The Coffee Farmer

On the plateau, mornings begin in thick white fog.

Mr. Somphone has grown coffee for twenty-two years.

He says the trees teach patience better than any school.

Prices rise and fall, and one bad season can erase a good one.

Last year he decided to roast and sell his own beans.

The first batch burned, and he lost a week of work.

The second batch sold out in a single afternoon.

"Value stays here now," he says, pointing at the hills.