Hello all-
I'm not currently active in the retail coffee community, but I'm an avid home roaster and I'm starting to sit down and examine whether I am capable of starting my own small-batch roastery. I am aware of resources like Zephyr, Cafe Imports and the like, but how does one begin to find farms and form business relationships with them? And to barrage you with more specific questions:
Is it wise for a roaster to visit every farm that they do direct business with, or is it just as normal to approach them long-distance?
Is there a directory or database where farms are listed, or are they all known through networking and word of mouth?
How keen are farms going to be towards me knowing that I'm a rather small fish in the pond of specialty coffee?
Is it worth it to even try this route as a new business owner, or should I stick with the importers?
I'm sure I'll come up with more questions as well, but these are some of my initial concerns that I can think of regarding this topic. Thank you all!
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