Farm Story
Curiosity is the driving force behind human progress and the foundation for all endeavors. In an era when Taiwan was primarily associated with tea, a curious young man with an exploratory spirit became the first farmer in the region to grow coffee in the highlands. Venturing into this unknown territory, he faced numerous unprecedented challenges and difficulties. Throughout this process, he continuously experimented, failed, and learned from his failures, ultimately succeeding in cultivating thriving coffee trees and harvesting the fruits of his labor.
At 19 years old, Guo Zhangsheng, who lived in Gukeng, Yunlin, near the Shibi Village of Jia-Nan Yunfeng, heard from elders that the downhill Hebao Mountain was once a coffee production site during the Japanese colonial period. Although it had been replaced by bamboo forests, Guo thought there might still be a chance to find some coffee seedlings to dig up and plant at home. With this curiosity, he went downhill to search and indeed discovered a few surviving coffee tree seedlings. Excited, he brought these seedlings home and carefully cultivated them. Over the years, these coffee trees thrived under Guo’s attentive care, with branches full of abundant fruit.
Seeing this, Guo decided to try turning these coffee cherries into a beverage. However, at that time, Taiwan was mostly covered in tea plantations, and few people had experience growing and processing coffee. Guo could only rely on his intuition to figure out how to make his first life-changing cup of coffee.
He first removed the shells from the processed green beans, roasted them in a large pot, then crushed the roasted beans with a knife handle. He then poured hot water over them and drank directly from a bowl without even filtering. This rudimentary process resulted in his first cup of coffee having a strong burnt taste and containing a lot of coffee grounds. Although this rough, homemade coffee was far from refined or aromatic, it was an unforgettable first experience for Guo.
At that time, Taiwan’s coffee market was underdeveloped. Faced with reality, Guo eventually had to dig up the coffee trees he had painstakingly planted and switch to growing tea. Later, when Yunlin began promoting coffee again under the government’s “One Town, One Product” policy, he recalled his previous successful experience and decisively left his job operating excavators to convert his entire tea plantation to coffee. He began to study planting and post-processing knowledge and techniques, but setbacks still came. After growing the coffee, he couldn’t sell it and had to store it at home, even piling it up at his cousin’s house when he ran out of space. Fortunately, opportunities always favor those who are prepared. In 2005, the Gukeng Farmers’ Association held a coffee evaluation, and Guo sent his carefully nurtured “children” to participate. Unexpectedly, he won the championship, instantly turning his frustrated mindset into one of enlightenment, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the moon. He expanded his planting area and began brand marketing.
Also stemming from curiosity and an experimental spirit, Guo demonstrated a challenging spirit in grafting techniques. Songyue, located at an altitude of 1,200 meters, often faces severe water shortages during the dry season. To overcome this obstacle, Guo went up the mountain to search for rare Tricalysia seedlings. This Taiwan-endemic plant belongs to the same family as coffee and has a similar appearance. He had a spark of inspiration and decided to try grafting Tricalysia with Geisha coffee, hoping to cultivate a coffee variety more adaptable to extreme climates. With this innate drive and experimental spirit, Guo gradually explored and improved techniques through practice, eventually successfully completing the grafting.
The Songyue Coffee Estate covers 3 hectares and grows several coffee varieties, including the connoisseur’s favorite Geisha, SL34, Typica, and Pacas, offering a wide range of options. Guo once imported 30 coffee varieties from foreign countries for experimentation. Leveraging his rich early experience in tea production, he can keenly discern subtle changes during the fermentation process. Any varieties or individual plants with unsatisfactory flavors are decisively cut down and replanted. This relentless pursuit of quality has enabled Songyue coffee to achieve extremely high standards in flavor presentation.
Various coffee evaluations and auctions have always been fiercely contested among farmers. Guo actively participates in various coffee competitions, believing that these evaluations and events are necessary steps to elevate his coffee to the next level. For each competition, he carefully studies the judges’ feedback and continuously improves his techniques based on these opinions. This spirit of constant challenge and perfection has earned Guo remarkable achievements in the coffee industry. He has been awarded one of the Ten Outstanding Farmers, and Songyue coffee itself has won numerous awards. In 2024, Songyue coffee shone brightly in the Yunlin County Premium Domestic Coffee Evaluation, sweeping the Special Grade, First Grade, and Gold awards. The Special Grade coffee beans were auctioned off at a price of NT$30,000 per kilogram, undoubtedly the highest affirmation of Songyue coffee’s quality.
Guo often has his whole family taste their home-grown coffee together. This not only serves as the foundation for improving coffee flavors but is also part of strengthening family bonds. Through regular cupping sessions, Guo listens to his family’s feedback on coffee flavors, helping him further improve and perfect the coffee-making process. Notably, Guo’s three sons all hold CQI (Coffee Quality Institute) International Coffee Quality Grader certifications. Having professional graders from their own family conduct cupping sessions for the roasted coffee not only ensures quality control but also symbolizes family heritage.
The Songyue Coffee Estate’s official website features a quote that profoundly expresses their philosophy: “‘From Seed To Cup,’ we continuously manage and control the quality of our coffee beans from seed to cup.” This statement is not just a brand slogan but a true reflection of their strict quality control over their coffee.
Guo Zhangsheng’s success is not accidental but stems from his spirit of never giving up on challenges. He has always believed that only by continuously challenging oneself can one reach new heights. He doesn’t overlook any detail, from selecting and planting coffee trees to processing coffee beans. He is hands-on in every step, striving to offer consumers the best cup of specialty coffee.
Farm Information
Website: https://www.songyue.com.tw/
Address: No. 70, Shibi, Caoling Village, Gukeng Township, Yunlin County
Cultivation Altitude: 1200m
Estate Area: 3 hectares
