We’ve done it. It’s been six months since Hato Viejo hit the market, and I can’t quite believe it.
To say it has been an adventure would be an understatement- I can’t quite fathom how much
we’ve done, how much we’ve learned, how much we’ve grown.
In May, the Lebanon Times, our local seasonal newspaper, did a wonderful story about our
fledgling coffee company, and about my own history- from my days in the Dominican Republic
to the life I have built here in Lebanon with my husband and two kids. It was a nice piece, but I
had no idea how many people it would reach.
Since its publication, my world has opened even wider. So many of you called, or emailed. So
many of you stopped by my booth at the Farmers Market, to tell me you’d read the article, that
you loved reading my story. People that knew me sent congratulations, and people that didn’t
introduced themselves. Transplanted Upper Valley Dominicans I had somehow never met came
out of the woodwork.
I can’t express the gratitude I feel to all of you: you interest, your excitement, and your
appreciation for what we do at Hato Viejo Coffee has kept me going and kept me smiling!
This is a competitive market, but I’m confident. I know where my green beans are coming from.
I know the importers- whether by ship or by plane- are protecting the quality. I know the
agency handling customs is making sure the duties get paid, and that our standards for quality
are getting met every single time. I trust my coffee in the professional hands of our local
roasters, and I know that it will be packaged and distributed within the tiniest window between
roasting and sealing possible. In fact, there’s a good chance I dropped it off at your house
myself. And I know that it will be at least as good as the batch you got the last time, if not
better.
I have found that any big new change in life often brings some bitter with the sweet- the
upheaval means new people and new friends, but it often means others drift away- it’s a little
like having a child. Life changes, and people shift in and out.
What I didn’t see coming was how very many people shifted into my life. Every day, I get more
calls, more emails, more interest. People who want to be involved, people excited by what
we’re doing. And my favorite: the people that come up to me to say “I bought your coffee, I
tried it, and I loved it!” And then they come back the next week for another bag.
It’s bigger than what I could have imagined, and so much better. Every smile, every glimpse of
love and support: that’s because of you. Hato Viejo is here, we’re growing, and we’re reaching
people all across the country.
I am so thankful- most especially to those of you that have been here in since the beginning,
watching us grow, believing in us and what we’re doing.
May God bless you, and give you back double in all of your wishes.
Yani
Gratitude