Our story
Two Farmers in 2017.
Today, a Community.
We started as two farmers wanting to build a sustainable model for our farms and coffee. Today we are a community of 36+ farms across three districts of Karnataka, producing over 10,000 bags (60 kg) of Arabica and Robusta.
Before 2017
Third-Generation Farmers
Our farms have been in existence since the late 1800s, producing and exporting coffee across the world.
Hoysala Coffee and Spices was founded in 2017, by the third generation of those farmers.
It was set up as the marketing arm of those farms, to reach the people who drink the coffee directly.
Our farms are in the Western Ghats, in the land of the Hoysala kings.
The Western Ghats are older than the Himalayas, one of the world’s eight hottest hotspots of biological diversity, and were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2012.
Where we farm
Coffee, Fruits and Spices Grown Under Shade
We grow our coffee, fruits and spices, under shade, in the Western Ghats region of India. The crops sit on slopes under two tiers of shade: native jungle trees above, erythrina lithosperma below.
That canopy is home to more than 200 species of animals, birds, insects and reptiles. The soil under it is rich in humus and organic matter, with the natural minerals that a wide range of soil microbes and fungi depend on.
Arabica and Robusta are processed as Washed, Naturals, Monsoon and Experimentals, and every lot stays traceable to the farm it came from. Alongside the coffee we grow black pepper and cardamom.
Our journey
Conventional to 100% Chemical Free
- 01
Weather changes
Our own records show the weather turning unpredictable.
- 02
Learn from nature
Demeter preparations made and applied on the farm: BD 500 and BD 501 as field sprays, BD 502–507 in the compost.
- 03
Taste of the produce
Every coffee is cupped in our own lab by a certified Q-grader.
- 04
Gradual change
Urea, DAP and potash gave way to cattle manure; pesticides to neem and other bio agents; weedicide to slash weeding.
- 05
Soil health
Humus and organic matter, with the natural minerals that the soil’s microbes and fungi depend on.
Come and See the Farms
We invite you to visit our farms in India and walk the coffee and spices trail with us.