This month Brothers Coffee found a roaster that didn’t start as a roaster, but rather an importer. After years of building relationships with farmers all over the coffee-belt, Bodhi Leaf decided to start roasting coffee and open cafes themselves. Since then, they’ve added 9 cafes in the Southern California area and continue to grow.

As importers first, Bodhi Leaf has been on the ground with farmers far more than most roasters are. As soon as they started roasting coffee, it was easy for them to mark each and every one of their coffees as directly traded coffees. With their time spent at source, they are also able to see what is needed by each farming community. As problems come to their attention, Bodhi Leaf will create funds to support these communities in ways that make the most sense for them. All of this on top of paying fair prices for coffee.

In their local community, one of Bodhi Leaf’s main priorities has been education. When they expanded to become a roaster, they began hosting publicly available classes on coffee roasting and sourcing. They also donate to local Orange County food banks and look for other events to donate their coffee to. Many seasonal blends support local non-profits and they recently partnered with the Anaheim Ducks to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Why are they called Bodhi Leaf? From their website: “The Bodhi Leaf has long been a symbol for peace, happiness, prosperity, longevity and good luck. It is a reminder of the ultimate potential that lies within us all. We use this philosophy to continually build and strengthen relationships with coffee farmers and their families all over the world. These relationships allow us to provide high end specialty coffee directly from their farms to your cup.”

Bodhi Leaf has been building relationships with farmers all over the country for years, and it shows in the great variety and quality of coffees they are able to provide. We’re excited to work with them!