Every cup of Starbucks coffee has a story that starts far from the counter—way back in the dirt, under the sun, with people who pour their lives into growing it.
Right now, in 2026, a fresh group of Starbucks partners (that's what the company calls its employees) is heading down to Costa Rica in waves for something called the Origin Experience. These are folks who have put in the work to become Coffee Masters, finishing that tough training on everything from bean origins to roasting and tasting. Once they earn that title, their names go into a random draw, and some lucky ones get the chance to see where the coffee really begins.
The destination is Hacienda Alsacia, Starbucks' only company-owned coffee farm. Spread across 240 hectares on the slopes of Poás Volcano, this place isn't just a pretty spot—it's a working farm with more than 800,000 coffee trees, plus a full-on research and development hub. It's also home to one of the company's Farmer Support Centers, where experts figure out ways to help growers everywhere face tough challenges like disease, changing weather, and rising costs.
For two solid days, the partners dive right in. They walk through the actual fields, getting their hands dirty as they plant seedlings and pick ripe coffee cherries during harvest season. They talk face-to-face with agronomists and local farmers who have spent years—sometimes generations—tending these crops. It's hands-on stuff: bending down to harvest cherries, learning how the plants grow, and seeing the whole process up close, from seed to the point where the beans are ready for roasting.
One big part of the trip focuses on quality. The group does coffee cupping sessions, tasting and evaluating brews to understand the high standards Starbucks holds for every bag that ends up in stores. They also get a real look at sustainability efforts—how the company is working to protect coffee's future through research into disease-resistant varieties, better farming techniques, and support programs that share knowledge freely with farmers around the world.
Hacienda Alsacia shows what that can look like in practice. There are special plots, like one called "Paradise," planted with hybrid trees that produce far more cherries than the Costa Rican average—sometimes five times as much—while still tasting great. The farm tests new ideas here, then passes them on to help smallholders who might otherwise struggle.
Partners come away changed. Many describe it as eye-opening, even life-changing. They stand on the same ground where the beans start, see the hard work that goes into every single one, and feel a stronger connection to the farmers and communities involved. Back home, that doesn't just fade. A lot of them bring the stories and knowledge straight to their stores—sharing details with coworkers during shifts, talking to customers about where their morning pour comes from, and building a deeper coffee culture right at the counter.
It's not only about Costa Rica this year. Starbucks plans similar trips later in 2026 for partners in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa heading to Rwanda, and others in Asia Pacific going to Sumatra. Each spot offers its own take on the journey from farm to cup.
At the end of the day, coffee isn't just something you grab on the way to work or sip while reading the paper. It's a long chain that links growers halfway around the world to the barista who hands you the cup, and programs like Origin Experience help pull that chain a little tighter. For the partners who make the trip, it's a reminder that behind every dark roast or blonde espresso is real effort, real people, and a real commitment to keeping good coffee going strong for years to come.
So next time you're waiting for your order, think about the fields on a volcano slope in Costa Rica—and the folks who just got back from walking them, ready to tell you all about it.
