Ethically sourced, sustainably grown, and high quality coffee, always.
Profoundly good coffee considers everyone involved; growers, farming communities, roasters, and you. It is our baseline for everything we do. Coffee begins its story on the farm and mindful sourcing is the first step in telling a profoundly good coffee story.
Our coffees are sourced in one of three ways | direct. relational. fair
Direct | When you see direct trade on a Porch Culture bag it means 4 things. One, we communicate directly with the farm for pricing and always pay above fair trade minimums, always. Two, we have traveled to the farm. Three, all evidence points to ethical labor practices and sustainable growing methods. Four, the crop is quality producing an excellent tasting cup.
Direct trade is the most personal form of sourcing for us. We are all in with our direct trade farm. Finca Spirit Mountain in the Dominican Republic is not just a source, they are true friends and a home away from home for us.
Relational | Relational trade could also be called “friend of a friend” sourcing. We work through other roasters and small scale importers that connect us with their own direct trade relationships. Through relational trade we are able to buy profoundly good coffee that is telling better stories on farms we have yet to visit.
Relational trade on a Porch Culture bag means growers are paid a premium for their green coffee (always above fair trade minimums), labor practices are ethical, growing methods are sustainable (shade grown), and quality is excellent. We are kindred with our relational farms and importers. We know what it is to be a champion for growers. The relational trade folks we work with are rock star advocates for their growers and we love love love being a part of their stories.
Fair | Fair Trade is a recognized certification to serve small family farms through a cooperative of growers. The certification is intended to protect and benefit growers by establishing minimum prices for green coffee and parameters for sustainable growing practices.
Their is debate in the coffee world if Fair Trade works and who it really benefits. In our opinion, it might not work for every grower but it does work for many. The opportunity to seek fair trade certification has improved the lives of many growers. Bottom line, Porch Culture is about telling a profoundly good coffee story and when fair trade helps tell that story we are all for it.
We consider all three types of mindful sourcing to be a profoundly good story for everyone involved from farm to porch. On the farm side of things, paying proper prices for green coffee allows growers to produce a better quality crop and producing a quality crop allows growers to ask a proper price. As roasters we know the price we pay allows growers to continue to supply us with quality crops year after year. On the porch side of things you can know that you are getting a quality cup that provides quality of life for the grower.