I first visited Ethiopian coffee farms in 2013 and loved the juxtaposition of 21stcentury state-of-the-art technology meeting the 14th century of old. For example, you’ll see kids carrying on the centuries old tradition of herding goats, yet doing it across a modern day engineered light rail system. Elements of Ethiopia can seem medieval, yet then the influence of technology appears. A hard country to get your arms around but plenty of trial and discovery has served us well.
Seeing coffee agronomists at work first-hand allows an even greater appreciation for how hard it is to grow the spectacular coffee we source at origin. Coffee farmers are at the mercy of mother nature, and the variances of growing on either side of the equator — a million things can go wrong. Plants can be eaten by insects and pests, fruit infested with mold, and trees can easily become overgrown. The farmer walks a tight rope hoping for enough rainfall yet plenty of sunshine to ensure the sugars of the fruit develop. It is our privilege at Cravens Coffee to honor these farmers with each roast.
The best coffee in the world is identified and purchased where it is grown, and the best relationships we have with farmers are those we visit year after year. A visit always entails collecting samples of the coffees. Each coffee is bought based on a reference number, called a lot – 37,500 pounds, sequestered out. There may be 500+ bags in a lot. A number is assigned to a lot and price is determined by grade. Coffee is usually regarded as the second largest traded commodity in the world (behind oil) so buying coffee is a job with which I take great care.
Vising Colombia is like no other adventure to coffee farms. While the association with drug cartels and violence fades into history, Colombia steals our hearts, so much in fact, Becky and I took our young sons there for a family trip in 2014.
I’ve been escorted to coffee farms in the southern most regions (Colombians call them departments) and had the privilege of visiting source co-operatives and farmers who work hard to operate honest, democratically run businesses. The co-ops provide valuable support to the farmers such as agronomy (farming science), best practices, latest advances, and tools. We choose to work with co-ops who pay their farmers prompt and full dividends.
The receiving dock for coffee cherries at Palmares Cooperative is a dynamic place to be in the heart of harvest. It runs from mid-morning until late at night, busy with an endless stream of trucks and farmers bringing their crops to final preparation — from large-farm hauling trucks to overloaded Land Cruisers and classic old Land Rovers from smaller farms. It’s a bustle of wonderful family energy.