Meet Aaron and Jessica Harsch | Owners

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aaron and Jessica Harsch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aaron and Jessica, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
We needed an awesome way to support our not for profit!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Here is info from our website: When you buy a freshly roasted bag of Redemption Road Coffee, you’re not just buying good coffee…

You’re supporting a cause.

You’re supporting individual hardworking families all across the globe.
You’re supporting my family in our mission to help people live more authentically both emotionally and spiritually.
You’re joining a community of people with the desire and vision to make the world a better place.

History

Aaron Harsch began roasting his own coffee in a whirleypop crank-handle popcorn maker in 2010. As he researched and experimented he began to perfect his roast creating a smooth, flavorful coffee. Friends would say “You make a great coffee!” and he and his wife would give their coffee as Christmas gifts. The Harsch’s home-roasted coffee was well-loved.

During that time, Aaron, with the support of his wife Jessica, began a non-profit organization called Redemption Road. Redemption Road runs groups and weekend intensives that help men learn how to live in freedom. (Find out more at redemptionroad.com)

In the fall of 2015 a friend made a comment to Aaron in passing: “You should sell this coffee to support Redemption Road”. For some reason that idea hit home. Aaron started considering what it would take to start a coffee roasting business. That Thanksgiving, he and his wife decided they would make this a reality. They bought an industrial drum roaster, obtained the necessary licenses and opened for business.

Not only would this coffee support their own family, but they would give a potion of the profits away to help support Redemption Road and other great causes. The Harsch’s also saw that they could support international families and communities from whom they sourced their coffees. This is why the descriptions on their coffees are so long. They want you to know the whole story. They want you to know about the people who hand-picked the coffee cherries, and what they are using the profits for in their communities.

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IT has taken SO much grit and tenacity to keep growing and learning! We both have training in different field (Jessica is a nurse and Aaron a philosophy major) So we have had lots of growth and learning in owning a business.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would run off into the mountains. Id love to take them to one of our favorite hikes of all time—Kite Lake! Its remote and not as populated and FILLEd with beauty—waterfalls, flowers, mountains! So refreshing!

Then we would found a fun local place to support when going out to eat!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We have one inspiration that stands out above it all–being followers of Jesus and being able to further what he has called us to do.

Website: https://www.redemptionroadcoffee.com/pages/about-us

Instagram: Redemption Road Coffee

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redemptionroadcoffee