CANTON Terry and Peggy Miller’s quest to create the perfect cup of coffee began with a bean grown 7,500 miles from their northeast Canton roastery.
The Yirgacheffe variety grown on shrubs in southwestern Ethiopia ripened into red cherries on small, older coffee farms. It was picked for METAD, which operates its own farm and processing facilities and works with growers in the African nation.
The coffee was shipped by boat from Ethiopia to Charleston, S.C., the headquarters of Balzac Brothers. The family-owned company moved it to a warehouse about 18 miles away, and then the burlap bags of green beans traveled another 650 miles north to their final destination.
Balzac Brothers has imported coffee for 102 years and shipped five varieties from around the world to the newest coffee roaster in Stark County: Cherry Blend Coffee Roasters. [CLICK TO READ entire article featured on IndieOnline.com]