Our Philosophy
Quality
The tender saplings are closely nurtured in our nurseries. They are then planted with care and nourished, raised and cultivated with attention and precision through every stage of their final life cycle. Over time, our coffee bushes have evolved into an arsenal of superior quality plants with unique characteristics that provide consistent, desirable results every season. Harvested by our selective picking method, only the crimson-red, ripened berries are carefully hand-picked by dedicated workers leaving the green berries on the branches for the next rounds of picking. Picking only the ripest red cherries at just the right time ensures balance, complexity, depth and consistency in the flavour profile. Processing ensues with meticulous precision to deliver the exquisite aromas and flavours in your cup. The coffee cherries are expertly processed by the wet process method following which they are subject to coffee drying, a process where the beans once cleaned are taken in their parchment to carefully dry under the sun. Finally, the beans are freshly roasted in small batches and then precisely ground to order. A combination of the plant’s variety, its soil, its microclimate makeup and the processing involved determines the flavour profile in the final cupping. At APD, we aim to provide the best quality and the best service and will diligently strive to constantly improve everything we do for a superlative farm-to-cup experience.
History
In the late 1600's in Chikmagalur, a saint named Baba Budan brought with him seven seeds of coffee from Mecca and spread them on a hill where he resided. The hill later named Baba Budan Giri gradually became the centre from which cultivations around coffee began to successfully spread in the district. Later, in the 1800's, during British occupation, an Englishman, Mr. C.S Crawford owned this unique terroir characterised by natural streams and rich laterite soil that came to be Hiregudda Estate. In the mid 1930's, the illustrious and revered Lokasevinaratha M.S Dyavegowda aquired and further cultivated the plantation to a prosperous scale. M.S Dyavegowda was a pioneer in establishing the bus transport business in the town of Koppa where he resided. He is synonymous with philanthropy and community service besides having been a prolific agriculturist. His extraordinary legacy was carried forward by his beloved son, the distinguished planter, M.D Balakrishna. M.D Balakrishna's immense contribution and sincere, dedicated efforts toward the coffee industry in South India for over six decades is noteworthy and influential. His exemplary leadership and management skills on the plantation are legendary. A gentle visionary, a brilliant mind and a compassionate humanitarian, his voice and his luminescence live on through his daughter on the plantation.
Community Consciousness, Service and Team APD
Community consciousness, civic engagement and service to society are at the very heart of A Planter's Daughter. Altruism and generosity are the credo of our working culture and belief system. Being a socially impactful and responsible company, we aim to use our voice, our business, our resources and our platform to work towards championing people and to head towards a more equitable and inclusive world. We view our own success as the community's success. As a company, we aim to be good citizens of the larger community and demonstrate keen sensitivity and give-back approach with this citizenship. APD pledges to partner with various organisations to promote education, health and community building in order to offer support to not just our workers but also other economically and socially challenged communities around the plantation. APD is committed to nurturing its human potential and every employee starting from the workers on the estate to the corporate office to the sales force is a proud part of our family. Our team consists of some of the kindest, most hardworking and most talented people you would find anywhere. They possess a deep curiosity for everything, have boundless respect for nature and unabashedly believe in the existence of angels.
Environment
Ethical, holistic, regenerative, biodynamic and sustainable agricultural practices are consciously used on the plantation to enable us to be responsible stewards of the land. We ensure that there is harmony between soil, microorganisms, plants, animals and man so that a seamless biotope is maintained for the myriad species of birds, animals, butterflies and insects to co-exist. The plantation retains most of its entire area under a lush forest cover and we are committed to follow an integrated forest management where the coffee bushes are a part of a greater assemblage of trees and plants typical of a sub-tropical rain forest. The plantation utilises holistic sustainability initiatives like vermi-composting, cattle manure composting and agro forestry to enhance the health of the soil and subsequently the productivity. We have established a framework to raise awareness of the common global challenges and address them within our operations to help ensure a healthy environment for current and future generations. We value natural resouces and are committed to working in harmony with nature. APD pledges to continually work towards a sustainable society in harmony with our customers, partners, communities and the world around us.
Sweet Reverberations
School
Little Hearts of Hiregudda is a schoolroom project within the plantation established in love and embellished with the credo of providing a nurturing environment, care and primary education to the children of the resident working community. Eliminating illiteracy within the greater village community is a goal that APD resolves to work towards and this step transcends towards lessons in basic hygiene, moral values and fundamental communication skills. APD pledges to award scholarships to deserving students and will take care of their secondary education by placing them in the appropriate local schools that promise credible learning. APD pledges a small library, an art and crafts room and a computer facility as well.
Anti-human Trafficking
Human trafficking involves the illegal transport of individuals by force or deception for the purpose of labour, sexual exploitation or activities in which others benefit financially. A global problem affecting people of all ages, it is estimated that 1,000,000 people are trafficked each year worldwide. A Planter's Daughter pledges 5% of the revenue of every sale to selected anti-human trafficking agencies that are diligently working towards rescuing and rehabilitating victims of this crime. ADP pledges to continually work for the dignity of the survivors by helping freedom communities/ community based rehabilitation programmes for survivors of trafficking. APD pledges solidarity with entities that aim to combat violence against children and women and those that have a vision of bringing forth social equity between women, men, effective justice mechanisms for survivors of discrimination and abuse. APD actively contributes to those anti-human trafficking agencies who are determined to create a world order where a victim is rightfully assisted to get socially re-integrated. The organisations usually have additional programmes such as night care centres, educational support programs, institutional placement programs, girls' shelters, post-rescue operations and communications and advocacy programs.
Forest Foundations
A Planter's Daughter is committed to working with select forest foundations across the country that have tangible impact when supporting forest recovery and restoring native ecosystems. These foundations are engaged on a deep level with rural community members, resulting in a lasting positive impact on these communities as well where farmers gain knowledge, income and food security and develop a sense of ownership and shared responsibility for protecting wildlife, conserving forest fragments and reversing climate change. These forest foundations have a focus towards planting trees, creating habitats for biodiversity. Trees help clean the air we breathe and filter the water we drink. Trees play a key role in capturing rainwater and reducing the risk of natural disasters like floods and landslides. Their intricate root systems act like filters, the process of which prevents harmful waterside erosion and reduces the risk of over-saturation and flooding. A Planter's Daughter works with those forest foundations that are in sync with United Nations sustainable development goals, life below water and life on land. With every purchase of product, APD will have a tree planted in your honour through select forest foundations in the country.
Founding Story
Sonali (Devyani) Balakrishna graduated from New York City's Parsons School of Design with a Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design Marketing and a minor in Art History. She began her career at the Manhattan offices of Giorgio Armani and has since lived and worked in Bangalore and Paris with her line of sustainable yoga-wear, selling at select spas and wellness retreats in the U.S and in France. A Planter's Daughter is a heart-felt ode to her late, beloved father, a luminary in South India's coffee plantation industry. A wellness girl at heart, her love of European apothecary traditions led her to collaborate with expert herbalists around the world to create elixirs and potions of exquisite formulations that safely incorporate adaptogenic herbs and medicinal mushrooms with coffee and cascara. And by encouraging people to nurture a greater harmony with their bodies, their spirit and their environment, she is determined to create an elegant, intentional and a delicious life for herself and for others.