Stronger Than Coffee: Part 3

In conversation with Tatiana Vargas

Taty and doña Leda moving drying coffee cherries and beans on raised beds / Credit: Sierra Yeo

This week, another of Bean Voyage’s partner producers who has taken part in the Needle and Frame project, Tatiana Vargas from Cartago, shares her thoughts on the process.

What is your story in coffee?

My family has always been in coffee production, and ever since I was tiny I would spend time on the coffee farm with my parents. My dad was diagnosed with cancer in 2009, and so the situation got more complicated because it had always only been my parents and me. He passed away in 2016, and after that, my mum and I took the decision to carry on working on the farm. There was a lot of need for improvement because due to my dad’s illness we hadn’t had the economic resources or the time to look after the farm properly. My dad had always dreamt of starting a micro-mill to process his coffee, but due to the same reasons of his state of health, he was never able to achieve it. So, it occurred to my mum and me that we could realize that dream of his, and in 2018 we opened a micro-mill in his memory. 

We still do everything on the farm, and I am responsible for running it and making decisions. My mum loves the farm: she enjoys doing any jobs that she can, whether it’s sowing, fertilizing, picking coffee, or helping with the drying process. She is really hard-working and enthusiastic, and she doesn’t get tired even though she’s older. In this area, it’s not common for a woman to run a farm. After my dad passed away, a few people have come to try to buy the farm, because they think that a woman isn’t able to run it. But we said no, we’re going to put a lot of effort and work in, and we’re going to achieve something. A lot of people told us that we were brave because it’s so uncommon in the area. Around here, most women have other types of work, in things like cooking, sewing, or areas which are typically considered ‘feminine.’ So, we’re fighting every day, and although it’s difficult, we still have plenty of enthusiasm and the hope that what we’re doing would make my dad very happy.

What does coffee mean to you?

I feel that coffee is being able to share with people, to remember people, to create moments that will stay in your memory forever. I like to tell people that a cup of coffee is always going to be more than just a coffee.

Why did you agree to be part of the Needle and Frame project?

I was very happy to accept the invitation because, for me, a fundamental aspect of what my mum and I do is telling the story of my father. It’s something beautiful, and I tell people that coffee saved us, because losing a loved one is not easy. Coffee restored our hope and made us understand that even though we may lose people, they don’t go away: they remain through what they did, what they taught us, and in the love that they leave us. I really like sharing that with people. The idea of the project brought me a lot of motivation because it is part of what we are pursuing at our farm: being able to share, to tell stories. I believe that it is something very Costa Rican, gathering around a table and having a cup of coffee, sharing and telling stories.

Has anyone else in your community been involved?

It’s been more family-based, and my mum has been heavily involved. She appears a lot in the videos and interviews. We also filmed the coffee pickers at the farm and other people who work here. So, for us, it’s been more at the farm-level, more internal.

What have you gained from the process?

It has helped me to open up more, and to tell stories in different, more creative ways. In general, I’m not good with cameras, and I don’t like having my photo taken or being recorded. So, taking part in the project made me face the challenge of being in front of a camera and telling a story – and doing it in an inspiring way. I think it has helped me to let go a bit more, to discover that I am capable of conveying a story in an interesting way.

What was the best part of taking part in the project?

What I have most enjoyed is learning from my fellow coffee producers who also took part. They also have very beautiful stories, and so I think that being able to connect with them has helped me to remain inspired and motivated, not only with the film project but also more generally in my life. Now, I’m part of a family, where we all support each other and share our experiences. It’s as if we have realized that we are not alone producing coffee and that there are other women who also have a story and who are fighting every day to do things right.

What do you hope people will take away from your film?

I hope to inspire other people to believe that despite difficult, sad situations, what we have to take away from them is hope. We have to carry on and we have to fight. Even though some may say that we don’t have the ability, because we’re women, or for whatever reason if something is our dream and it is in our heart, it is something we can achieve. 

I would also like for those people who have lost a loved one to realize that that person is still there and that we keep them alive every time we share a memory or something they taught us. I think that every one of us can be immortal because we can all leave an indelible mark on other people’s lives. In my case, it’s about coffee, but everyone has their own story and memories of the people they love. From those memories, people can always remain alive.

Do you have a nice memory from filming that you would like to share?

My mum was always there when I was filming, and when she saw all of the visual material we recorded, she was so happy and motivated. She was always asking me when I was going to film, if I had the recordings yet if she could see them. It was really nice. It was also a good feeling trying to show people that for my mum and me, my dad is still there, and we still feel his presence. When I go and film something, it’s as if he’s going to appear at any minute.

How do you see the future of women in coffee?

Particularly here in Costa Rica, I feel that coffee production is difficult due to issues like climate change. But, at the same time, there are increasing numbers of women getting involved at the farm level, in processing, in quality control. I feel that we are trying to be seen more and that we are increasingly becoming protagonists. It has been an environment dominated by men for many years, and at times we have to demonstrate that we are worthy of being there, whereas that isn’t the case for men. So, my view is that there is more openness to women being present in coffee production, but more work needs to be done on the social level so that we can be a part of the space in a more equal way. People sometimes associate women in coffee with the processing and quality-control aspects, but they think that work on the farms or on the agronomical level is not for women. This is the main area in which we need to see change.

Finally, how do you take your coffee?

I like it black, chorreador, or using an infusion method. But, in general, I prefer my mum to make it: whenever she makes coffee, it has something extra.

Written and Interviewed by Alice Mee.
Edited by Kayla Sippl.