When Dean Cycon started Dean’s Beans in 1993, he set out to prove that a for-profit business could create meaningful change through ethical practices rooted in respect for the earth, the farmer, our co-workers, and the consumer. More than three decades later, these values continue to guide our work every day. Today, as a worker-owned cooperative, we carry the mission forward together, committed to using specialty coffee as a vehicle for positive change and continuing the practices that have always been at the heart of Dean’s Beans.
We brew great coffee and create real change through:
LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS
We have partnered directly with several coffee producing cooperatives for decades, including Prodecoop (Nicaragua), CoSurCa (Colombia), Asobagri (Guatemala), and Pangoa (Peru). Instead of chasing the rarest or cheapest beans, we commit to long-term relationships that farmers can count on year after year. Working together over time supports farmers in improving quality while investing in projects that strengthen their communities.
SHADE-GROWN & BIRD FRIENDLY COFFEE
All of our coffees are shade-grown, supporting healthy ecosystems and protecting important migratory bird habitat. The shade canopy helps nourish the soil, control erosion, and provide homes for species like Baltimore Orioles, Bluebirds, and Monarch butterflies. Many farms also plant fruit trees alongside coffee, creating both biodiversity and additional food and income for farming families.
DIRECT FARM-TO-ROASTER TRADING
Each year we work directly with our partner cooperatives to agree on a fair price for their coffee. The co-ops harvest, process, mill, bag, and export the coffee directly to us, keeping more value within the farming communities. The last person to seal the container at origin is a farmer, and the next person to open it is our production team at Dean’s Beans.
SOLAR-POWERED ROASTING FACILITY
In 2006 we installed one of the first commercial solar arrays in Massachusetts. That early investment covered a large portion of our electricity use and helped demonstrate that renewable energy is possible for small businesses. After expanding the system in 2019, our solar arrays now offset up to 79% of the fossil-fuel electricity used at our roasting facility.
PEOPLE-CENTERED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Our People-Centered Development approach focuses on helping to fund social, economic, and environmental projects that farming communities identify as priorities, such as clean water, health care, and education. The goal is simple: support initiatives that continue to benefit communities long after the project is complete. These projects are an integral part of how we work with every cooperative. People-Centered Development is not charity, it is partnership.
ORGANIC CERTIFICATION
To us, organic is a commitment to respecting the earth, the farmer, our co-workers, and the people who drink our coffee. While many roasters mix organic and conventional coffees in the same equipment, we only roast organic coffee, keeping our production integrity simple. Our roasting facility is certified as an organic processor by Baystate Organic Certifiers.