OUR COFFEE COMES DIRECTLY FROM
5 FAMILIES IN LAOS
Aroma Coffee, together with Slow, works directly with five smallholder coffee growers in Laos with the aim of improving their livelihoods and the tree cover and plant diversity on the family's farms and surrounding areas. And of course, our aim is to serve great coffee for you!
Scroll down or click below to meet the families
FAMILY DAM
PUDAMKHUAN VILLAGE
BOLAVEN PLATEAU, LAOS
TOTAL HECTARES: 3.6
FARM ALTITUDE: 1079m
HOUSEHOLD SIZE: 6 PEOPLE
Mr. Dam, Mrs. Noi, their 2 children, and Mrs. Noi’s mother live in beautiful Phoudamkhuan village of Bolaven Plateau, where they have been living since 2007.
The family has been growing coffee beans by sustainable means for 12 years in their plot of 12 hectares— in their farm enriched with volcanic-ash at an altitude of 1064m above sea level. Mr. Dam and Mrs. Noi’s agrarian lineage and experience of coffee cultivation and utmost care of coffee crops produce high-quality, aromatic coffee beans. The family is also skillful at harvesting only fully ripened coffee cherries and processing them with care for a sweet cup of coffee.
Mr. Dam is fond of playing the guitar and loves eating traditional food, especially jar whiskey with dry buffalo skin. The whole family also enjoys the great outdoors together, in the form of fishing and hunting.
FAMILY DAM'S FARMS
FAMILY JOY NUI
HOUAY WAY VILLAGE
BOLAVEN PLATEAU, LAOS
TOTAL HECTARES: 2.8
FARM ALTITUDE: 1145m
HOUSEHOLD SIZE: 3 PEOPLE
Mr. Buason got married to Mrs. Nuii in 2013. They decided to live in Mrs. Nuii’s hometown Huaiywai Village in Bolaven Plateau of Laos.
For six years, Mr. Buason has been growing coffee on a two-hectare farm lot with an elevation of 1132 masl. His family started in a small lot, but because towering trees surround the area with good weather conditions, enough water and nutrients, they were able to expand their farm.
Mrs. Nuii, being an expert in growing coffee, helps the family in any way she can to improve their livelihood. They patiently do traditional farming techniques, especially the natural way of picking only the ripest coffee cherries during harvest season. Mr. Buason and his wife are also instilling to their children the value of the forest in their lives.
In their free time, they love gathering around the fireplace and sharing fun childhood memories where their kids will learn valuable life lessons. Also, they love dancing and listening to music. But watching and playing football has been part of their tradition as a family.
FAMILY JOY NUI'S FARMS
FAMILY KE LAY
PUDAMKHUAN VILLAGE
BOLAVEN PLATEAU, LAOS
TOTAL HECTARES: 1.7
FARM ALTITUDE: 1083m
HOUSEHOLD SIZE: 4 PEOPLE
Mr. Kaelay and Mrs. Varn's farm rests in the lush green heights of Bolaven Plateau, producing luscious coffee beans of different varieties.
Learning from his father in youth, Mr. Kaelay knows how to choose the finest soil and region to grow exquisite coffee beans, under the serene shade of trees. In his 6 years of coffee cultivation in Phoudamkhuan village, he has honored chemical-free sustainable farming and aims to keep doing so in the future as well.
Harvest brings the whole family together — to carefully pick coffee cherries with bright red color, and ferment them at the right temperature and for the right duration for the best possible taste.
Along with growing coffee, Mr. Kaelay plays a rattan ball and loves dancing.
FAMILY KE LAY'S FARMS
FAMILY SAMLIENG
HOUAY WAY VILLAGE
BOLAVEN PLATEAU, LAOS
TOTAL HECTARES: 12.5
FARM ALTITUDE: 1156m
HOUSEHOLD SIZE: 5 PEOPLE
High up in Houay-Wai Village, sits this 10-hectare farm, surrounded by the gentle shade of trees and the lush, green landscapes of the Bolaven Plateau.
Mr.Samlieng and his wife carry on ancestor traditions - growing a variation of coffee beans through sustainable means. Their natural cultivation techniques that create fresh and clean coffee in every cup – for example, they only use coffee skins leftover from processing as fertilizer.
With 26 years of growing coffee beans behind him, Mr. Samlieng is well known in his community - regularly hosting celebrations and sharing the fruits of his labor with his neighbors. He loves what he does, so he never works a day in his life; proud to share his bean with the world, and happy to oblige coffee connoisseurs everywhere.
FAMILY SIFONG
PUDAMKHUAN VILLAGE
BOLAVEN PLATEAU, LAOS
TOTAL HECTARES: 2.8
FARM ALTITUDE: 1100m
HOUSEHOLD SIZE: 4 PEOPLE
Mr. SIfong and his wife Mrs. Heub has a beautiful farm over 4 hectares in the lush landscape of Bolaven Plateau.
The family moved to Pudamkhuan village of Laos in 1994 — growing organic coffee by sustainable means for 20 years. Learning from his parents — Mr. Sefong focuses on growing the more rare varieties of Arabica coffee beans. Cultivation of selected varietals combined with the nutrient-rich, volcanic soil of his farm produces coffee beans with exceptional taste and aroma.
Along with working hard on his coffee farm, Mr. SIfong loves singing folk songs of Laos and is fond of drinking white whiskey with beef salad. He is also a devout person and volunteers his free time in Buddhist temples.
