“You Are Home”
Hello! This is Alani Strang, and I’m the Executive Assistant and Social Media Director for Evans Brothers Coffee. I had the amazing opportunity of traveling to Costa Rica for a Coffee 101 trip hosted by our partners at Cafe Imports. This trip included a group of 11 eager coffee people and four jam-packed days of bus rides to different farms, cooperatives, and associations, all organized by Oxcart Coffee, Cafe Imports’ Costa Rica office. Each day revolved around our education of Costa Rican coffee farming. From history lessons and Micromill machinery tours, to farm walks and cuppings, we were immersed in the farming lifestyle, and learned just how much hard work goes into enjoying a cup of coffee.
Having a passion for farming, I’d been dreaming of a trip like this since my early days at Evans Brothers, just hoping for the day I could see coffee farming with my own eyes. I am forever grateful I get to work for a company that promotes and encourages their employees to follow their passions; I’m even luckier that mine go hand in hand with my job. Getting to experience the life of a coffee farmer opened my eyes even more to the world that is coffee. And it’s only the beginning!
The most common theme I discovered is that Costa Rica is a country that truly cares about their people and their history of coffee farming. They take great pride in providing a higher quality of life for farmers and even harvesters that travel from neighboring countries. The people are kind, genuine, and inviting, and appreciate us learning about their lives as much as we appreciate their dedication to the livelihood of producing delicious coffee. “This is your home” was said by every farmer we visited, and not once did it feel insincere.
On our first day we were shuttled bright and early to our first destination, Cerro San Luis, a multi generational farm owned and operated by two siblings and their spouses in the West Valley. We arrived at their house and mill, where we were put in the back of their big red dump truck and driven up and down the bumpy dirt road to the farm. I remember thinking “you’re really experiencing it now Alani” as we ducked under trees and vice gripped the edge of the truck to stay standing.
This farm was beautiful! Blue skies and 80 degrees, tucked up in the mountains and bordering a national forest, the coffee plants traced the steep hillside. We walked the winding road of the farm while learning about their growing practices, like how the banana trees accompany the rows of coffee plants to help with nitrogen production in the soil. Although the timing of our trip just missed harvest season, I still got to see some trees with cherries ranging in all the colors of red, yellow, and green. Before touring their mill, (which all takes place on the land behind their houses) we enjoyed fresh fruit and cold water from the farmers, a necessary break for those coming from the wintery north. We walked through the wet-mill, saw their drying processes, and learned about a new coffee variety growing right outside their front door that is naturally and slightly decaffeinated. At the end we exchanged our sincerest gratitudes and were back on the bus to head to lunch.
Our next stop was Cooperlibertad, the largest cooperative in the Central Valley. Cooperlibertad was developed in 1961 after years of large, profit focused coffee businesses dominated the market in Costa Rica. They focus on not only the quality of coffee they produce, but also provide education resources for farmers, farming assistance, and making sure the farmers are getting paid what they deserve. The cooperative now collects coffee from 2500 hectares (6,177 acres) from their own lands and 500 independent producers. In their first year they helped farmers produce 100 bags of coffee. Today they are up to 1,000 bags a year; a huge achievement for the cooperative.
We toured their facility, scaling the rebar scaffolding while admiring the big processing machinery. It was such a contrast to the mill we saw earlier in the day. Machines running so loud you can barely hear what’s going on, huge drying chambers, fermentation tanks, and a warehouse with bags of coffee as far as the eye can see. This tour finally put into perspective the amount of hard work that goes into these cooperatives, from receiving and sorting cherries, to the workers who routinely check on the giant machinery to make sure it’s all working properly, all while producing quality coffee and providing a higher quality of life for farmers.
At the end of the tour we had our first cupping of the trip with the two managers of the Co-Op. I’m not the most avid coffee drinker believe it or not, but cupping the coffees you are learning about, at the place they’re produced, and with the people who put in the work is a totally different experience than cupping back home. My appreciation for it all grew with each sip.
The second day started with a visit to the Las Lajas Micromill, a farm and mill that gives me heart eyes and butterflies. We were given a tour by owner Francisca Cachon, the pioneer of producing Natural and Honey coffees in Costa Rica. Back in 2008 when Costa Rica was only producing Washed coffees, the area experienced an earthquake that took out their electricity and water, both necessary ingredients of a wet-mill’s operation. Before shutting down and letting the harvest go to waste, Francisca quickly took to her knowledge of African processed coffees, rerouted the entire operation, and Las Lajas became the first micromill to produce Naturals and Honeys. Talk about true dedication to your livelihood. “Innovar es nuestra pasion” or “innovating is our passion” is the Las Lajas motto.
Las Lajas comprises a few hundred hectares of lush, rolling hills, split into a few different fincas, or farms, to keep better track of what coffee is coming from where. Every part of their immaculate facility was painted in bright greens and yellows, the rows of coffee drying in the hyperbolic dryer (greenhouse) were perfectly organized, and the cupping room overlooked a stunning valley vista. Again we were met with perfect blue skies and sunshine, and as we walked down a steep road to their new drying area, a guy in my group asked “Are we in heaven?” and the simple answer was “Yes.”
We cupped some fantastic coffees with Francisca and with the help of my Spanish speaking group members, I got to tell her that Evans Brothers is a Good Food Awards Finalist for one of the most prestigious awards in specialty coffee in the US, with her coffee! To see her face light up with excitement is something I will never forget. We couldn’t roast good coffee without all of her hard work. It’s a symbiotic relationship, and my heart exploded with pride getting to thank her for what she does for the coffee world.
Our next stop was the Don Sabino Micromill, a farm I’d been most excited about visiting on the trip. Owner Steven Vargas is a 5th generation farmer and one of the first producers in Costa Rica to sell his coffee through Cafe Imports, and in turn, Evans Brothers was one of the first companies to purchase his coffee. The micromill is in a residential neighborhood with drying beds terracing the hill below their home, and until the recent building of a warehouse, Steven and his family would rest their coffee in their living room. They live and breathe coffee, and you can feel it. The uniformity of Steven’s coffee is off the charts, as all picking and sorting of the cherries is done by hand with the same harvesters returning to his farm every year.
While touring the warehouse of resting coffee, we got to pick out a coffee to cup with Steven later in the week, which was an awesome, hands on experience right at the source. I also had a chance to express to Steven how much we love his coffee at Evans Brothers, and once name dropping Rick and Randy, I was met with the biggest hug and words of deep appreciation. It was a big full circle moment being in the presence of someone I’ve looked up to in the coffee world for years. I received a message from Steven later in the day that got me teary eyed.
“Thank you for coming and being here at Don Sabino, it is a pleasure to have you here. I remember many beautiful moments since I met the Evans Brothers. Rick and Randy, you were my first friends and clients and will always be my first friends and clients. What an honor to have you here, welcome, this is your home.”
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for Part 2, coming soon!