Page 72 - Erath

Coffee roasting coaxes golden favor from a bland bean. It takes heat to spark the chemical reactions that turn carbohydrates and fats into aromatic oils, burn off moisture and carbon dioxide, and alternately break down and build up acids, unlocking the characteristic coffee favor, according to nationalgeographics.org.

"The beans for our signature roast come from the terraced mountains of Southwest China. Our team works alongside the Hani villagers who helped grow and harvest the beans," explains Battenfeld. Coffee grows on a tree and was originally considered a type of fruit. The coffee cherries are picked by hand in the feld and carried up the mountain to be hauled for processing. To get to the core of the entire favor, each cherry bean must be stripped of its skin, pulp, and parchment to reveal the inner raw bean. These raw beans, called green coffee, are then hand inspected and shipped to the artisan roaster for the fnal touches in creating the unique favors of Hani Coffee. "Lance works his magic roasting the beans, he has really made it an art," proudly says Scoville.

With every delicious cup of Hani Coffee, lives are being changed! "Through buying and enjoying Hani Coffee, you help provide jobs with a fair wage enabling local villagers to provide for their families," explains Scoville. "It's not just about a great cup of coffee, but about the lives, families, and communities that are being changed by the opportunities provided through the Hani Coffee Company, and relationships with the Hani people."

The team has established an offce in Kunming that is home to fve of their China team members who are dedicated to bringing the great taste of coffee to Erath County, as well as China. Annie, Chinese, is the administrative manager and pretty much ”do it all’ person; Julie, Hani, is the bookkeeper, health care, and nutrition trainer; Lydia, also Hani,

is head of sourcing of products, sales, and packaging; and Tim and Molly Heinze, Americans, operate as sales and marketing managers. “ We have a great team! Not only do they do a great job at processing our coffee, but they also give back to the community by educating the people in ways that will better their lives and environment," adds Scoville. Hani Coffee Company is making a way to enrich the Hani people by partnering with others to provide better medical, educational, and clean water opportunities for them. "We’ve seen frsthand how love and compassion have changed the way our Hani friends see themselves and their world," shares Scoville.

The Hani team believes that education is a large part of what enables change, and one of their goals is to educate young people on the realities of HIV and AIDS, a devastating problem in the area. "Through various demonstrations, games, charts, and pamphlets the students were able to learn all about HIV and AIDS and how it not only affects the body, but what they can do to prevent it. It is our hope that these students will share and live by what they've learned. We are so grateful for the opportunity to be a voice on this important issue," explains Scoville. For several years Hani Coffee has served with friends from Texas to host an English camp at a high school a few hours outside of Kunming. The camp acts as a platform to connect with students and teachers. Each class has between 50 to 60 students and lasts 45 minutes. "During the week there is much joy, laughter, and fun as we work together to encourage and build a learning foundation amongst the students,” says Scoville. The team has over the years been able to teach hundreds of classes and work with more than 1200 students. Everyone agrees it was a good time of exchanging ideas, providing encouragement, and building relationships.

In addition to education, clean water is another important goal of the Hani Coffee team. Volunteers from Texas joined with the local Hani Coffee team to go and serve the people of this area. They worked alongside families from the village, tapping a freshwater spring, and installing a water supply pipe and tanks. "We hiked up the mountain with the local farmers and tapped a freshwater spring and piped the water about 5 kilometers down to the villages," explains Scoville.

The Hani Coffee team continues to learn and grow in their adventure to bring great tasting coffee to you and also to China, while making a difference in the lives of the Hani people. Although tea is the most common beverage enjoyed in China, middle-aged Chinese are acquiring a taste for our beloved aromatic beverage, coffee. The Hani Coffee Company not only brings this amazing tasting coffee to Erath County, but also is establishing a name for themselves throughout the Yunnan Province, as well as cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu, where they also offer their great tasting coffee. So next time you are in the market for a fresh bag of coffee for your morning wake-up call, consider Hani Coffee. You too can join in the journey of making a positive difference in the world, and planting a seed of hope with each delicious sip you take. Hani Coffee may be purchased by visiting www.hanicoffee.com, or from our local partners, Veldhuizen Cheese in Dublin, or Wiseman House Chocolates in Hico. "The next time you smell the brew of our exquisite coffee flling your home, take time to stop and thank those villagers who worked hard to provide it, and know that you have helped bring about the "life change" we desired to see happen," expresses Scoville. Remember...It's not just java...It's a journey!  ECL