By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University
Not all coffees are created equal. Today we’ll meet a couple of artisan coffee roasters who have learned the truth of this statement and applied it to their remarkable coffee business.
Ray Ford and Joel Heath are the makers of this remarkable coffee. They are co-owners of Burr Roasters & Cafe in Leavenworth.
Ray Ford grew up in Kentucky and joined the Army. “I grew up with bad coffee,” Ray said. “Everybody drinks coffee in the field,” he said. “(The coffee is) warm and you’re cold.” Soldiers drank whatever coffee was provided.
Ray took a job in retail which included working in a coffee shop. “I got a knack for it,” Ray said.
He finished his Army career at Fort Leavenworth. An Army friend named Johnny Kasper was also in his church. They talked about opening a coffee shop in Leavenworth after they retired. Together, they opened Burr Roasters, a veteran-owned, small-batch roastery and coffee shop located in historic downtown Leavenworth. Continue reading “Ray Ford and Joel Heath, Burr Roasters”
