Life on an Organic Coffee Farm: Planting and Harvesting

Every day, a six-kilometer round trip takes one worker to a remote coffee farm nestled in the hills—where the real work begins. This isn’t about sipping espresso at a café; it’s about what happens before the roast, before the brew, before the cup. Here, in the highlands, coffee cherries are handpicked, trees are tended without agrochemicals, and workers live alongside the land in a cycle of care and craft.

On this organic coffee farm, workers check harvested cherry quality and monitor tree growth up to twice a day during the peak season from September to February. That’s six months of intense daily attention to detail, all to grow coffee without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

The Daily Commute to the Coffee Trees

The path to the farm is six kilometers each way. A worker named Masaki makes the trip once or twice daily. His job: inspect the quality of harvested coffee cherries and observe the growth and health of the coffee trees. This routine is repeated throughout the harvest season, ensuring every cherry and tree gets proper attention.

Harvest Season and Organic Challenges

The coffee harvest runs from September to February—the busiest time on the farm. Because the farm is organic, no chemical pesticides or fungicides are used. That means every pest outbreak or disease symptom must be handled manually, with extra labor to protect the trees naturally. The work is more intensive, but the coffee remains untainted by synthetic chemicals.

Workers, Traditions, and the Farm Community

More than ten farm workers, many of them from the Miao and Dai ethnic groups, live and work on-site. They wear traditional, embroidered clothing as they pick coffee among the green rows—a striking sight. During breaks, they enjoy a local herbal tea made from “orange grass,” known for its citrus scent. This tea, which grows under the coffee trees, is part of the region’s cultural heritage and is said to contribute beneficial microbes to the soil, supporting young coffee plants' health. Masaki enjoys drinking it with the workers too.

Natural Fertilizer from Farm Waste

The farm’s fertilizer isn’t bought in a bag. It’s crafted on-site. Chicken and pig manure are collected, then composted along with EM (effective microorganisms), coffee husks, coffee parchment, rapeseed meal (leftover from oil pressing), and charcoal ash. This nutrient-rich mix feeds the coffee trees naturally. The preparation is done in winter—January and February—when the trees are preparing for the coming growing cycle. Masaki’s wife creates cartoon guides to explain the process, turning complex biology into something everyone can understand. The same methods are shared with local farmers to promote wider organic practices.

Children, Coffee Trees, and the Harvest

Children play among the coffee trees, some no taller than they are. Each tree is compared to a child, fostering a sense of care and connection. During the harvest, red coffee cherries are hauled in baskets to the farmhouse veranda, where they’re sorted and processed. It’s a time of hard work, but also celebration—fragrant, colorful, and deeply tied to the land.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often does the worker visit the coffee farm?

The worker, Masaki, travels the six-kilometer route to the farm once or twice every day to check on both the harvested coffee cherries and the trees’ growth.

What months make up the coffee harvest season on the farm?

The harvest season runs annually from September to February, making it the busiest time of year for coffee picking and tree care.

Why can’t the farm use chemical pesticides or fertilizers?

The farm is managed organically, meaning synthetic agrochemicals are prohibited. All pest control and fertilization must be done through manual and natural methods.

What do the workers drink during breaks on the farm?

The workers drink a local herbal tea made from orange grass, which has a natural citrus aroma. It’s a traditional beverage in the area and is believed to benefit both people and soil.

How is fertilizer made on the organic coffee farm?

Farmers create fertilizer using a mix of chicken and pig manure (processed), effective microorganisms (EM), coffee husks, coffee parchment, rapeseed meal, and charcoal ash. This blend is prepared in January and February.

Do children work on the coffee farm?

Children are present on the farm but are not described as working. They play among the coffee trees, which are likened to their playmates, fostering a human connection to the crop.

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