Today was a special day on the farm—not just because of another bountiful harvest, but also because it marked the first time Jemai, our newest member, joined us for the cacao harvest. We’ve been eagerly anticipating Jemai’s arrival since she officially became part of our team on November 20. Jemai isn’t your ordinary worker; she’s a strong and beautiful female carabao who will help us in ways only she can. For chocolate lovers and bean-to-bar makers who trace every step of the cacao-to-chocolate process, you’ll love hearing how vital these moments are to creating chocolate magic.

Most of our cacao trees are nestled in Sitio Soboc, a hinterland so remote it’s accessible only by foot. For years, transporting our cacao harvest from the farm to civilization has been a logistical challenge. Normally, we’d rent a carabao from another farmer to help transport the heavy sacks of cacao pods from our various farm locations to the roadside. But this year, Jemai is stepping in.

Today, she proved herself to be an absolute champ. Standing tall and steady, she pulled the wooden trailer we call a “kangga” (a traditional piece of farm equipment here in Samar). The kangga was piled high with freshly harvested sacks of cacao pods, and Jemai didn’t falter, not even when the trail got tricky.

The path from Sitio Soboc is far from forgiving—it winds narrow and uneven, crossing streams and wading through thick mud. Yet Jemai carried on with strength and grace, pulling the load all the way to the nearest road where we could transfer everything onto a motorcycle with a sidecar. From there, the precious cargo made its way to our post-harvest facility in the city, ready to start the next leg of its chocolate-making journey: fermentation and drying.

Watching Jemai traverse the rugged path and knowing the hard-earned cacao pods were safely on their way was a moment of deep gratitude for all of us. Farming is not for the faint of heart, and every harvest is a labor of love. Jemai may not know it, but she’s now an essential part of a process that results in handcrafted chocolate bars enjoyed by people far and wide.

Here’s to Jemai, here’s to the harvest, and here’s to the chocolate that will one day tell the story of our hard work.

To all chocolate lovers and makers out there, every bean you taste has a story, and today was one filled with laughter, mud, streams, teamwork—and a very special carabao.

Until next time,

From our farm to your chocolate bar.