Grounds for Health Trip
Jinotega, Jinotega, Nicaragua
November 10-November 18, 2007

Thanks to the support of Café Imports and Grounds for Health, I was given the unique and wonderful opportunity to serve coffee producing women in the Jinotega region of Nicaragua this fall. Grounds for Health is an non-profit focused on providing health care to women of coffee growing communities in Central America. They aim specifically to detect and treat cervical cancer.

In November, I met up with a team of talented volunteers and spent five days at the Guillermo Matute Health Center in Jinotega examining as many women as we could fit in each day. Our team consisted of doctors, physicians’ assistants, registered nurses, pathologists, cytologists, laboratory professionals, and an up-for-anything, go-to-gal coffee lady, Yours Truly. When word got out that I worked for a coffee importer, it wasn’t long before I myself was receiving ‘walk-in visitors’ at the clinic. However, they weren’t from women seeking exams but rather local coffee farmers who were anxious to tell me their coffee story and see about exporting their coffee to us!

As this was Grounds’ first campaign in Jinotega, flexibility, expecting the unexpected, and rolling with the flow was imperative. When we arrived bright and early Monday morning and found an unanticipated gathering of 100 women from the community hoping to see a doctor, we had to think and work quickly as we already had 100 women on their way down from the mountain for their scheduled exams.

As the week progressed, we examined an average of 100 women each day and were thrilled to find that the new method of cervical cancer pre-screening that we were using was highly successful AND easily taught to the providers already serving at the clinic. We were also able to perform chryo-therapy treatment on those women who needed it, another method that the local providers easily caught on to and are now able to continue to practice at the clinic.

I spent a fair amount of time at the check-in/registration table in the front of the clinic greeting and registering the women who had arrived for their exam. For me, this was a joy. Speaking with many of these women face to face, learning their names, answering basic questions, helping to calm their nerves and truly, above all, sharing a big smile was such a personal and practical way to connect with and serve these women who work so hard to produce the world’s favorite beverage. I felt that it was finally my chance to give back to them for all they’ve given to so many of us.

One evening at dinner, I was fortunate enough to learn that the daughter of Angelina from Angelina Estate, worked near our site. By even better fortune, I happened to walk right by her office on my way to the clinic and found her inside. No sooner had I introduced myself when she warmly embraced me and fervently thanked me for everything we’d done for them. By six the next morning we were trucking our way up the mountain to Angelina Estate where breakfast and hot coffee, of course, awaited us and where I also met a few farm employees and friends. By foot we toured the forested paradise while taking in the miraculous beauty and freshness that accompany the rising sun of each new day. As we left the Estate, we stopped and greeted the students outside the school that was built with coffee proceeds. Their wide, toothy smiles and energetic waves good-bye were yet another reminder that I am definitely in one of the most exceptional industries around.

We had accomplished so much in such a short period of time; we had worked cohesively and positively as a team to examine nearly 500 women and had established a positive and functional relationship with the coffee coop and the local providers. Despite the fact that saying good-bye to all of the providers, coop employees, and the other volunteers was a bit dismal, we were able to depart very content, feeling confident in the skills and techniques that had been passed on to local providers to continue to meet the needs of local women. The chance to share in this campaign and represent Café Imports was truly a humbling gift of learning, growing, and serving and I am exceedingly grateful to have had the support and encouragement to pursue this rewarding opportunity.

For more information about Grounds for Health, please visit their website at www.groundsforhealth.org

Ethiopia is its own universe. It has its own language, own time, own calendar, own Church, and as we all know, its very own unique coffees.

As with all travel, you bring some pre-conceived baggage along with you. Along the way, you shed what you expect, and see what is really there, picking up experiences that are always amazing. The conjunction of you, the place, and that time, come together in a way that the photographs that you take can at best only serve as a flash card to spark you memory to say, “oh yea, we were . . . .”

On this trip, this was even more so, so I will split this travelogue into two parts. In a country that is claimed to be both the birthplace of man and coffee, it is easy to be swept away with superlatives. The first will focus on the coffees lands of Sidamo and Yirgacheffee, and the second on the trip.

