Father's Day celebrations are in full swing at Trade and we thought it'd be fun to use this time of bonding, and presumably grilling and fishing and other Dad-like activities, to celebrate some awesome father-daughter roasting teams at Trade!
Yes, father-daughter!
Sparrows & Joven are helmed by Tim and Frankie Volkema. Although Tim had no previous experience in the coffee industry, he immersed himself in the art and business of coffee several years back, and brought daughter Frankie along for the ride. They took their Q Grader exams (coffee's rigorous sommelier-like certification process) together, and, at age 13, Frankie became the world's youngest Q grader!
For Al Hutchins and daughter Leticia Hutchins-Lopez of Alma, coffee has always been part of the fabric of the family. They are fourth and fifth-generation coffee farmers bringing you the best farm-to-cup coffee direct from Honduras.
We chatted with Tim, Frankie, Al, and Leticia about their shared love of coffee, their fondest memories working together, and, of course, what they're drinking right now!
Tim and Frankie of Sparrows & Joven
What drove your initial interest in coffee?
Tim: I've been drinking coffee my whole adult life, and I love the ritual and taste. I came into the industry by accident though. I was looking for an entrepreneurial opportunity in the Grand Rapids area--ideally an existing business with a need for more active management. I happened to find Schuil through my search process, and the size and profile were a great fit. Since then, I've grown to love the coffee industry. It's complex and attracts some of the most passionate and fun people in the world!
My initial interest for coffee sparked when, as a younger kid, I spent a lot of time at Schuil being exposed to coffee roasting, tasting, brewing, etc. My dad included me in a couple of the tastings because he knew that I was probably bored just sitting around. We had a Q grader we worked with named David, and he commented on my tasting notes being really accurate. That gave me the confidence to keep coming to Schuil for cuppings and ultimately earning my Q.
Frankie: My initial interest for coffee sparked when, as a younger kid, I spent a lot of time at Schuil being exposed to coffee roasting, tasting, brewing, etc. My dad included me in a couple of the tastings because he knew that I was probably bored just sitting around. We had a Q grader we worked with named David, and he commented on my tasting notes being really accurate. That gave me the confidence to keep coming to Schuil for cuppings and ultimately earning my Q.
What's it like working together? What's your favorite thing about it?
Tim: I'm not sure if I think of my work with Frankie as "work" exactly. I have three kids, and I'm always looking for fun and interesting ways to spend time with each of them. Frankie and I both love tasting coffee, and that's become our "thing" together. So yes, technically it's work, but for me it's just a great excuse to spend time with my daughter doing something we enjoy. It's not lost on me that many dads struggle to connect with their teenagers, so I feel super fortunate to be able to work with Frankie in this way. An extra bonus: it's a perfect excuse to travel together!
Frankie: I love to be able to work with my dad. We are both busy people, so to be able to have something we can bond over has been a great way for us to spend quality time together.
What is your most memorable coffee experience together?
Tim: Definitely for me it was going through our Q course together. It was pretty intense, and Frankie was so young. I remember being impressed with our instructors and fellow classmates. They treated her like any other student. Passing the Q is tough and can be a bonding experience for the group going through it together. Sharing that already memorable experience with my daughter made it that much more special and satisfying when we passed.
Frankie: In 2019, my dad and I traveled to Colombia to meet young coffee farmers and the organizations supporting them. This trip made some connections we had with farmers much more personal and solid. I also love to travel, and it was so fun to explore a new country for the first time. My dad and I got to spend a lot of time together and even took a few days to enjoy the beautiful capital city, Bogotá.
What are you looking forward to most in the upcoming year?
Tim: We don't yet work with any young farmers in Brazil, which Frankie and I believe is a missed opportunity. So we're looking to take a trip there this fall to find a couple new coffees for Joven--perhaps a coffee that involves some unusual processing.
Frankie: I am looking forward to building on the growth that Joven has had by finding more young farmers to support. This talent crisis is not going to end anytime soon, and the more people we can get thinking about this issue and doing something about it, the better. My dad and I are both super passionate about this.
