Team happy® is buzzing after an unforgettable trip to Colombia, where we source a lot of our coffee. Every happy product contains coffee from Colombia, and some of our favorites (looking at you ready-to-drink and instant) are exclusively sourced there. We’re proud that most of our coffee comes from small 2-5 acre farms and 100% is responsibly sourced. Our farmer partners are hand-selected because of their commitment to sustainable and responsible farming practices. 

We’ve always known our coffee had a little extra sparkle. With notes of elation and optimism, how could it not? But now we know how that magic gets in: the people. Our growers are some of the most passionate, dedicated, and hard working people we’ve ever met. The love and care that goes into tending each coffee plant and picking - by hand! - every coffee cherry is palpable. No wonder it makes its way into our beautiful blends and your mug. 

Our journey started in Medellin and took us a few hours west to the mountains of Concordia. And when we say mountains, we mean above-the-clouds level. We wound our way through some of the most beautiful landscapes we’ve ever seen. The views were breathtaking, and the people we met were so warm and generous.

Day 1 kicked off with a visit to Luz Elana’s farm for the first gathering of 20 female farmers. Many have multi-generational family histories in coffee and are breaking new ground and glass ceilings as female leaders on their farms. In partnership with local agronomists and social workers, we created a space for these women to come together, grow their business skills, and talk about the unique challenges of leading their coffee farms. We had learned that women are reluctant to attend mixed-gender training spaces due to traditionally held beliefs about gender roles, so we wanted them to have a place to learn, grow, laugh, and cry that’s all their own. 

Next up, the incredible Doña Fanny. Her family has been growing coffee for 4 generations. She welcomed us with warm hugs and hot coffee. Through tears, she shared that it had been her father’s dream to meet the folks who blend, package, and sell the coffee from their farm and now she was living it. The farm is now led by four generations of women: Fanny, her grandmother, her mother, and her niece.

Everywhere we went, we saw a special blend of legacy and innovation. Like Eduardo and his dad, who are working toward net zero environmental impact. Compost pits? Check. Solar panels? Check. Big dreams and even bigger hearts? You bet.

Our local partner agronomists were right there too - hiking alongside us to the far-flung farms - helping growers implement practices that are better for people, better for the planet, and more profitable. We pay a premium for the coffee we source to guarantee higher pay and this level of individualized support for all farmers. Happy people + a happy planet = happy® coffee! 

Real talk, these folks are superheroes. Each farmer embraced us (literally and figuratively) and invited us into their homes. They made us coffee. We met their kids. We pet their dogs. We struggled to keep our footing on farm tours while they navigated the steep slopes with ease. Tending and harvesting coffee cherries by hand on this terrain is no joke. Then comes milling, washing, drying, and transporting the beans via truck or pack animal (the only ways to traverse those rugged roads).

This trip reminded us that what ends up in your mug is so much more than a beverage - it’s a labor of love, a tradition, a livelihood, and a whole lotta joy. These growers are the heart of happy®.