The Coffees Lands

After spending two days at the East African Fine Coffee Association 4th annual meeting (Café Imports attended last year, and has joined EAFCA as a member) we set out from Addis to head south to Sidamo and Yirgacheffee. Leaving Addis through its construction sprawl and lack of stop lights (and stop signs) was a bit of a trip. Once outside of the city heading south, it’s a dry greyish plain. Off in the distance you can see high ridges, as we are driving in the valley of the Rift Valley, and that was too cool. To make it bit more exciting than already was, seeing baboons playing in the distance added that “I’m in Africa” feeling that is so intoxicating. Oh well, okay, back to the coffee.

After a many hour drive, we start to arrive in Sidamo coffee growing region. We have driven up for a long way, and are in a green world unlike the valley floor behind us. The altimeter says it’s about 1800 meters and the landscape is truly a wave of green. Big buckles of land that slowly wave up, and down, in gentle rolling hills. Along side the road and out in the fields you can see the familiar round Sidamo huts.

We stop a coops along the way where we have purchased coffee before, or cupped their samples. The coffees have been spectacular and finally in the specialty market, you are finding roasters who respect Sidamo for itself, as a region, and not just a “lesser” Yirgacheffee. Many of the washed coffees have that fine citrus Ethiopian characteristic running through them, and in some, that apricot flavor that seems to be unique to this area. One of our very top coffees that we imported last year was a naturally processed Sidamo. Wow, it was amazing.

The varietals of coffee in Ethiopia are mind blowing, as you would expect in the origin of coffee. (Theoretical one, though, as this has not been proven beyond all reasonable doubt, and I heard a very strong and logical argument about Yemen being the birthplace of coffee while I was in EAFCA.) Most people are familiar with typica, bourbon, caturra, caturri, mundo novo, and a few other, but Ethiopia might have hundreds of varietals. The much sought after geisha, well, I have now seen three different very distinct geisha now, and who knows what this valley, or that valley holds in terms of varietals to be sought out. It’s like the quest for the Holy Grail. The search itself might be the very purpose. (Another aside, I have seen seven yemen varietals now too!)

All is not great, in coffee land, however, as many (read all) of the coops we visit have not received their pre-financing from the larger coops. This is a real surprise, as you always assume that pre-financing goes against specific contracts, and of course the actual coops must receive the money. The coop managers are adamant that they have not received any pre-financing, and some of them have to sell their coffee to the local buyers vs. direct to the coop, or they are choosing to do so, as a protest. This trend continues along the various coops that we visit.

Not surprisingly when I return I get informed by Transfair that Sidama Coffee Farmers Union is suspended from FLO, and a few days later, the same with Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Union.

I do not have any details of what is wrong, other than the flow of funds, and transparency obviously was not there. Is this paper work issues? Bookeeping, something more? Who knows, but hopefully it will be resolved fairly and quickly.

Heading further south, we leave the rolling green hills of Sidamo and arrive in Yirgaceffee. It’s still green, but the landscape has changed, as the hills become more vertical and rolling hills start to approach rolling green mountains. We park our vehicle and are hiking through a village where we come across a woman that states that she is 110 years old. Her husband died a few years back at 97. Off the main street through town, the Saturday evening street market starts to form, with every color of ground pepper from black to red to orange appears in little containers almost as a visual condiment to the full array of vegetables. It is an amazing feast of colors. Dark green of the hills, setting sun, and the color of the market.

After three days in the field and many coop visits, it was time that we headed north back to Addis and that evening my flight home. Back in the office, we are doing all the cupping and logistics for our coffee that is afloat, or soon to be, and we are searching for more top gems from among the hill of beans.