Favorite coffee roasting at Sparrows or Joven right now?
Tim: I've been into this Sparrows Sumatra Kerinci Honey lately. I love that it hits you with grapefruit right off the bat, but it ends up being mellow and balanced with notes of milk chocolate and dried fruit sweetness. It's a fun coffee.
Frankie: My favorite coffee right now is definitely the Joven Guatemala. This coffee just provides such a good balance of fruit flavors and silky chocolate! This is my go-to right now.
Al and Leticia of Alma
What drove your initial interest in coffee?
Al: I was born into coffee farming. Everyone in our family farmed coffee in our remote village in Honduras. As a child in the 60s, I thought everyone was involved in coffee farming.
Leticia: My dad was a big part in this! He set a great example and always led me to find a career that made a positive impact while also bringing me happiness at the same time. My interest in coffee was imparted into me at birth. I grew up visiting my dad’s hometown in Honduras and being around coffee and coffee farms. As an adult, I realized it was an entire industry with an extensive supply chain that continued way further than the family coffee farms. Farming was what I knew but everything after importing into the United States was very new and exciting to me! My curiosity and desire was peaked and I just craved to learn more about the supply chain and what happened to coffee once it left our farms.
What's it like working together? What's your favorite thing about it?
Al: Working together with Leticia is a feeling I can’t describe. Tough to answer… I will say that working with Leticia is everything to me, happiness 360 degrees, it’s simply the best!
My favorite thing about working with Leticia is seeing how she grew up to be such a great young lady, a professional and a great entrepreneur. I observe her every move and think about how my “little girl” is building a business for the benefit of so so many. Her heart and willingness to do good is huge!
Leticia: Working together is the best! There is nothing like working with family, they will always have your back and the best intentions for you. My dad has always been a mentor and someone I have looked up to so being able to work closely together and therefore having such a close relationship is the absolute best part!
What is your most memorable coffee experience together?
Al: I have so many memorable experiences…as “most memorable” I will say it was being at the coffee farm during one of our December trips many years ago. Leticia and I were standing next to each other passing out gifts to the children of the coffee pickers and I stopped to watch her for a bit. Her face was full of happiness, big smiles as she passed out gifts and hug the children! Her willingness to improve lives is huge.
Leticia: My most memorable experience would be visiting our family coffee farms for the first time as an adult. I had graduated from college and it was the first time I was visiting with a perspective other than vacationing. This was so memorable to me because instead of seeing coffee farms, I saw the blood, sweat, and tears, that my dad and the team had put into the farms to make them what they were. Seeing infrastructure in the middle of nowhere and learning about the hardships like having to run electricity themselves, having to dig their own water well for a pure water source, and all that it took/still takes to run the farms was mind blowing. That whole trip was eye opening in the best way possible and left me questioning how I could help.
What are you looking forward to most in the upcoming year?
Al: Two things: A) Finishing our water reservoir so we can start our drip irrigation for certain parts of the coffee farm. This will ensure Alma Coffee continuous to have extraordinary green bean for hundreds of years to come and B) The inauguration of our FincaT school & medical clinic for the benefit of the village next to us and the children at FincaT (grateful to the Matiak Foundation who is supporting us in this great endeavor).
Leticia: There is so much we are looking forward to! Primarily we are excited at the fact that we are building a school and clinic at our family farm, Finca T, with a Georgia native non-profit, The Matiak Foundation. This is a new endeavor for us, completely outside of coffee but still fundamental in the education and health of the next coffee farming generations. I am very much looking forward to my next trip to the farm this summer so I can see all the progress first hand!
Favorite coffee roasting at Alma right now?
Al: Hummm not an easy one to answer. If I have to pick one it is Pedernales… so so extraordinarily good!
Leticia: Such a hard question :) My favorite coffee right now the Honey Process. I know I’m inherently biased as it is from my farm but goodness is it so complex, bright, and delicious! My go to for sure!