Coorg Coffee Camp

We’ve been here in Nalkeri for a while now, just a short trip away from Nagar Hole National Park. It's a quiet spot most of the time. Mostly we deal with the coffee that grows around here. The weather gets pretty humid, but it's good for the plants. My family has been looking after this place, trying to keep things running even when the rain makes the roads a bit of a mess. We don't have a big fancy office or anything like that. It's just a camp where we process what we get from the fields. People often stop by when they are heading to the park, looking for a quick break. We usually have something brewing on the stove. It’s not a complicated operation. We wake up early, check the beans, and see what needs doing for the day. Sometimes the elephants from the park get close, which keeps things interesting, I guess. You learn to live with the land when you're out here in the district. It’s not like the city at all. Things move much slower. We just focus on getting the coffee right and making sure the bags are ready for whoever needs them. It’s a lot of manual work, lifting and drying, but it's what we know. If you’re ever passing through Nalkeri, you’ll probably see our sign. It’s nothing special, just a place where we work and live every day.