Beans to Brew

Auburn family blends coffee business with farming

By Darcy Dougherty Maulsby | Photos by Joseph L. Murphy

If you’re one of those people whose motto is “life begins after coffee,” you know not all coffee is created equal. Everything that happens before the pour – from the bean selection to the roast, can affect the taste and quality of a cup of joe. None of that used to matter to Ellen Frank, though.

“I was never a coffee drinker, until I got my hands on really good coffee,” says Ellen, who owns Little Green Truck Coffee in Auburn and farms with her husband, Jeff, in Sac County.

Ellen and Jeff Frank own Little Green Truck Coffee in Auburn

The revelation came through a cup of Guatemalan coffee at Mill City Roasters in Minneapolis, in 2015. “It was packed with so many rich, nutty, wonderful flavors,” says Ellen, whose husband has long been a coffee aficionado. “I’ll never forget it.”

That cup inspired the Franks to purchase a coffee roaster, which they set up in their 1909 barn west of Auburn. What started as a hobby in 2015, with some sales at the Lake City farmers’ market, expanded into Little Green Truck Coffee, a coffee shop on the south edge of Auburn, population 309. The shop is open to the public during certain hours each week, plus it’s now the headquarters for the family’s coffee roasting enterprise.

Ellen roasts coffee beans from 15 different countries. On any given day, the roaster might be filled with a mild Brazilian or Guatemalan; rich, lively Ethiopian or Kenyan; or even an earthy Sumatra, which is one of their best sellers.

“I don’t like to roast the beans too dark,” she explains, noting that it takes about 15 minutes to roast a 4-pound batch. “The darker you go, the more sugar you burn off and the smokier the flavor becomes.”

Ellen prefers to highlight the distinctive flavor of each coffee, rather than adding flavors to the coffee. She supplies her coffee products through her shop and to 17 coffee shops, gift shops and grocery stores in western and central Iowa, including Lenox, Lake City, Carroll, Sac City, Clarion, Norwalk and other communities.

As she fine-tunes her roasting process, sometimes roasting 24 batches in a row, Ellen remains focused on continuous improvement. “I experiment by making small adjustments to the temperature and air flow,” she says. “I keep trying to make each batch better than the last one.”

GROUNDS FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

A focus on continuous improvement also drives the Frank family’s management of their Century Farm, which dates back to 1914.

“I’ve been farming full time for more than 40 years, so I know this land,” says Jeff, a corn and soybean grower who serves as a director with the Iowa Soybean Association. “I’m always ready to get back into the field after a long winter.”

Preparations for a new growing season begin long before Jeff pulls the planter out of his machine shed in the spring. “We start planning for the next year’s crop before we harvest the current year’s crop,” Jeff says. He grows corn on 50% of his acres and soybeans on the other half.

PREPARING FOR PLANTING

Each season, farmers like the Franks prepare for planting by first planning. This includes:

Selecting the proper seed genetics. Getting the new crop off to a good start means matching the right corn hybrids and soybean varieties to each acre. Some of the Franks’ land, for example, is susceptible to nematodes (microscopic organisms that can rob the crop’s yield potential). The Franks invest in seed treatments applied directly to the seed to help protect seedlings from nematodes and disease while enhancing the establishment of healthy crops. “Using crop protection products in the form of seed treatments also means we can limit our use of insecticides and other chemicals,” Jeff says.

Developing a precision fertilizer strategy. Instead of blanketing each field with the same amount of fertilizer, Jeff uses variable rate fertilizer application to apply key nutrients only where they are needed, in the proper amounts. “We test the nutrient content of the soil to determine our strategy,” he says.

Working with trusted professionals. Since 2013, Jeff has worked with SciMax Solutions, a division of West Bend-based MaxYield Cooperative, to write the prescriptions for his variable rate fertilizer applications. These prescriptions, which are based on soil tests from his fields and harvest data from his acres, tell the computerized systems on his farm equipment where to apply specific amounts of fertilizer. “Jeff is a progressive grower who knows you can’t manage what you can’t measure,” says Peter Bixel, SciMax Solutions’ team leader. “He’s always open to learning and trying something new to see if he can maximize his yields while being a good steward of the land.”

Learning from other growers. Meeting with other growers is another important step, Jeff says. “It’s important to surround yourself with other ag professionals who are looking for ways to improve.”

IT'S GROW TIME

When springtime arrives, Jeff monitors soil temperatures and keeps a close eye on the weather forecast to determine the right time to plant. Corn, for example, will germinate when the soil temperature reaches 50 degrees or higher.

“Farming is like planting a garden,” he says. “You don’t want tender plants out there when it’s too cold.”

Gardening analogies help the Franks explain their farming practices to nonfarmers. In August 2019, the couple welcomed the Iowa Food & Family Project’s Expedition Farm Country to their farm. This two-day event invites 50 participants to tour farms, meet farm families and have honest conversations about modern agriculture.

Guests also had the chance to get an up-close look at the farm equipment the Franks use to plant and harvest their crops. “It’s always good to talk to consumers who want to learn more about agriculture,” Jeff says. “Farmers have a great story to share.”

When sharing with consumers, Ellen, who grew up on a farm near Lake View, often explains how she helps run the combine during harvest. “The thrill of grain harvest is very different from what I do the rest of the year,” she says. “I love being out under the big, beautiful, Iowa sky.”

Get Roasted

Whether you’re raisingsoybeans or roastingcoffee beans, attentionto detail makes thedifference betweensuccess and sub-parresults. Want to enjoythe best cup of coffeeavailable? Ellen Frank, aSac County farmer andowner of Little GreenTruck Coffee in Auburn,offers these tips:

Get to know a coffee roaster. A skilled roaster can share a lot of coffee knowledge, she says. “Cupping coffees very much like trying different wines. There are a variety of wonderful flavors to enjoy.”

Beware of bitter. “No coffee should have a bitter taste,” Ellen says.“If that happens, the coffee was either made from poor-quality beans, the beans were roasted properly or the beans were too finely ground.”

Feel good about your choice. Coffee is a low-calorie beverage that can also offer health benefits. Studies have shown that coffee may help protect against Parkinson's disease, Type 2 diabetes and liver disease, including liver cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic. Coffee also appears to improve cognitive function and decrease the risk of depression.

Savor the experience. Ellen recommends drinking coffee from a stoneware mug, not a paper cup. Skip the travel mug, too, if possible, she says. “I encourage people to take the time to relax and really enjoy their cup of coffee. It’s a whole sensory experience and truly can help keep you grounded.”

To view the full spread, view this magazine in your internet browser on your phone, tablet or desktop. This story is funded by the soybean checkoff.