Origin Field Lab offers a fully immersive, hands-on experience in the regions where the coffee we sell is grown. After much planning and anticipation, we organized the first Origin Field Lab trip since 2020 from October 8-15, this time to a new destination—Peru.
Like many things, COVID-19 put one of our most beloved programs at Counter Culture—Origin Field Lab (OFL)—on hold. OFL offers a fully immersive, hands-on experience in the regions where the coffee we sell is grown. Twenty years ago (2004), we brought our first group of baristas to witness the other side of the coffee value chain, and year after year, it has become the ultimate expression of our commitment to cultivating cutting-edge coffee professionals.
After much planning and anticipation, we organized the first OFL trip since 2020 from October 8-15, this time to a new destination—Peru. The group included our Miami educator and native Peruvian, Sandra Walimaki; coffee buyer Kyle Tush from Durham; Chandra Poston, our Director of Grocery and the fortunate winner of our staff lottery; along with a group of wholesale partners from Northside Social, Cafe Nido, The Seed., Little Tart Bakeshop, and Wild Love Bakehouse.
The group had an unforgettable experience and wanted to share what they did and how it impacted them.
Our OFL Adventure:
Days 1 & 2: Arrival in Peru
We spent the first few days of our trip taking flights and an endless van ride traveling from Lima to Chiclayo and finally to Jaén.
Days 3: Origin Coffee Lab
Our first stop was Origin Coffee Lab (OCL), one of our exporter partners. Our day began with a tour led by Mariagracia Echeandia, who showed us everything from the coffee storage areas to the sorting lab, where coffee is carefully sorted and selected by hand.
Next, we collaborated on a presentation with Pepe Rivera, the founder of OCL, to share key insights about our value chain and address some of Peru’s current challenges, including climate conditions and regional deforestation.
We wrapped up the day with an interactive cupping session led by the OCL team. But the evening didn’t end there! The dedicated coffee professionals from OCL, fierce volleyball players by night, organized a volleyball match that turned into an unforgettable, fun-filled night with their team and our OFL participants.
Day 4: Farm Visit to Colasay
Next, we traveled to La Higuera, a member of La Viuda in the Colasay district. We engaged in hands-on fieldwork following the harvest season in northern Peru. Merci Ferdandez, a third-generation coffee farmer, and her father, Don Felix, guided us. We learned about the farmers’ roles during and after harvest, the processes involved, and the unique coffee varieties at La Higuera, such as Bourbon de Colasay. Our visit ended by sharing meaningful moments over a traditional meal with the Fernandez family.
Day 5: Farm Visit and Cupping with CENFROCAFE
Our next stop was CENFROCAFE, a Counter Culture partner since 2007, where we met with farmers from a region called Ihuamaca—home of our longstanding single origin, Valle del Santuario. Our visit began with a welcome from cooperative members, who shared CENFROCAFE’s history and mission. We discussed organic coffee production, challenges like La Roya (coffee leaf rust), and financial pressures on coffee plants’ health. After a tour of CENFROCAFE’s milling facilities, we wrapped up the day with a cupping session led by the cooperative’s cuppers and Kyle Tush from our Coffee Department.
Day 6: Farm Visit and Hiking at Finca La Palestina
After a three-hour journey, we joined the OCL team and the Alarcón family at Finca La Palestina. Here, we handled coffee cherries affected by Broca (Coffee Berry Borer) and gained a hands-on understanding of crop challenges. This offered a deep look into the realities farmers face and the commitment we share to protect our environment. We ended with a ceremony that thanked La Pachamama (Mother Earth), grounding us in our shared dedication to our ecosystem. After hiking to the highest point of La Higuera, we joined the Alarcón family in their nursery and excitedly planted our first Gesha-variety tree!
Day 7: Return to Lima
Early the following day, we returned to Lima, where we explored the charming district of Miraflores and made our way to Milimétrica, a local coffee shop showcasing remarkable micro-lots from OCL. Greeted by Jaco and his talented team of coffee professionals, we immersed ourselves in Lima’s coffee culture.
Hear from the Participants
“As a Peruvian and someone who spent childhood summers on her grandmother’s coffee farm, I feel a deep sense of responsibility to share the stories of the people who make it possible for me to be here right now. Over two decades in this field, I’ve often been the last person to touch the beauty created by farmers who face daily challenges yet choose to persevere. They go above and beyond to offer hospitality, share meals, and fill our hearts with joy and purpose. As a barista and coffee educator, I ask myself, “Can we really make a difference?” The answer is complex, but ultimately, it’s a resounding yes. I can start by recognizing that we all hold value and are useful in every step of the coffee storytelling journey.”
—Sandra, Counter Culture Regional Educator, Miami, FL
“To me, coffee is, in large part, a story of human connection. It’s personal. From a cafe standpoint, coffee done right is done by hand. Yes, there are certain tools we have to assist in creating a more efficient process. But when it comes down to it, from the espresso, pour over, latte art, cold brew, and everything else we serve, the highest quality I have experienced is made by a human. There’s a romance to it that a machine can’t replicate. Going to origin, not that I expected anything less, I saw that sentiment hold true up close through each stage of coffee production. Most of the things we use in our daily lives, we have no idea what went into getting that into our hands. But I can now close that gap and hopefully begin to close it for the others around me. In Peru, I bought my friend Austin a bag of coffee and could tell him about the woman who grew the beans. She is a killer volleyball player and came to the rescue when our truck got a flat tire in the rain, running out of her car with a hot, fresh coffee thermos. I think that coffee tasted a little better to Austin because of it. And that is very cool.”
