About us
Our Coffee
We love coffee—GOOD coffee, that is. Over the years we have learned the key elements that make the difference between a so-so coffee experience and a heavenly one. Now we’re bringing our coffee to you.
The first key element is quality beans. Our Colombian beans come from an association of producers that share optimum harvesting, washing, and drying techniques to produce consistently amazing coffee. Our Sumatra beans are selected based on their quality and have undergone a wet-hulling process that preserves the coffee’s unique flavor.
Second: freshness. Coffee tastes the best within the first few weeks after the beans are roasted. The beans you buy from us have not been sitting on a warehouse shelf for several weeks—or months, as is the case with many of the bigger brands. For the best coffee experience, a bag of coffee beans should be opened within two weeks after it is roasted, and once the bag is opened, it should be consumed within two weeks after that. When you order our coffee online, we ship the beans within 24 hours after they were roasted. When you subscribe for regular deliveries, we deliver the beans within 48 hours after they are roasted. That’s what you call ultra-fresh!
The third key element is brewing. We won’t brew the coffee for you, but here on our website we aim to provide information and tips about how to brew your coffee so that it tastes amazing—from the type of grinder and coffee maker to the type of water.
Our Vision
We value community—the building of relationships in the home, in the church, in the neighborhood, and across borders. To quote a line from a favorite movie: “Whatever anything is, it ought to begin by being personal.” Our short-term vision is to build community by posting wholesome blog content about family, outreach, and life lessons. Our long-term vision is to establish a physical location in our community where people can meet together and drink coffee. Your support of our business will help bring that dream to reality!
Who We Are
We’re family, and we brought our various experiences and talents together to start this company.
Ben Wenger, Web and Sales Guy. Ben was born in Colorado and spent much of his childhood in Lancaster County. He started out his career at Chuck E. Cheese. All though his title was Technician, they still made him wear the Chuck E. suit on occasion. He now works part time at Precision Medical, Inc., which frees him up for entrepreneurial and artistic pursuits. He is heavily involved with his church and serves as an advisor to the youth group. On the weekend you might find him rounding up a cast of teenagers to make a video for his YouTube channel.
Sheldon Waldner, Production Guy. Sheldon’s roots on a Hutterite colony farm in South Dakota have instilled in him a do-it-yourself attitude and an appreciation for home-made quality. He started roasting his coffee beans using a one-pound roaster. He was able to learn more about roasting and processing techniques when he visited coffee plantations with his wife on the Hawaii Big Island, where the world-famous Kona coffee is produced. Now he runs our commercial roaster and is our resident expert in roasting techniques. When he is not roasting coffee beans, Sheldon remodels other people’s houses for a living and remodels his own house during his free time. He also enjoys watching and playing various sports, hunting, and spending time with his wife and three boys.
Megan Waldner, Business Administrator. Megan was also born in Colorado and spent her teenage years in Lancaster County. She has a Bachelor of Arts in history and spent several years living and working in northern Virginia. She returned to Lancaster County in 2014 to marry Sheldon. In addition to serving as the business administrator for Fresh Start Coffee, she also works as a contractor for the FAA. Her remaining energy is taken up by her three boisterous boys.