From Cherry to Cup: Where Thom Bargen's Coffee Comes From

What began as a search for better coffee in Winnipeg became a journey linking local cafés to farmers and families around the world.

Two Friends Who Wanted Better Coffee

Thom Hiebert and Graham Bargen spent their free time and money flying to Portland and LA to visit specialty cafés. They'd come home to Winnipeg wishing they could find that kind of coffee within walking distance. Back then, the city's coffee scene was still catching up. Most shops served standard drip coffee, nothing close to what they'd tasted on the West Coast.

In 2012, they decided to fix that themselves. Neither had café experience, but they opened one anyway. That personal project turned into three cafés and a roastery. Early on, they admired roasters like Phil & Sebastian in Calgary, who traveled to Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia, and Costa Rica to meet producers and understand where their coffee comes from. In 2018, Thom and Graham began visiting farms themselves and forming their own direct relationships with producers. 

Meeting the Dumerso Sisters in Ethiopia

Last February, Thom and Graham traveled to Ethiopia and Kenya. When they met Mahader Dumerso in Addis Ababa, they sensed her love for her community.

Mahader and her sister run two washing stations there and employ over 400 people. The Dumerso washing stations sit in the highlands of Hirut, 1,900 meters up in the hills and clouds. They purchase cherries from over 600 small farms in the region. Their impact goes beyond fresh coffee. They built a local clinic that now provides care to all their employees. They've helped filter water, which lowered cholera rates in the area. Their investment in power to run the station feeds electricity to neighboring houses.

What stood out to Thom and Graham was how organized the Dumerso washing station was compared to other washing stations in Ethiopia. The process was clear and systematized, and cherry sorting was more thorough. The sisters also sort different lots and regions separately. That kind of transparency isn't normal in Ethiopia.

Finding Farmers Who Go the Extra Mile

In Colombia, Thom and Graham met Henry and Tanya at their farm in Los Naranjos, near San Agustin, Colombia. Fourteen years ago, Henry won two cows in a local raffle and then sold them to the bank for credit to buy his first farm.

Now they run a hands-on family operation. With help from cousins, they pick, process, and transport every batch themselves. This careful attention to detail is why they produce some of the best Caturra and Bourbon in the area.

The Partnerships That Matter

Thom Bargen also works with Ricardo Perez and his daughter, Melonie, at Costa Rica's Helsar Station and has a multi-year commitment with Martha Reina in Colombia. These long-term partnerships mean farmers can plan their harvests knowing they have a buyer, and Thom Bargen gets access to coffee processed exactly how they want it.

Thom and Graham started wanting better coffee within walking distance. Now they travel thousands of miles to meet the people who grow it. When you drink their coffee, you’re tasting the work of farmers who built clinics for their neighbors and sold cows to chase a dream. That’s where Thom Bargen’s coffee truly comes from.