—Sally, Northside Social, Arlington, VA
“As the owner and operator of a cafe, I’m fully aware of how many daily decisions I make and how each decision affects our products and customers’ experience at Cafe Nido. Going to Peru made me realize that farmers, co-ops, and exporters are all making those same decisions on the other side of the world. They’re upgrading processes and techniques, improving quality and yield, and trying to figure out the best way to make delicious, unique, and sustainable coffee that fetches them the best price.
“Ultimately, OFL made me realize that we’re all a part of the same long, complicated, and beautiful process — from seed (to tree, to fruit, to bean) to cup. And it’s our duty to finish what they started — to take the same care, to operate with the same efficiency, and to ultimately prepare these little nuggets of goodness as best we can on our own end.”
—Devin, Cafe Nido, Los Angeles, CA
“The OFL trip was so special and eye-opening in so many ways. I keep coming back to the word “community.” Since becoming a barista over a decade ago, community has always been the most important aspect of coffee for me. Getting the opportunity to travel to Peru and meet importers, cooperatives, farmers, and everyone in between in the supply chain opened my eyes to see that, at its very root, coffee is about community. I’ll always fondly think about the meals, coffee knowledge, homes, and space shared by the coffee people of Peru!”
—Sara, Wild Love Bakehouse, Knoxville, TN
“This trip has been truly life-changing, profoundly reshaping how I view my role as a business owner and operator and the value of each Seed location “we plant” within the value chain. Meeting with farmers firsthand gave me unique insights into the pressing challenges they face—challenges that will undoubtedly influence the future of the coffee industry. As a retailer, I see it as essential to share these experiences with our team members and customers so they can appreciate the quality, sustainability, and dedication embedded in the coffee we source from Counter Culture Coffee. Visiting the farms in Peru and building relationships with these farmers allowed me to witness their families and teams’ extraordinary commitment to quality, sustainability, and education that impact their partners worldwide. Their passion drives a vision of a resilient coffee industry, and it’s an honor to bring their hard work to light at The Seed.”
—Mike, The Seed., Boca Raton, FL
“Sharing this trip with colleagues and a small group of wholesale partners felt like holding up a mirror that allowed me to see our small team of buyers' work in a new light. It highlighted the meaningful relationships we foster throughout the value chain. The longI’vempy truck rides to remote farms and the time spent standing around a cupping table waiting for coffees to cool were now experiences shared with people who began to understand what I could never fully convey through words or photos alone. We saw heavy bags of coffee in parchment unloaded into warehouses, knowing they would have to be picked up and loaded again and again on the long journey to their destination. We stood on precariously steep, slippery mountainsides, pruning trees to prepare them for the following year’s harvest. We enjoyed meals in kitchens with dirt floors, served with a level of hospitality that was simply exceptional.
“Although the contexts are quite different, I recognized many parallels between the relationships we cultivate with producers and those our staff develops with wholesale partners at accounts across the country. This trip was a powerful reminder that everything—the connections, the time spent together, the shared dedication—matters. It’s easy to overlook the importance of relationships when discussions in specialty coffee primarily focus on quality. However, you cannot have one without the other. I returned from the experience with a renewed sense of gratitude for my role at Counter Culture and for the contributions each of us makes within the industry to add value, even when that value is sometimes challenging to quantify.”
—Kyle Tush, Counter Culture Coffee Buyer, Durham, NC
“As director of Grocery, I’ve spent years sharing Counter Culture’s story with customers. In every presentation, I recite facts from our transparency report, speak to our quality standards and purchasing practices, and emphasize our commitment to sustainability, education, and company culture. But I was missing one crucial piece: our work really matters. We aren’t just salespeople; our decisions and actions have lasting impacts on people and communities.
“Visiting a coffee farm on the side of a mountain in Peru might seem like an extreme step for what seems like a simple epiphany, but I needed to see these places firsthand. I needed to feel this connection in my heart. I am so grateful for a trip that changed my perspective on a company I thought I fully understood.
“Coffee is a source of pride for so many people in our industry. I could feel this from the producers who grow every bean, the importers who thoughtfully facilitate the trade, and the wholesale partners who serve it with care every single day. But what surprised me the most was my pride in our coffee-buying team. There was so much I hadn’t realized. Our coffee buyers are passionate and amazing humans. They carry the Counter Culture banner mindfully and build genuine, lasting relationships with our partners. I witnessed heartfelt hugs, laughter, and meals shared in homes, along with the open, sometimes challenging, conversations that are part of strengthening these connections. These relationships carry through to our consumers, who find joy daily in their cup of coffee. There is a level of trust throughout the entire value chain due to 30 years of building.
“Our work goes beyond transactions—we’re building community, one relationship at a time.”
—Chandra Poston, Counter Culture Director of Grocery
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Origin Field Lab is exclusively open to Counter Culture Wholesale partners. If that's you and you're interested in learning more, reach out to your regional team or email us at education@counterculturecoffee.com.
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