Agusan del Norte farmer harvests what he sows

MANILA, Philippines -  Coffee farmer Lito Mahubay of Agusan del Norte walks through the coffee trees in his farm feeling a rush of happiness. As the sunlight shines through the leaves of the trees and the coffee cherries sparkle in their ripeness, Mahubay looks back on the blessings that came his way because of a fateful decision he made decades ago.

Around 30 years ago, Mahubay was struggling to make ends meet for his growing family. At the time, he was buying and selling fish in the neighborhood palengke.

One day, one of his regular buyers convinced him to try coffee farming as an alternative source of livelihood. He took the chance and quit his current trade to begin planting coffee.

“Switching to coffee was a wise move,” recalls Mahubay. “The rich soil and sunny climate of Agusan del Norte is perfect for coffee.”

And yet, even with fertile soil and ideal climate, it was still Mahubay himself who needed to work the soil with his hands; who needed to wake up very early in the morning to plant, water, prune and nurture his coffee trees under the hot sun. It was hard work, but the former fish vender decided to put his whole heart into farming.

Mahubay had give up the life of a market vender to become a farmer: he learned to sweat, work and live by the cycle of the seasons; to listen to the heartbeat of Nature with his own heart; to exercise patience amid his anticipation of the fruits of his labors.

He also began to learn and feel firsthand the thrill of witnessing the growth of his coffee trees and how they thrived with primal vigor: the buds opening into fragrant coffee flowers, the slow blush of the coffee cherries as they turned toward ripeness—this was the promise of Life itself unfolding under the care of his callused hands.

Mahubay reveals that for him, coffee farming can even reach the level of a spiritual journey or spiritual communion with God.

Whenever Mahubay finds himself walking amid his coffee trees, he says that he can’t avoid but turn his thoughts to the Creator who made everything possible.

“I just pause, close my eyes and fall silent. For me the best prayer at such a moment is ‘Thank you, God. Thank You. Thank You, God.’ It’s the best prayer because, if you think about it, there’s nothing ordinary about a coffee farm. It’s the grace and the love of God right there: being planted as a seed, being nurtured, growing and bearing fruits—miraculous,” says Mahubay.

However, Mahubay is quick to remind everyone that it’s not enough to just pray. There’s real hard work and dedication involved.

 “Do not just stay idle and wait for something to happen. A cultivated land brings blessings that are both material and spiritual, as long as you work hard and nurture the land with all your heart and mind,” mulls Lito Mahubay as he gathers his first pick coffee harvest for delivery to the Nestlé Coffee Factory in Cagayan de Oro.

Lito Mahubay is just one of the farmers who harvests your beautiful mornings with the 2010 Special Limited Edition Nescafé Classic First Pick.

Help our coffee farmers plant more firsts today. Starting January 2010, bring home a Nescafé Classic First Pick and look for the jar’s unique code.

Log on to www.nescafe.com.ph/firstpick and key in the code to learn more about the journey of your coffee and to adopt a coffee seedling that will benefit a local coffee farming community. Your contribution will only be accepted until March 31, 2010 only.