! KEITH O’CONNOR NATE BLAIS
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et’s get the facts first about the most popular beverage in the world - coffee. Americans consume 450 million cups of coffee every day, with over 400 billion cups consumed yearly around the world. That’s a lot of beans with nearly 25 million farmers worldwide depending on coffee crops for their economic livelihood, according to “The Book of Incredible Information” published by West Side Publishing. “Coffee is one of the top-traded commodities in the world,” said Tim Monson, who began Monsoon Roastery yes, that’s right, Monson with an extra ‘o’ - with his wife, Andrea, in early 2018. It goes without saying that the couple enjoys “a good cup of joe,” but they wanted more - they wanted the best cup of coffee that would knock their socks off. Monsoon Roastery, located in Gasoline Alley in Springfield, was born out of that very desire and to bring high-quality, freshly roasted coffee to local residents, businesses and their partners. So, Tim brought his knowledge of the
service industry after working at various cafés, where he learned more about coffee and its origins - and Andrea brought her expertise in research, marketing and brand management to the table, and the rest as they say is history. “My wife was pregnant with our daughter and we decided it was time to do something for ourselves, to support ourselves, and to bring our own dream to reality instead of supporting someone else’s,” Tim said. For now, the quest to find the perfect cup begins with brokers in the United States who work with farms from around the world. Tim’s ultimate goal, however, is to travel the world at some point doing his own research and buying. “I have conversations with our brokers and sometimes directly with the farms they represent, and it’s important that they share our philosophy of sustainable farming practices and that they have
an impact on their local communities. Sustainability is key, meaning meeting society’s present food and textile needs without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs,” Tim said. Socially and environmentally conscious, the couple believes in reducing, reusing and recycling. Everything inside their roastery is made from repurposed materials and they have established composting programs with their wholesale partners, run on 100% wind power energy, and use compostable material at the roastery and special events held there. A visit to the Monsoon coffee store - you can purchase coffee bags, swag and cold brew online, as well as order GOLOCALMAGAZINES.COM 17
