MEET THE FARMER: Raul

Raul found kindness in the Kingdom Growers Cooperative. That’s why he joined.The farmer currently plants his coffee high up on a Honduran mountain—higher than many other farmers work. He’s isolated. Little more than a year ago, he barely knew the name “Kingdom Growers.” He had heard about the cooperative from neighbors further down the slope, but it didn’t pique his interest.Then, Raul ran into trouble. He lived so high up he had limited time to bring his coffee to market, which left him at the mercy of intermediary buyers. When a family emergency called for immediate funds, he felt helpless. He had no way to sell his beans so quickly.But, Raul remembered the coffee cooperative and sold his crop to a member so he could pay his bills. The struggling farmer got his immediate payment and expected nothing more. But months later, after all the cooperative coffee had sold, the man who had bought Raul’s beans returned with extra money. Kingdom Growers’ coffee had done well that year, and because the products included some of Raul’s crop, the co-op member wanted to deliver his share of the profits.Raul felt touched. His neighbor didn’t have to treat him so fairly. Raul wouldn’t have asked for a share of cooperative earnings. But through that act of respect, he saw how well Kingdom Growers treated its members, emphasizing community and compassion.The farmer felt drawn. Any group that fostered such honesty was a group of which Raul wanted to be a part.