Trip and Miscellaneous

Okay, if I have already expressed this already, this was a stellar trip! I arrived in Addis at 7:00 am after 2 days of travel, and a nice 11-hour layover in the Paris airport. (I was stuck with my luggage, so I could not hop into a taxi to go to down town Paris and watch people smoke at outside cafes under the Eiffel tower. Instead, I watched people smoke at faux indoor cafes at the airport, and got to pay about 27 dollars for a small and rather greasy quiche like substance) Back to Addis. Addis is, I am told, the third highest capital in the world at 2250 meters. It’s sunny and 85 during the day, and 55 at night, rather perfect. It’s an incredibly safe city (or least that is what I thought) as I walked the city from about 9:00 am till about 2:00 p.m. by myself. I saw the bones of Lucy, from 3.18 million years ago, at the National Museum. Wow! I have a few photos on our website, but I am not really a photographer, and the room was dark enough that could not see Lucy without a flash, and with a flash, the light reflected from the glass case, but either way, there is something magical about being 3 feet away from Lucy in the basement of the National Museum. Also in the museum is the large, almost oversized carved wooden throne of Haile Salase. Hailse Salase was the last emporor of Ethiopia. A line that they claim goes back to the days of Sheeba and Salomon (we are talking Old Testament here!) Haile Salase was most likely murdered by the Derg, the communist in 1974. That ended that line, but for those of you not familiar with Haile Salase by name, he was also know by his given name of Ras Tarafari, and was worshipped by the Rastafarians as the messiah. This was a position that Haile Salase was never comfortable with, as he was a devout Christian. Okay, after the museum, I headed off to the St. George’s cathedral, assisted by some local guides that I could not quite shake off but were very friendly and actually added to the experience. The Cathedral is in the shape of a hexagon, and looks like a few synagoes that I have seen. This is not surprising when you realize they Ethiopia has been Christian since about 360 AD This is old time Christianity. It was lent when I was there, and the Ethiopian Christians take lent seriously. One meal a day for 40 days, and absolutely no meat, or animal products (butter, dairy, etc) This is old school lent, and much closer to what Catholics observed to until lent was “watered down” in recent years. If fact, there are something like 250 fasting days for priests in Ethiopia, and about 180 for the flock. Our coffee traveling group loved the fasting foods, as all were vegetarian, and very good.

I had mentioned Ethiopia’s own calendar above, the Ethiopians use the Julian calendar, which was introduced in 46 BC and it was used by the Romans, and eventually Christian world till a mathematical error was discovered, and the Gregorian calendar came into use around 1582. The correction was about seven years at the time, and leads to the joke that the travel agents like to use, “come to Ethiopia and be seven years younger”. The calendar is just another historical thing of interest in Ethiopia.

Ethiopians speak amrachic, which is a semetic languge, and it sounds a bit like a soft and more lyrical Hebrew or Arabic.

Time, Ethiopian time is actually quite clever. 7:00 am “our time” is 1:00 in the morning Ethiopian time. It’s the first hour of the morning. 1:00 at night, is 7:00 pm “our time”, and the first hour of evening. This works quite well for a country very near the equator, but as I was discussing with my taxi driver one day, would not be too good for us way up north, as the swing in the sunrise goes from 5:27 in the summer to 7:48 in the winter.

Lastly, the trade mark issue. Trademarks vs. certificates of origin. Big legal issue here, and with all complex legal issues, the devil is in the detail, but one thing for sure, EVERYONE in Ethiopia is aware of this issue. My taxi drivers, the doorman, the man and woman on the street, EVERYONE. To them, it is simply a case of Big powerful economically advantaged countries not wanting to pay Ethiopia for it’s natural treasures. I let them know that I strongly supported Ethiopia’s right to control the name of it’s very unique coffees, and that I felt that the U.S. and Europe should work hard to make sure the legal framework that Ethiopia deserves fits into the world legal code. Just stating that trademarks are a disaster for origin certificaitons, and not valid is not enough. Terrior is extremely important in coffee and other fine foods. Coffees from Sidamo should be labled as such. Legal hurdles such as trademark vs. origin certifications are important, but semantics. Right now, Europe and the U.S. look like colonialist that are looking to buy cheap natural resource and exploit the locals.

--Jason Long jason@cafeimports.com

Since we started the Spectacled Bear program in the fall of 2005, we have donated $2121.90 to the Wildlife Conservation Society. This money is earmarked to study and help save the Spectacled Bear, endangered in Colombia.
Thank you for supporting this program!

During the month of February, Emily and I had the opportunity to escape the treacherous Minnesota winter and travel to Guatemala with a group of our clients. Leaving behind wind chill temperatures somewhere around negative 20 degrees, we packed our bags and didn’t look back. Little by little the group trickled into the capitol, Guatemala City, where we spent our first night shaking off the hustle and bustle of the world we left behind and settling into a more laid back adventurous mind-set.

We’d all packed lightly under the impression that we’d be scrunched like sardines into the bus that would become our second home for the next three days. So when a lovely, spacious coach bus pulled up with plenty of room for us each to have our own row, we were beyond pleased with the vehicle change. We all piled in expecting to travel two and a half hours or so non-stop, we were a bit befuddled when the bus pulled to the side of the road and our guide disappeared as he cracked a joke about stocking the bus with beer. Joking he was not as he returned shortly thereafter with a cooler full of beer, ice cold bottled water, and plenty of ‘chuchería’ (junk-food/snacks) to go around.

