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Communities Impacting Communities:

It’s More Than a Bag of Coffee

I’m just going to say it — I often think we are crazy! We started Mission Arabica to impact villages in Laos through coffee – for me it was to be a part of a vision, to work alongside a community  and provide a better way of life for others. None of that is the crazy part; that’s the awesome, change your life part. What is crazy is how much a growing company, originally started as a way to impact a community in Laos, has impacted myself, Chris, Adam and those we have gotten the opportunity to partner with. Our vision has evolved into something so much bigger than one community in one country. Let me explain; When we launch our coffee on April 23rd, we will be teaming with Bearded Apple and their community of roasters in Iron River, Michigan as well as the Thrive Farmer’s community based in Georgia with farmers in Guatemala and Costa Rica who we will be purchasing our beans through. What we are learning on this journey is the people who join our mission by buying coffee will have the opportunity to not only help impact Laos, but to positively impact a city in Michigan, a company in Georgia, a Farmer in Guatemala and a Farmer in Costa Rica. How one bag of coffee can touch and reach so many different communities, helping us impact Laos, is amazing and crazy and more than three guys could have imagined.

The THRIVE Model: 

We’ve introduced you to Bearded Apple. If you missed it, click here. Now, we want to introduce you to Thrive and the farmers producing our amazing coffee. Keep an eye out for a future Thrive video for more on their mission. Thrive is located about two hours from me in Roswell, Georgia. The people at Thrive are always working, traveling, and building relationships to continue their story. Thrive isn’t just a middle man coffee seller. They aren’t a “one-and-done” type of company- Instead, they focus on the whole coffee process from seedlings to the cup of coffee their beans make. They understand how coffee can change a community and ensure they provide the best beans for their buyers.

Thrive uses a very unique approach that  incorporates the farmer into the business side from the very beginning process. Farmers are part of a profit sharing model which enables the farmer to be more of a brand, resulting in up to 10x’s more profit for the farmer than traditional models. Then, retailers, such as ourselves, have the ability to purchase speciality grade coffee at a fair price to roast. Finally, the consumer wins out-  They purchase crafted, specialty grade coffee at a great price, having the knowledge of who produced the coffee, while being able to support numerous communities in the process. Now, here is my favorite part — Let me introduce you to our Farmers and our coffee:

Juan Luis Barrios 

Mission Arabica's Guatemalan Coffee

Our Guatemalan is creamy, with a berry and cocoa taste you’ll love

The first Mission Arabica Coffee comes from Guatemala and Juan Luis Barrios. Guatemala is not only known for their coffee but also their rich soil to grow the coffee. Guatemalan Coffee is often said to produce very bright, clean cups of coffee that is often dubbed as a Artisan’s classic cup. You’ll often experience a very fruitful flavor, with a potential to taste either chocolate or cinnamon flavors in a deep bodied cup of this coffee. Our Mission Arabica Guatemalan is no exception- It is extraordinarily creamy, with hints of berries and a cocoa finish. It is a very smooth cup that will be sure to ignite your tastes. Juan Luis Varrios has grown this coffee at an elevation of 1,750 meters on his farm, El Retiro de Quisaya. The Barrios family has farmed here for over three generations, and Juan is not only farming, but is involved in many coffee related ventures in the area. To achieve the ultimate flavor for our coffee, Juan has a wet mill, where he uses “wet processing” on his coffee. The process takes the fruit off the bean, then allowing the bean to dry in the sun. This brings out the clean, smooth taste you get after drinking one of our cups.

Oscar Moreira and Lydia Matamoros

Bagged Costa Rican Coffee

Our Costa Rican is bold, clean, with a cocoa nib taste that is classic and refreshing

The second Mission Arabica Coffee is grown in Costa Rica, through the loving hands of husband and wife, Oscar Moreira and Lydia Matamoros. Costa Rica is also known for their long history in coffee farming. Typically coffee from Costa Rica is very clean, bright coffee, grown in or around volcanic soil that creates a very dense bean and allows for exceptional growth for the coffee. Oscar is known for his hard work and wealth of coffee knowledge, while Lydia is a dynamic business mind who focuses on relational sales and the quality of the family coffee. The coffee we chose from Oscar and Moreira is grown at 1,400 meters on their farm, Monte Rosa. The Mission Arabica Costa Rican is my favorite – It is a bold, clean cup with a cocoa nib finish. Part of the boldness comes from the Matamoros Mill. While many farmers in Costa Rican are recognized for their mills, giving a “Humans Touch” to their coffee production, Oscar and Lydia’s mill is no exception. It is simple and compact, yet fully ecological, as they hand craft their coffee. They have large patios that allow for the sun to dry the beans. Their ability to craft the coffee in their mill and patios provides our beans a very artisan, craft taste that you are sure to enjoy at any time in the day. The mill is a wet mill, so a similar processing is used for both the Guatemalan and Costa Rican coffee’s we’ve selected.

Oscar and Lydia's compact, yet ecological wet mill

Oscar and Lydia’s compact, yet ecological wet mill

Oscar and Lydia's Patio, were the beans are dried in the sun.

Oscar and Lydia’s Patio, were the beans are dried in the sun.

Vision is good; Working together is great!

Mission Arabica’s vision has become intertwined with connecting and sustaining individuals, families and communities. We couldn’t be more excited to purchase coffee from Juan and Oscar & Lydia. Join with us in helping communities impact communities– Our Vision is good, but we can only do it with you! Not only will you be supporting all of the communities above, but you’ll be drinking a dang good cup of coffee in the process!