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bitter impression of coffee. She never drank their own
coffee, same for most of the villagers. A local saying even
went that “the life coffee farms tastes more bitter than
coffee, why bother to drink it!” However, Mei Zi who
once had no thought of taking over the farm fell in love
with coffee by chance during her university years. After
Yunnan Coffee’s Future Lies in Passion- graduation, she returned to her hometown and became a
ate Eyes farmer. Speaking of the first few years, Mei Zi was most
impressed by the fact that she was often “forced” to be
the receptionist. Due to the convenient location and
In regions with a longer growing history, the farmers
traffic in Dakaihe, many visitors interested in the coffee
have to face up with the disappointing downturn of coffee
origin showed up, and Mei Zi had to squeeze some time
futures market as well as fatal climate disasters and blight,
to show people around, despite the busy agricultural work.
while staying wary of speculators coming to the mountains
Given the inconvenient accommodation and dining, as
for wealth. That’s why some coffee farmers met us with
well as the labor shortage, she had to chat with guests
suspicion due to previous deception. Some villages have
while cooking in the kitchen for a dozen people’s meals
even lost confidence in the coffee market because of
in the busiest case, she recalled. Now, the estate has set
lasting disappointment in the past. Witnessing such strug-
aside new land earmarked for visitor reception facilities.
gles and difficulties naturally turned us down. However,
The experience center and accommodation building are
those farmers who are still passionate about coffee will
constructed next to the processing plant, allowing future
eventually heal us.
guests to experience the whole process of coffee growing
More than an agricultural product, coffee has em-
and processing, while also understanding coffee culture
braced special social and humanity values in the industry
in an immersive way. This is also in line with the local
after 500 years of global expansion. Master Hou would
government’s policy of “integration of primary, secondary
always tell the coffee farmers, “Old pal, you are doing
and tertiary industries’’. The farm, originally for agricul-
business with the whole world, right from the moment
tural purposes, uses its unique resources to launch a
you decide to grow coffee.” By virtue of coffee planting,
cultural tourism project. This echoes with the market
the isolated mountains began to welcome batches of in-
demand, allows more people to learn about Yunnan cof-
ternational friends in the early years, giving locals more
fee and coffee culture, and also gives the farm an oppor-
opportunities and resources. A female farmer who has
tunity to earn higher revenue.
been engaged in coffee farming for more than twenty years
told me, “Growing coffee allows her, a girl living in the “brewing a good cup of coffee”. Whenever she found a
mountains, to see a wider world and meet so many amaz- coffee farmer not knowing how to properly store the
ing people.” She feels that she has realized her life value, roasted beans or grind the coffee for brewing, she could
a sense of accomplishment that other crops cannot bring. not help but nag the farmer: “The good coffee comes from
Zou Quanqing, who traveled with us, is one of the your hard work. You must learn how to brew and serve it,
founders of Hongfeng Guogei Estate. She operated the so that you can let guests taste the good flavor. That is the
business with two old friends. When she started the way to not put your hard work in vain.” She often talks to
coffee business because of an accident, she accepted others: “Coffee is bitter. But once you fall in love with it,
every price which the buyers offered, as she mentioned. you will like it more and more. You will keep trying no
They only started to learn and improve processes until matter how hard it is. You simply can’t put it down!” More than an agricul-
a few years ago when they knew specialty coffee can
bring more revenue. Now in her 60s, Zou is passionate New Faces and New Techniques tural product, coffee
about coffee and always on the road to learn fermenta-
tion protocols and drying procedures. In every new Since Nestlé entered China, villagers of Dakaihe has embraced special
estate we visited, she was always the first to step into have begun growing coffee, and now some farms have
the coffee field to observe the growth. She is willing to ushered in their third generation of successors. Born social and humanity
buy all the beans she feels curious, no matter how ridic- after 1990, Mei Zi is currently managing the Lin Run values in the industry
ulously expensive they are. Coffee Estate. Her grandfather was one of the first grow-
Miyanhanta is the owner of Gaosanlin Farm, the er to follow agronomists in planting coffee, who was also after 500 years of
previous winner of the Best of Yunnan Green Coffee the first to set up a coffee farm in the village; her father
Competition. Her passion for coffee is also overflowing. is the village secretary, who has been leading the villagers
Lincang Autumn Amber (Qiupo) Estate global expansion.
During the trip, she was the one who cared most about to grow coffee. But in her childhood, Mei Zi only had a

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