C-Falls grad doing well in Madagascar

A 2001 Columbia Falls High School graduate is now a member of a successful business that helps farmers in Madagascar sell their vanilla beans worldwide.

Danny Hervol, 29, moved to Madagascar in 2005 while on a stint with the Peace Corps. He enjoyed the country so much that over the years he has built roots there.

While with the Peace Corps, he met up with Nathaniel Delafield and Sarah Osterhoudt. They were working with farmers groups in Madagascar to devise a business plan to more equitably sell their vanilla beans in the U.S. and world markets. Madagascar grows about 58 percent of the world’s vanilla beans.

“Normally, such farmers would sell to other collectors, which would sell to other collectors and eventually to exporters,” Hervol explained in an e-mail to the Hungry Horse News. “However, the idea was to shorten the supply chain and allow these farmers direct links with customers.”

The company — Lafaza Trading Company — aimed to cut out the inevitable middlemen so farmers could earn more money. Under Delafield’s brother, James, LTC secured a contract to directly provide a San Francisco chocolate company with 100 kilograms of vanilla each year.

From there, the business grew, Hervol explained. He’s now the company’s business development director.

In 2010, LTC helped establish a farmers cooperative that included 21 different farmer associations on Madagascar’s east coast and involves 900 to 1,000 farmers.

The company continues to expand its business. It recently launched a new brand, Lafaza, which is meant to “offer more ‘African’ feeling products,” Hervol explained.

LTC also produces its own vanilla extracts and is in preliminary discussions with Montana Coffee Traders to offer LTC’s products in its stores.

That connection has a local angle, Hervol noted. He’s been working on the business expansion with Matt Cuffe, Montana Coffee Traders’ Glacier region sales representative. Cuffe graduated with Hervol from Columbia Falls High School.

Hervol said he occasionally misses home. Madagascar has seen its fair share of strife — a few years ago, a military coup rocked the country.

“But when I’m swimming in the Indian Ocean under a full moon — which I just did last night — with sand in between my toes, I don’t miss shoveling the front walkway,” Hervol said. “Although Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, it provides very rich experiences.”

Vanilla can be purchased directly from Lafaza Trading Company online at www.ftftrading.com.