How We Become the Solution?

How the journey towards capturing 100% of our Stranded Farm Products Began.

When we see a new problem, (like I did)...It's easy to feel inspired to do something about it. After moving to Hawaii Island in April of 2019, very quickly I learned that here opportunities come in a "lump of coal", and our job is to figure out how to make the proverbial diamond.

Shortly after arriving I picked up a few part time gigs at coffee, chocolate, and vanilla farms. That's when I learned about one of the first big stranded farm products. In the coffee world there is a bug that chews up a portion of a coffee bean and leaves.

What's left behind is what I call "Stranded Farm Products." These are products farmers are left with and can't sell them because they don't look perfect or something is off about the product.

One day I was visiting a coffee farm and got a full tour. That's when I saw a few pallets of berry borer coffee. I learned this is a unique flavored coffee that's not preferred to be mixed with good looking coffee, as well as the flavor being a bit unique.

In another post I'll go a lot more into detail.

So the question is...How do we become the Solution?

As a previous boss would tell me...You noticed the problem, go create the solution.

It took a few years, this year I finally created the perfect product for a unique coffee bean we have plenty of on Hawaii Island. What was once loosing money is now earning it for coffee farmers.

But the story doesn't end here. Why?

Because coffee is just one of many of Stranded Farm Products Hawaii Island has a lot of. Like Purple Potatoes, the Citrus world, and so many others. And we're talking in the MILLIONS of pounds a year.

My goal at Encouraging Coffee is to figure out how to use as close to 100% of all the farm produce that is already grown here.

As of 10/16/2022 I'm the only one at the company with a HUGE APPETRITE to create new products people will love all over Hawaii and the World.

We have lots of "Problems"...in my mind I always say...the problem is the solution...start learning from others and go back to the problem with a new set of eyes and an unrelenting persistence until YOU create a solution.

"Become the solution."

(Picture: Parchment Coffee. This is how coffee beans look right before the farmer finds out how bad their crop was chewed up by the berry borer beetle.)