The countryside on the way to Mataquesquintla, a small pueblo south east of Guatemala City was a sight for sore eyes as most of us had not seen lush green in months and for many, the presence of mountains all around is something we’re not graced with at home. We arrived at our first coffee stop. Wide eyed, we poured out of the bus. We were immediately drawn to the facility where the washing and de-pulping of the coffee was done. Before we could take a real look, however, we were herded onto several different trucks, many of us in the open bed of the trucks ready for a safari-style adventure through the countryside. Off we went to a local school (El Pajalito) where many of the farmers’ children attended classes. Singing, clapping and big smiles from the children greeted us as a very warm welcome. They even sported body-sized signs and heart cut outs to express their gratitude for our visit. It was enough to melt anyone’s heart. These children are schooled, fed, and visited weekly by a doctor as a result of the coffee earnings.

Upon returning to the mill, we were fed an abundant delicious home made meal and offered more than enough spirits to go around by our gracious hosts, the Gonzales family. By the time we finished, local farmers began to arrive in their trucks filled with the fruits of hours of exhausting labor. The coffee cherries were weighed and dumped into large tanks to be washed, separated into ripe and under-ripe groupings, de-pulped, and laid out to dry on the patio. We were like children in a candy shop as we observed the processing of this agricultural product that has brought us all together from such different places and walks of life.

Later in the evening, we had the opportunity to stop at a drying facility between Mataquescuintla and our destination of Antigua. We found a warehouse full of enormous coffee driers responsible for tumble drying tons of coffee beans (fueled by pergamino). They were heated by the most intensely hot furnace I have ever seen. Opening the door to the furnace, the guide whispered, “this is the closest thing to hell you’ll ever see!” and as the flames roared and the heat poured out in waves, I had a hard time not believing him. To further emphasize the caliber of heat we’re talking about, as the furnace door closed again, I checked out the thermometer and watched it reach 1,140 degrees C.

Exhausted and ready for dinner, the bus couldn’t have picked a better time to get a flat tire. Luckily we were at the drying facility and not stranded somewhere on the mountainous highway. We were also very thankful for our faithful and tolerant bus driver, Romero, who quickly repaired it without a single complaint.

Day two we awoke in the old capital of Antigua in all its glory. When an earthquake leveled much of the colonial city in 1773, the capital was moved to Guatemala City, the nation’s fourth permanent capital. A very short bus trip brought us to the farm and mill La Azotea where we perused a coffee museum learning more about the processing of coffee and even got a chance to reach into a mound of coffee and grab a handful of the slippery fermenting beans. Blehk! Just like at the mill in Mataquescuintla, the men were hard at work lifting and moving sacks full of coffee as well as combing through the coffee on the patio under the strong burning rays of the sun.

Another few hours on the tour bus (a bonding-mobile we had become semi-fond of by this point) ended as we disembarked at a wet mill in Santiago Atitlan just in time to behold the gentle citrus colors of dusk as they danced upon the mountain peaks giving way to the purple of the starry night sky. A familiar sight of farmers, one after another in their pick-ups full of all the coffee they could pile in, paved the way as we approached the mill. The same process ensued as farmers unloaded and weighed their harvest only this time, we had the chance to check out the de-pulping process up close and personally. Three men stood knee-deep in the pulp, raking it out of the way and getting it ready for other local farmers to come and take away as fertilizer. I smiled at them and vocalized our excitement to observe the processing of coffee at origin and how much their hard work means to folks like us. Asking permission to shoot a photo, they gladly agreed and smiled back as they posed, chests puffed out. Despite the difference in culture and the fact that the workers were on the opposite end of the industry as we were, it is coffee that we have in common and a simple smile that made a personal connection. With night now fully upon us, we slowly made our way back up to the bus, taking our time to enjoy the same twinkling sky that I usually neglect to notice from home. Life is so very sweet.

Five minutes or so later, we’d reached the heart of Atitlan, where we’d spend the night. The big bus of gringos that couldn’t seem to make it up and over the hill seemed to be the most excitement the town had seen all day as locals emerged from the dark streets and wandered towards us, unsure of whether or not to smile or make eye contact. It was like being caged animals in a zoo, peering out of our little window openings at the faces below. With the help of a few boys working a street side hot dog stand, we finally made it and were released from captivity. The night was spent around the spacious tables of the lodge at our hotel sipping Zacapa (the world famous Guatemalan Rum) and Gallo (the national cerveza) and the night just wouldn’t have been complete without a salsa lesson and some jitter-bug moves (that we fortunately caught on video).

