A Season of Gratitude: From the Mountains of Peru to Your Cup
The people, places, and communities behind our Peru Rutas del Inca coffee.
November is a month to reflect on the things we're thankful for. At Daily Rise Coffee, that list is long. Our incredible team, our loyal customers, and the communities that have supported us for more than 20 years have given us so much to be grateful for.
But this November, we're especially thankful for a community thousands of miles away, high in the mountains of northern Peru.Last month, we had the incredible privilege of visiting our coffee-growing partners at the Rutas del Inca Cooperative in Peru's Cajamarca region. What began as an opportunity to learn more about the coffee we roast turned into an unforgettable experience filled with amazing people, beautiful landscapes, incredible hospitality, and a deeper appreciation for the families behind every cup.
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A Warm Welcome at 9,000 Feet
Our adventure began in Chiclayo, a coastal city in northern Peru. From there, we traveled five hours by vehicle, winding our way from sea level up to nearly 9,000 feet into the mountains of Cajamarca.
Our destination was the small town of Querocoto, home to the Rutas del Inca Cooperative. We knew we were visiting some special people, but nothing could have prepared us for the welcome we received. As we arrived at the cooperative, we were greeted by members, coffee producers, and their families. Young children performed traditional dances, and a local elder sang a beautiful welcoming song. The pride, warmth, and genuine hospitality were absolutely incredible. That welcoming spirit wasn't limited to the cooperative. We felt it throughout the entire little mountain town. Here we were, thousands of miles from Ogden, Utah, yet the sense of community felt remarkably familiar. It was a reminder that no matter where you travel, people coming together is what makes a community special.
Finca Los Alizos: A Coffee Jungle in the Mountains
The following morning, we traveled another two hours deeper into the mountains to visit Finca Los Alizos, the family farm of coffee producer Idelso.
The farm sits in a beautiful, rich microclimate where the growing conditions allow coffee cherries to mature slowly, developing the complex flavors that make specialty coffee so unique. Walking through the property was incredible. Varieties including Geisha, Marsellesa, Caturra, Typica, and Bourbon were growing throughout the farm. What had once been carefully organized rows of coffee plants had grown into what felt like a coffee jungle. And it was beautiful!
We walked among the plants, tasted sweet coffee cherries straight from the trees, and watched firsthand how the coffee was washed and dried with such care. It's one thing to understand the work that goes into producing great coffee. It's another to stand on the mountainside, surrounded by the plants and the people who have dedicated their lives to growing it. Every cherry is handpicked. Every step requires patience, knowledge, and hard work. Seeing that dedication up close gave us an even greater appreciation for the coffee we get to roast and share with our customers.
Farm-to-Table Hospitality, Peruvian Style
As impressive as the farm was, the hospitality might have been even more memorable. Idelso's family welcomed our entire group of 12 into their home for lunch. In the corner of the kitchen, a traditional open-fire stove was being used to prepare an incredible meal made with ingredients grown or raised right there on the farm. Chickpeas, rice, pork, and a salad so vibrant in color and flavor that it didn't even need dressing.
It was farm-to-table in its purest form. The food was amazing, but what made the experience unforgettable was the generosity of a family willing to open their home and share what they had with a group of visitors from halfway around the world.
After our large lunch, we were treated to a little local clear sugarcane rum. Let's just say our group enjoyed that experience! In fact, we had so much fun that on our drive back to Querocoto, we made an unplanned stop at the local rum distillery.
There, we tasted fresh sugarcane juice and learned how they produce their rum, as well as how they cook down sugarcane to make sugar. It was one of those unexpected adventures that makes traveling so memorable. Great people, great food, a little rum, and plenty of laughter.
What more could you ask for?
Las Pinos: Growing Coffee and Building a Future
Our next farm visit took us to Las Pinos, the beautiful property of coffee producers Edson and Maria.
Getting there was another adventure. We started with a ten-minute walk to a home that had once belonged to Maria's grandparents. From there, we continued another twenty minutes up the mountainside to reach their coffee-growing property. Unlike some of the more established farms in the region, Las Pinos is relatively new, with coffee plants just three years old.
