Aside from that, my goals for this trip are to sponge up as much information as I possibly can from the producers and my fellow roasters, as well as finding a lot or two that could form the first iteration of Echelon’s new single origin espresso product line. 

It’s already been a real pleasure to meet the other roasters and get to know a thing or two about how they work and what motivates them. So far, despite the geographical diversity of the group, there’s a reassuring level of agreement on the benefits of learning more about the life and work of coffee producers and how we as roasters can adjust what we do to make our relationship with them more equitable and fruitful. 

*Yes, I’m reading Coffeeland by Augustine Sedgwick and it’s excellent!