Closing the Gap

In blog 1.5 Volatility and its effects, we shared about how some productions farms are structured. The farm we worked had farmers from across the country who travelled to Bao Lam mainly to harvest and process coffee. We got to know some of them well.

When we were drying the parchment on the raised beds, I wondered “have these farmers and producers ever tasted their own coffee?” Most mornings, the farmers would drink caphe sua da from the local stall near the farm. A cup would cost 20,000 VND (about 56p in GBP) and mostly, the coffee is pre-brewed and stored in a bottle so whenever someone orders, they pour it into a takeaway cup over ice. From observation, we don’t know whether it is coffee (instant products are known to use roasted corn, chicory or seeds with added coffee flavouring), where the coffee comes from, or who roasted it. It is hard to know for certain, but you get some idea based on its price.

Production is laborious work and naturally, farmers prefer sweet, sugary beverages to give them energy to start the day. What interested me was we had roasted coffee products at the farm, specifically drip coffee bags with pre-ground coffee. You brew this by pouring hot water into the paper filter, like a mini pour-over, and adjust depending on how strong you like your coffee, then dispose the bag with the grounds in it. Buying a takeaway cup of coffee was more convenient and a daily habit for the farmers. From my observation, it was about making most of their time. Farmers were more focused on their work, especially early mornings when the temperature is coolest. During the day, my partner and I raked the coffee (rotating the beans / cherries to dry evenly) and I asked Diem, one of the workers, “Have you tasted this coffee after it is roasted before?”, holding a handful of dried cherries in my palm. She replied “No, I haven’t. I don’t know what it tastes like. I don’t usually drink coffee, but my husband, Tai, does.” I replied, “I will brew some at home and bring it to the farm for you and Tai to try.”

When we planned to work in Bao Lam, we brought our essential coffee gear – Ikawa Pro50 sample roaster, Clever dripper and filter papers, a small scale and hand grinder. We had filtered water available and a normal kettle at our accommodation, so we had the essentials for brewing. The sample roaster was so we could roast the green coffee at the farm and eventually taste them with the producers. One of our favourite coffees was the (anaerobic) naturally processed Robusta which had ripe forest fruit sweetness, subtle acidity and jammy texture, experimentally processed in small quantities. According to Mr Thai and Mr Tai, the co-founders Mien Cao Ngueyn cooperative, this coffee is difficult to sell due to its higher price compared to the other offerings. Because this coffee requires more processing steps, longer drying time and careful monitoring, it should reflect in the selling price. Farmers who are used to traditional methods sometimes view these additional steps as convoluted, and unsure why they were necessary. Farmers rarely have the chance to try these lots as a result, but also due to the limited quantities and being occupied in other jobs around the farm leaving time for anything else.

Barista on the Farm

The next morning, we brewed the coffee using the Clever dripper into a thermos and rode up to the farm. With the thermos and some paper cups, we offered Diem and Tai, along with other farmers who wanted to try the coffee. They smelled the coffee liquid in the cup and lifted to their nose to smell. The first reaction was “This isn’t coffee, it looks more like tea. Smells like fruit tea.” While hot, they sipped and mentioned it was quite bitter initially. As the coffee cooled and took a sip again, “Oh, it’s quite sweet. It stays in my mouth for a while. The sweetness makes me want to drink more”, said Diem. One of the farmers at the mill shared, “Back at home, my uncle has a coffee farm. I’m not sure if he roasts his coffee but he has a small café and I seen him brew using a cloth. I think it’s used to filter the coffee grounds. It looks like the coffee you brewed”. He added “I never tasted coffee like this before. It is so fruity and sweet. Do you have any more?”  

It became a morning ritual for the next two months. Every morning I woke up early to brew coffee in the thermos and bring it to the farm. We walked around and served the farmers and anyone who wanted a cup. Mr Thai said, “It’s nice to drink our coffee. Some days, it is hard managing a farm while keeping eye on the drying coffee and everyone who works here”. He added, “Having some time to brew, let alone enjoying a cup of coffee feels like a luxury at times. There’s just so much to do and work to take care of”. Mr Thai and I spoke a great deal about his vision for coffee, like the one we were drinking. “Drinking this helps remind me why I chose to work on the farm.” Not everyone wanted a cup of coffee, and there were some farmers who didn’t like the taste, which was okay. What was important was to give them an experience of coffee from another perspective.

It isn’t surprising that farmers and producers don’t drink their own coffee. It depends on their relationship with coffee in general, as well as the local culture. Unlike the cities where there is huge growth in local cafes and roasteries, people in farming regions see coffee as work or a raw material to sell to earn income. They are accustomed to instant coffees from brands like Trung Nguyen G7 or Nestle packets, or coffees sold for low price on the side roads, mostly due to decades of heavy marketing from these brands. It is not surprising, given the colonial roots of coffee in Vietnam and most coffee growing countries where the raw material and ‘higher quality’ goods are exported while the ‘lower grade’ is used locally. It goes back generations and that mindset still lingers today.

From sharing a cup of coffee with the people who produced it was a full circle moment on its own. They were able to see and taste the final rendition, or at least in a drinkable form, and grasp how the extra harvesting practices and processing steps can make a difference when the outcome is tangible. Rather than just loading up green coffee in a container, shipping them to the other side of the world and await feedback which may or may not come, at least we bridged a closer gap during our time at the farm. Though not everyone at the farm will be interested in coffee or create a new habit of brewing, at least we were able to show that their work is valuable through the shared cup of coffee every morning.