The labels of Sun & Surf and Moon & Tides hold a very special place in my heart. Not only I love the scenery Pacific coast, but also I put a little piece of me into it. If you have read the book of 'Women Who Runs With the Wolves' by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Ph.D or 'Gift From The Sea' by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, or if you are also a nature’s spiritual wild woman or man, then you know what I'm talking about.

 

Although I’m a married woman now, I still love to go on a solo road-trip once a while, to be away by myself, to be myself. It’s the time to remind myself that before the marriage, before doing business with my husband, who I am, and I believe that is the person my husband fall in love with. So that when we get back to each other again, all refreshed and cleared, we as a couple will appreciate each other more.

I think that is a really healthy way to balance my personal space and relationship with my significant other.

As most people are attracted by other popular spots along California Highway 1, like Carmel-by-the-sea, or Cambria, I like to stay in the much less crowded San Simeon. I visit there so often that it has become my second home. I met the artists who live nearby. I made friends with the same lodge I have been staying in every visit, and I have my preferred beach to surf and my favorite spots around for Plein Air.

And that is how I illustrated these two labels. The soft heat of the California sun on the beach, but cool to cold waves, makes me never wear thinner than a 3/2 wetsuit. You can then lay on the beach and feel the mysterious energy between the moon and tides at night.

With a retro twist.

It is truly a gift from the sea.

 

Hi Friends,

We have something to share -- we are moving into the woods.💚

Well, this might not sound interesting to you. So let me try again. ☕️ 

We Had A "BS" - Big Stomach

We have been looking for a property with potential for years.

We want to have a coffee roastery with a commercial kitchen;

A climate and humidity-controlled storage for more (I mean a lot more) green beans, so we won't run out of them in-between harvests anymore;

A creative office for Lobsang and me to do photography, videos, paintings, making things, hosting events;

Oh and how can you forget a pottery studio somewhere on the side.

But We Have To Face To The Reality With A "SB" - Small Budget

While finding such space in California is not what limits us, our budget was. We checked out many warehouses, storefronts, and properties for sale or rentals around the Bay over the past couple of years. But nothing we can afford while paying rent. We are a small business started by two artists with a passion, some skills, and fifty grand, which was our entire saving. And next thing you know, without an intention, we started to look further and further away from the Bay.

So this time, when we saw this magical place two hours away up in the forest, we took the risk, and we were down to make it work.

The Land Was Calling, So We Listened 

"Did she say it's magical?" Yes, I did. Believe it or not, all space has its energy. You can feel it when you enter it. And that's what we felt. It was a very different feeling than any other property we looked at. Later, it all made sense once we learned about the indigenous people's sites on the property and the previous owner's story. It was called deer haven for a reason. Nature and humans were living in harmony on this land. Therefore, we want to carry on the connection and bring this good energy to you.

 

Our Big Plan

This property came with only a tiny little cottage but a vast barn. That was the main attraction to us, so we finally can convert something into our roastery + commercial kitchen + perfect green bean storage + creative studio. Whoo, what a long list.

What is longer than that is that it may take a couple of years with permits, new roof, insulations, new walls, new doors, new siding, plumbing system, fixing concrete floors, electrical works, etc.

Therefore, we will make some changes to our business.

The Changes

Our farmer's markets will stay the same, rain or shine. The way we practice our business will remain the same. We value our quality, environment, and community as our top priority.

But since we are living 2 hours of driving away now, we will have to change our roasting session while we are still roast with CoRo in Berkeley. And for our subscribers mainly, we will continue to provide grinding services with your order, but unfortunately have to stop free local delivery and switch to pickup spots.

At this moment, we have 2 locations for pickup:

Our Saturday Berkeley Farmers Market with the Ecology Center

Downtown Berkeley, Center Street @ M. L. King, Jr. Way | Saturdays 10am - 3pm year-round (Unless specifically noted on our Instagram @higherlandcoffee)

Our Kensington Farmers Market on Sundays

Colusa Circle, Kensington, CA | Sundays 9am - 2pm year-round (Unless specifically noted on our Instagram @higherlandcoffee)