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February Newsletter - 2012
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We read a very good piece on the histories of Peruvian and Bolivian Coffees the other day. Thought you might enjoy a touch of that and a way of reading the whole thing if you like...if after reading the small "taster" below and you still want to know more, then click on the hot spots here and enjoy!!
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The Coffee of Peru
Coffee production came to Peru in the 1700s. After two centuries, there are more than 110,000 coffee growers in Peru, most of whom are indigenous to these landscapes and speak Spanish as a second language. The average land-holding farmer lives on two or three hectares with each hectare equaling 2.471 acreas, Most find themselves hours away from the comforts of electricity and running water. It is thought that Peru's coffee exports account for a goodly portion of the global coffee supply, and Peru is quickly building a global reputation for producing traditionally cultivated, shade grown, high quality Arabica beans.
As you can tell, Peruvian coffee farmers' landholdings are small, and the country's typical micro-wet-milling operation is even smaller. From May to September, farmers pick ripe cherries and carry them to hand pulpers and wooden fermentation tanks. This tradition of micro-wet-milling has protected Peru's water resources from the devastating effects of river-polluting pulping factories. After processing their coffee, most farmers hike their beans by foot or mule into the nearest town-a trip that can take anywhere from thirty minutes to eight hours. On Saturdays, the plaza of the closest town becomes a buying and selling station for the surrounding remote coffee growers. Farmers sell their coffee and buy goods for their homes before heading back up the mountainous foot trails.
The Coffee of Bolivia
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Bolivian coffee is just starting to make a name for itself in the world of Specialty coffees. Once considered a producer of low-quality coffee, only suitable for blended roasts, Bolivia is working to change its image one bean at a time. For this heavily impoverished country, it is a matter of creating the infrastructure, technology, and skills needed to produce a quality product that supports economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Initiatives such as Fair Trade and organic, along with economic development projects have provided opportunity and support to coffee producers on the local, national, and international level.
Coffee production in Bolivia is concentrated in the rural areas of the Yungas, where approximately 95% cultivation occurs. Other growing regions include Santa Cruz, Beni, Cochabamba, Tarija, and Pando. While commercial farms and haciendas exist, governmental land reforms have expropriated most of the large landholdings and redistributed them back to rural farming families. These small plots range from 1-8 hectares and produce between 85-95% of Bolivia's coffee, most of which is the Arabica variety and grown organically.
Bolivia has all the ingredients to be a high-quality coffee producer, such as altitude, fertile soil, and a consistent rainy season. However, the rugged terrain and lack of infrastructure and technology make post-harvest quality control a challenging task. Funds from development agencies are working to establish processing facilities in rural areas so that farmers have access to the resources that will help ensure quality beans, while also adding value to their product. |
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Notice!!
We are again experiencing difficulty importing green coffee from one of our prime suppliers...Bolivia. We will continue to pursue a resolution of this problem, but wanted to let you know that there may be a delay in filling future orders for Bolivian roasts and any roast that contains Bolivian beans. This is only a precautionary notice...let's all hope this problem will be resolved with you never knowing when or how it was done!! :o)
Will keep you posted! |
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On A Personal Note...
After our last newsletter, I got a very nice email from a close "alpaca friend". You see she had read the last "On a Personal Note" and was writing to ask if we were going to get out of the alpaca business as such...she went on to express her feelings for Judy and I and - well it really meant a lot to the both of us.
After reading the message, I started asking myself why I wrote what I wrote...and maybe even looking at some underlying reasons that maybe I did not recognize at the time of the writing. It is true, Judy and I are of an age that offers up questions as to our sanity undertaking the care of almost 90 alpacas of all shapes, sizes, and ages...we are pleased with the knowledge we have gained over time...and having the wisdom and ability to gain that knowledge...but we also know that it is critical to have a good transition plan in place for the continuing care of these beautiful creatures...not to mention one for ourselves as we continue to age (hopefully :o)).
I honestly made some of the comments trying to add humor to the last piece...but upon reflecting (with the help of a friend), I may have been "trying it out" so that we could see it and feel it to some degree. I do know that we would like to downsize a bit, so that we will have more time to share with just ourselves to worry about. But what that "bit" looks like we really do not know...maybe it would be a dramatic reduction so that we would have twenty something or a few more...or maybe more in line with having forty or so. In all our private discussions, there are certain alpacas that we do not want leaving the farm any time soon.
We also would like a smaller herd so that we can pursue an idea we have for breeding for smaller critters. We have been doing that with a good deal of success in our eyes...of course the judges do not care for this even though the "small" guys have great fleece and strong bodies...they are not the machos that should be in their rings for consideration...but you know...that is ok with us!
Then there is the Coffee Company...a real love of ours. We really enjoy roasting a number of coffee blends that folks have fallen in love with as well. I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to have friends, and soon to be friends, drink our coffee and simply go nuts! We feel so fortunate to be doing something that makes a person simply enjoy the moment...a moment to themselves while they enjoy a good mug of coffee and take time to gather themselves for the rest of the day. Yep, it is hard to get a feeling any better than that!
We want to continue doing this together but we also want it to reach out in ways that will take it a bit beyond our time to roast to meet the demand. Yes, we have plans to begin doing that and thus begins another time to plan for another transition...you know, we all have to do this as part of a good business plan.
Well, I have taken enough of your time on this...maybe, more will follow at a later time...but probably at this same place!
Until then...........
Peace,
The Coffeeman
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