Episode 1: A Cup Worth Refinancing a Home For

I first spoke with Phat in 2009. I remember it like yesterday.

“I have 10,000 pounds of coffee… will you buy my coffee?”

I almost laughed at him. We were speaking on a Skype call while he was in northern Thailand and me at my Roastery in Mechanicsburg. I explained to him that I don’t quite work that way. I need us to get to know each other. I need to cup/taste the coffee. I usually "walk before we run", meaning that I’ll buy a small amount and see how the transaction goes before going in such a large shipment. I could tell he was disappointed, but we agreed to stay in touch.

I was the Overseas Mission Director for Rosedale International and occasionally made trips to Southeast Asia. Several months later I was to be in Bangkok, so I contacted Phat and we agreed I would catch a flight out of Bangkok to Chang Rai at the end of my weeklong visit in the city.

As I stepped off the small plane, I was immediately impressed with the beauty and charm of northern Thailand. This was the home of the Ahka Tribe, one of seven hill tribe groups that live in the intersection of South China, Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand. The Ahka were traditionally Opium farmers. Helicopters would swoop in and buy up the annual crop, providing a lucrative income most years. That was falling out of favor with the Thai government as outside pressure from Europe and the West was exerted to stop the flow of drugs. The Thai government had introduced coffee plants and advised the farmers to grow coffee, pulling out the poppy plants. Many farmers did this, but now were in crisis. They had very little income, no markets for their coffee, and did not consume coffee themselves.

Phat met me at the airport and, on our drive out to Doi Chang village, filled me in on his motivation. He had grown up in these mountains, but 15 years earlier he left for education and work in Bangkok. His parents and grandparents were growing coffee and were destitute with no income. Out of his desire to serve God and a love for his people, he came back home and organized a group of 15 farmers into a Co-op called Abonzo Coffee. He said he had 10,000 pounds of this “wonderful” coffee for me to taste and hopefully buy. I was not optimistic…

Coffee has many pests and potential problems at the farm level. There are over 100 verifiable steps that a farmer takes in the production of green coffee to get it bagged and ready to roast. If any one of these goes wrong, it can often be tasted in the cupping. I was not convinced this small group of farmers understood that or were prepared for the scrutiny of an outside buyer.

As I walked into the thatch-roofed building that was their home, indeed, there were sacks of coffee in every room. Approximately 12–14 men and women stood around looking like their ship just came in. I was worried. They were so excited that a buyer had come. I was worried this was not going to be good news. We took a representative sample to a local roaster who promptly burnt it. But, I thought, I can still get an idea for its quality and character as a single-origin coffee.

Phat’s mother brought hot water and I made several pour-over cups from the coffee I had just ground on a small travel grinder I carry. The small group stared at me through every step. Then I took a sip of the most juicy, vibrant, nuanced cup of coffee I had ever experienced. I was blown away.

The next morning, I Skyped Grace. After filling her in on what I found in Doi Chang, I asked her:

“What do you think about refinancing our house and buying all this coffee?”

She replied with the three words that scare me the most:

“Whatever you think”!

Since 2002, Paul and Grace Kurtz have been roasting coffee purchased directly from the growers and farmers. This was, and still is, an innovative approach to helping farmers in developing countries find markets and create thriving communities. This column will feature stories and experiences along that journey.