Justin Earl of Humble Joe’s Coffee Co. at the Seymour Area Farmers Market. He and his wife, Lauren Earl, own the business. They sell freshly roasted coffee from around the world.
Lori McDonald | The Tribune
The Seymour Area Farmers Market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday in the Walnut Street Parking Lot located south of the railroad tracks near the Jackson County Public Library in Seymour.
The market also is open from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesdays.
Here’s a look at one of the vendors and their products.
Humble Joe’s Coffee Co.
Owners/sellers: Justin and Lauren Earl
Residence: Seymour
Where is your business located?
Seymour
What items do you sell at the farmers market?
Freshly roasted coffee from around the world. We are a small-batch (5 lbs. per batch) coffee roaster, which allows us to have complete control of the roasting process, creating great-tasting profiles. Our single-origin coffee comes from the following countries: Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico, Sumatra, Ethiopia, Peru, El Salvador, Colombia and Costa Rica. We also have several signature blends and flavored coffee we create.
What made you want to start your business?
We have always loved coffee but have no experience in the coffee-roasting world. We saw this as a challenge and a great learning experience for us. We wanted to give our community a world-class coffee experience. We also do this as a family and enjoy the journey together.
Where did you learn to produce your product?
We have had two big mentors during this process. First, Greg Hayes with G.H. Coffee Company in Versailles has been a great resource. We talk several times a week about coffee roasting and life, as we have become great friends. Secondly, Mill City Roasters located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is where we purchased our machine. We attended a weekend workshop to learn on our machine, and they are always available to help.
How long have you been producing the items you sell at the market?
This is our second season at the market.
Do you do this full time or is this a side business?
We both have full-time jobs. Justin works as a teacher for Jennings County schools, and Lauren is a registered nurse at Schneck Medical Center, so this is a side business that we work on in the evening and on weekends.
What about the farmers market makes it beneficial to you as a business?
The farmers market has been huge for us. This was the first place we were able to get our coffee to our community. We love interacting with our customers and friends.
What do you enjoy about selling your goods locally?
We enjoy creating customer relationships. It is crazy how quickly your customers become your friends. We love working with our community.
What are your favorite items that you sell?
This is so tough to decide. We love and drink all of our coffee.
What products from other vendors do you enjoy?
We try to visit and support all of the vendors.
Why do you think folks should shop at the farmers market?
Supporting locals is key. Community supporting community.
Website/social media: Website is humblejoescoffee.com, and Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and TikTok @humblejoescoffeeco are social media pages.