Why I Started Selling Coffee
In 2015 while doing a tour of a coffee Hacienda in the mountains of Adjuntas Puerto Rico, I was taught about the rich history of coffee production from the island. I was told that the quality of coffee from Puerto Rico is regarded as some of the best in the world, they even used to export it to European royalty and to the Vatican, for the Pope to drink. Something about being in the crisp air up in the mountains inspired me to get involved. The Owner of the Hacienda told me I can sell the coffee they grow. I agreed which also led me to look deeper into the worldwide coffee industry as a whole.
What I discovered however is quite sad. I learned that even though coffee is the second largest commodity in the world (money spent per day) behind oil. Most of the farmers that actually bring it to us live in poverty. This is due to the huge amount of low quality commodity grade coffee being grown, which has created a glut of beans, and has cheapened the price of coffee, allowing brokers to pay the lowest price possible in order to sell to the roaster for the lowest price possible.
However at Julian Coffee, we are the roaster and it is our desire to pay the farm as much as possible to ensure they have a financially secure business which just makes their lives easier. They deserve it, it takes a lot of work and time to grow coffee so we believe they should be paid fairly, and with your purchase you are helping us help them. In return you will receive amazing quality coffee, as we only source the specialty grade beans.
Puerto Rico Used to be the 6th largest coffee producer. Although production has gone down during the previous many decades the quality is still among the best in the world. Our goal is to help reemerge its coffee production potential by putting it in as many kitchens as possible for you to enjoy every morning.
We have teamed up with family owned coffee farms in Adjuntas & Jayuya Puerto Rico. The qualities that make the coffee so good is because it is shade grown under plantain trees giving it the right amount of sun. The naturally rich soil full of nutrients for the coffee to absorb, the elevation of 2300 feet keeping the coffee cool, and we only use the ripe red coffee beans (also called coffee cherry's), not using the green unripe beans. Most importantly coffee pickers in Puerto Rico are paid U.S. wages making them and Hawaii the highest paying to coffee pickers in the world.
"Puerto Rico made me fall in love with coffee, and I hope this coffee makes you fall in love with Puerto Rico." - Julian