Though we’re spread out across two cities, five cafes, one farmhouse roastery and one office, all of us at Irving Farm consider ourselves one big, pretty darn happy Farmily. In this new series, we’re going to introduce you to the people behind your daily cup. First up? Kathy Shapiro, who runs our Irving Farm Coffee House in Millerton, New York. Next time you’re in beautiful Dutchess County, pop in and say hello to Kathy!
Who are you?
Kathy.
How long have you been at Irving Farm?
Almost four years.
What position did you start in?
I was working at the roaster. Processing orders, packing, tasting, playing, swimming—don’t put that.
What’s your role now?
I’m the manager of the Millerton store.
What was your first coffee job?
Working at the roaster.
What’s your favorite coffee?
Of all time? The Idido Misty Valley. We used to have a Kenya that was really great with chocolate!
What do you love about Irving Farm/your role/coffee?
What I love about my role at Irving Farm is moving people to their next coffee level, as in customers. It happens a couple of times a week, someone comes in every day and gets the same thing and eventually…
How long have you been in Millerton?
20 years.
How did you get here?
I grew up in Southern Connecticut, but I was living in New York City, trying to leave the city, and slowly moved north.
When you were 5 what did you want to be when you grew up?
It was my understanding that no one had ridden a zebra and I wanted to train zebras to be ridden.
Did you ever meet a zebra?
I’ve never touched one. So meeting, no.
What do you do outside of work/coffee?
I tend my child and family and garden and knit. I have a side job where I make knitting needle cases, last fall I had a booth at the Sheep and Wool Festival.
What’s your favorite embarrassing story about David or Steve, the owners of Irving Farm?
Well I knew them personally before I worked here. I guess it’s not embarrassing, but I feel like I endlessly have to explain that they’re not a couple. That’s not embarrassing, but I don’t really have an embarrassing story. Nothing embarrasses them.
If one of our coffees was your spirit animal which one would it be? Why? How is it prepared?
When I used to come here before I worked here, I would always get the feature roast because it was different every day, and I like to mix it up. So a chameleon!
We were hoping you’d say zebra. Do you have a dream coffee job, at Irving Farm or in any other part of the coffee world?
What I do really like, and what I like about operating a bakery here, is that we bake different things and taste them with the coffees, to see how best they pair.
The first time I drank coffee I was 25, I was living in France, working as an au pair on a brood farm [breeding horse farm]. The husband and wife both worked at home, and the children were all in school, and every day we would all have lunch together and we’d drink two bottles of wine. So I’d have to start drinking espresso so we could go tend the horses. That’s the start of a dream job!
Thanks, Kathy! Stay tuned for more Meet the Farmers coming soon to an Irving Farm blog space near you!