This Is the Only Coffee Grown in the Continental United States

Great Big Story 03:04

The conventional thinking is that you can’t grow coffee outside of the tropics. But Jay Ruskey isn’t a conventional thinker. He is a food innovator growing coffee in California. The founder and CEO of Frinj Coffee is the first person to farm the crop in the continental United States. Jessica Anselmi, a member of Panera’s food innovation team, visits Ruskey’s land in the rolling hills of Goleta to see how he does it. Teaser: Avocados play a key role.

Panera and its affiliates do not source coffee from and do not sponsor or endorse from Goodland Organics products in any manner.

This story is a part of our Human Condition series. Come along and let us connect you to some of the most peculiar, stirring, extraordinary, and distinctive people in the world.

Got a story idea for us? Shoot us an email at studio@fokusfilms.com