exist in developing countries, but the truth is that these farms are common in both developing and developed countries. Their labor depends on family participation; with many of the farms being passed down through generations for hundreds of years.
The harvesting is done by hand, with pickers selecting the ripe fruit off each tree. They take the time to make sure they are adhering to the best practices throughout the farming process, which results in fantastic quality! Comparingly is the high production farms who mass produce low-quality Arabica and use highly commercialized facilities and machinery to harvest fruit quickly and efficiently to meet scale. This process, while only contributing 20% to the global market, is commodity-grade and you can find it on nearly any supermarket shelf. There’s a place for everyone, but it’s no wonder specialty coffee is highly sought after!
The goal is to educate our community on sustainable coffee farming and why it matters. Sustainable coffee practices are an essential part of the longevity of small family-owned farms. This practice allows farmers to produce higher quality beans and increase crop levels. The other side is when we choose to purchase fair-trade it assures you that the farmers are receiving fair value for coffee while maintaining their labor and production efforts.
Through our passion for roasting coffee, we intend to do our part in supporting small farms and their families. Enjoy a cup with us!
