Mendoza

About the Coffee

Cooparm is a cooperative based in the Pisuquia district of Luya province, in the Rodríguez de Mendoza region of northern Peru. More than 500 smallholder farmers are part of the cooperative, growing coffee between 1,200 and 1,800 meters above sea level in the cloud forests of the Peruvian Amazon. The farms in this area sit at elevations that slow the development of the coffee cherry, giving the beans more time to take on complexity from the surrounding environment.

Cooparm farmers use chemical-free, organic practices across their plots, which helps protect the soil and the biodiversity of the cloud forest around them. After hand-picking, the coffee is dried using solar methods, then sorted by size, density, and color before going through Cooparm's in-house cupping lab. That last step matters: having a quality control lab on site means the cooperative can catch inconsistencies before the coffee leaves the region, rather than after. The cooperative also operates under fair trade values, with the goal of putting more of the final price back into the hands of the farmers doing the work.

About Hale Coffee Co.

Hale Coffee got its start in Toronto, opening its first location at Queen and Spadina before eventually settling into its current home in the Junction Triangle. The roaster built its reputation as an independent operation focused on bringing quality coffee to a city they felt had room for more of it.

Hale sources through direct trade relationships with farmers, which they say helps ensure producers are paid fairly for their work. Their sourcing spans multiple regions, and the relationships they build with growers are central to how they select what ends up in the roaster.

"I stumbled on Hale almost a decade ago. Their cafe on Campbell Ave (in Toronto's Junction neighbourhood) is an underrated place to meet with friends or get some work done. Aside from having delicious coffee, they prioritize direct trade, keeping more of the profits in the hands of producers."

- Dean, Director of Coffee