50 Years of Stewardship

Our guiding principle and philosophy is simple — Do right by the land and the people.

Educating and Advocating for Coffee Sustainability

It was our great pleasure to recently host our Sumatran coffee trading partners at our farms to train them in sustainable growing practices. With technical assistance from Distant Lands Coffee, our partners were able to introduce greenhouse-type drying patios to their operations in Lintong, Sumatra.

We believe in sharing our sustainable growing and milling methods broadly in the coffee community. Members of the Distant Lands La Minita Green Coffee Trading team have served on the Environmental Committee and Sustainability Council of the Specialty Coffee Association of America.

The company also welcomes producers, millers, roasters, retailers and the media to personally visit our farms and beneficios to learn about the techniques and technologies that have made Distant Lands a world leader in sustainable coffee production.

Leading In Social Responsibility and Real Care for Farm Employees

The Distant Lands farm and mill staff are at the heart of all we do. Hacienda La Minita is a community of extended family–deserving of a good life, including on-site housing, healthcare and financial stability. Our employees are treated respectfully and paid well. They take great pride in their craft and reward us with the highest quality coffee. This has been a successful arrangement for many years.

Providing a Good Livelihood for Our Workers

  • Our coffee cherry pickers are experts at their craft, skilled in picking only the best and brightest of the red fruit–and they are paid higher than prevailing wages for these skills
  • No-cost dental and medical preventative care clinics–all of our full-time workers and their immediate family are enrolled in programs that screen for potential health problems
  • Modern housing for our full-time employees–each home comes with hydroelectric power generated from the river, and piped in spring water
  • A fully staffed Day Care facility at our Rio Negro farm provides meals for children. We have invested over $100,000 over ten years in renovating schools in Colombia. This has benefited over 2,500 rural Colombian children in our communities.
  • A life-estate housing program for retiring workers