J. Rodrigues Coffee Pvt.Ltd.

Our place is out at Heggadde Estates, which is a bit of a drive through Sakaleshpur. It’s mostly hills and coffee plants out here. My family has been working this land for a long time. It’s not an easy life, especially during the picking season when we need all the help we can get. The weather dictates everything we do. If it rains too much or not enough, we feel it. We grow the coffee, dry it, and get it ready for sale. The machinery we use is old but it works if you know how to talk to it. There’s always something breaking down that needs a bit of grease or a new belt. We don't spend much time in offices. Most of the day is spent outside or in the sheds checking on the beans. It’s quiet out here, away from the city noise. You mostly just hear the birds and the sound of the workers. We take pride in what we do, but we don't talk about it much. It’s just the work that needs doing. Sometimes the road to the estate gets washed out in the monsoon, and we’re stuck for a bit. We just wait it out and get back to it. It’s a slow pace of life, but we like it that way. We don't have internet out here most days, so we rely on the radio for news and keep our eyes on the clouds.