For most of history, coffee has been a luxury. It takes about a year from the moment we plant a seed to the moment we can brew it and enjoy it. That is a whole year of taking care of a plant, annually collecting beans, and ultimately processing them before roasting. There is no doubt that growing coffee is no small feat.
The industrial revolution opened the doors to cheaper ways to grow coffee. The quality of the beans suffered but it also made coffee more readily available for consumers. Nonetheless, industrialization divided the coffee industry in two. Specialty coffee and generic coffee.
Family farms who decided to keep the traditional methods alive and improve on them committed to work very hard for every bean. The hardest part about this commitment is competing in the economic market. Having to prove to the consumers that keeping the traditional methods alive and protecting the farmers' craft is of immense value and the hardest challenge for farmers. The good news is that quality can sell itself and there is no doubt that the quality and health benefits from specialty coffee are reason enough to invest not only on these beans, but on the people who grow them.
This year for Christmas, we are giving everyone we love a subscription to our specialty coffee. We are making sure that everyone gets high quality coffee beans at their doorstep so they can secure a morning brew that is good for their mind, soul, and body; while also supporting emerging economies. On the other hand, this same purchase is a gift to the farmers who have taken care of every step of harvesting these beans, because it ensures that they will be properly remunerated for preserving and practicing the traditional methods of growing coffee.
The gift that keeps giving is the fact that hard work pays off. That cliché is known to be a solid truth, but for many farmers, hard work is not guaranteed to pay off. Please join us this Christmas in gifting quality beans to our loved ones and honoring our farmers' hard work. Lets ensure for them that this year their efforts will be rightfully valued.