The farm was absolutely beautiful.
Rows of Geisha coffee plants grew beneath overhead trellises supporting granadilla vines. At the end of each row of coffee bushes, tree tomatoes provided another delicious snack as we explored the property. It was amazing to see how thoughtfully the farm had been planted, with different crops growing together and making use of the rich mountain environment. But what impressed us most wasn't simply the beauty of the farm. It was what Edson and Maria represented.
Their farm is a wonderful example of the opportunities being created through the hard work and dedication of the Rutas del Inca Cooperative.
How Coffee Is Transforming Mountain Communities
Fourteen years ago, when Rutas del Inca first began, the cooperative exported just three-quarters of a shipping container of coffee. At that time, coffee grown in this region wasn't widely considered an export product or a meaningful cash crop. But the people behind Rutas del Inca saw an opportunity.
They believed that with the right knowledge, education, seeds, and support, local families could grow premium specialty coffee and create a better economic future for their communities, and they went to work. The cooperative began sharing knowledge, providing education, and helping producers improve their farming practices and the quality of their coffee.
Fast-forward 14 years, and the results are remarkable. Today, Rutas del Inca exports approximately 30 containers of coffee annually. From less than one container to 30. But the real success story isn't measured in shipping containers. It's measured in the opportunities being created for families throughout these mountain communities. It's farms like Edson and Maria's. It's the ability to turn land, hard work, and knowledge into a sustainable source of income. It's the pride these producers take in growing something exceptional. And it's the next generation seeing a future in coffee.
What makes it even more impressive is that this is organically grown coffee, cultivated and harvested by hand on steep mountain terrain. From planting and tending the coffee trees to carefully harvesting, washing, drying, and preparing the beans for export, the amount of work involved is extraordinary. Witnessing that process firsthand was humbling. And after experiencing the care, dedication, and passion these producers put into their coffee, it's no surprise why we enjoy roasting and drinking Rutas del Inca so much.
More Than Just a Cup of Coffee
We've always believed that coffee is about more than what's in your cup. It's about connection. It's about the conversations shared over a morning brew, the friendships built at a neighborhood coffee shop, and the communities that come together around something as simple as a great cup of coffee.
Our visit to Peru reminded us that those connections begin long before the coffee reaches our roastery. They begin with families like Idelso's, Edson and Maria's, and the many producers who make up the Rutas del Inca Cooperative. When we roast this coffee here in Utah, we're not just bringing exceptional beans to our customers.
We're connecting two communities separated by thousands of miles but brought together through a shared appreciation for hard work, quality, and the people around us. That is something worth celebrating.
Giving Thanks, From Peru to Ogden
As we gather with family and friends this November, we're reminded how fortunate we are to be part of something that reaches far beyond our own community. We're thankful for the people of Rutas del Inca, who welcomed us with open arms, shared their homes and traditions, and showed us firsthand the incredible work behind their coffee. We're thankful for the dedication of the producers who spend their days cultivating some of the finest organic coffee we've had the privilege to roast.
A special thank you to our importing partners at Sustainable Harvest for introducing us to this incredible community and organizing a trip that allowed us to experience the people, places, and traditions behind the coffee we love. Their commitment to connecting coffee growers and roasters makes relationships like these possible, and we're truly grateful.
And we're especially thankful for all of you. Our Daily Rise community.
For more than 20 years, you've supported our little coffee company, shared our coffee with friends and family, and helped us continue doing what we love. Your support makes it possible for us to build lasting relationships with coffee-growing communities like Rutas del Inca. So this November, as you gather around the table or share a cup of coffee with someone special, we hope you'll take a moment to appreciate the people and connections that make those moments possible.
To our friends in Peru and our friends here at home, thank you for making it possible for us all to gather around a cup and appreciate the moments that matter.
From the mountains of Peru to the mountains of Utah, we're grateful for the communities that bring us together.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Daily Rise Coffee!
Promoting Positive Energy Since 2004.
— The Daily Rise Coffee Family