The sight the next morning, which happened to be Valentines Day, was astounding. Gazing out onto the majestic waters of Lake Atitlan nestled in-between mountains and even a couple of volcanoes, we were again reminded of the indescribable beauty and diversity of the world we live in. A double-decker boat carried us to the charming town of Panajachel on the opposite side of the lake where we consumed large numbers of ridiculously huge and delicious pancakes and wandered the streets carefully choosing which mementos we absolutely couldn’t live without. A dry mill in Guatemala City was next on the list but unfortunately, due to construction and traffic on the way back, we weren’t able to make it. Needless to say, after visiting 4 towns in 3 days, we couldn’t grumble for long. We cleaned ourselves up and made ourselves pretty for our last dinner together.

Being my first trip to origin, I was blown away by so many aspects of the experience and by the immense amount of labor and sweat that go into producing and processing the world’s finest coffees. The warmth of the people and the charm of the culture will undoubtedly lure me back and the beauty of the countryside was a much needed reminder that the world is so much more than the sky scrapers and freeways amongst which I live each day. Before embarking upon our adventure, each of us knew that we were in for an exceptional treat but I do believe that looking back on the trip, our hopes and expectations of the experience were abundantly met and surpassed.

--Amanda Eastwood (amanda@cafeimports.com)

Boiled Potatoes and Goat Cheese: Peru 2006

Of course one of the greatest perks of working in the coffee industry is the opportunity to travel to far away places and meet people on the other side of the business. These working relationships are the backbone of Café Imports’ mission in the world of coffee and without them, we would not be able to do our jobs effectively. Consequently, for most of us traveling means being away from our families and homes and inevitably returning to piles of paperwork on our desks. It is a tradeoff that typically keeps us going back to origin time after time. The task of discovering great coffees and maintaining positive relationships at origin is never ending and it is with great pride and humility that we continue the quest for the best coffees from the best producers in the world.

This time it was myself, Jason Long, Mark Ballering from Steep and Brew in Madison, Wisconsin and Alex Varner from Higher Ground Roasters in Leeds, Alabama. None of us had ever visited Peru. We had never traveled together. Alex had never met any of us. This was going to be an interesting trip! The late night flight to Lima was typically uncomfortable and uneventful. We landed and got to our hotel around 2am. After 1.5 hours of sleep, we were up at 3:30 am to catch a puddle jumper flight to Ayacucho. The trip to Ayacucho by road, while I’m sure quite breathtaking, would have taken us 8 hours, while the flight lasted about 1.5. The sun rising over the Andes at 20,000 feet is indescribable. Known as the city of 37 churches, Ayacucho was founded in 1540, but traces of human existence have been found here from as long as 15,000 years ago. Just outside the city stands the site of the glorious battle of Ayacucho, where Simon Bolivar’s troops defeated the Spanish army and in turn sealed the independence of Peru in 1824. This is a gorgeous town filled with history and incredible mystique. No time for site seeing however, we left the small air strip and jumped into the Toyota van that would become our home for the next 8 hours on the journey to San Francisco and the Apurimac River Valley.

I used to live in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. I’ve climbed 14, 000 foot peaks there. The Rocky Mountains are small. I knew the Andes would be massive, but driving through them is like exploring another planet. The microclimates change faster than you can add or remove clothing. The switchback roads are not wide enough for 2 trucks, yet our driver passes, sometimes on the right. He is a professional, like I’ve never seen before. It takes about 4 hours for me to trust him and keep my eyes open. We stop halfway in the town of Tabo for a traditional lunch of boiled potatoes, goat cheese, and grilled chicken sandwiches—delicious. This was arguably the best meal we had in Peru and I couldn’t wait to come back through Tabo on our return 3 days later.

Arriving in Ayna, just an hour outside San Francisco, we are greeted by waterfalls, rainforest, and the most inviting welcome from a coffee cooperative I have ever experienced. Ayna is a small farming community nestled in the river valley at about 1300 meters. Coffee grows here between 1300 and 1800 meters and most of our Fair Trade Organic coffee is produced in this area. The coffee trees grow on very small farms—less than 5 hectares—and under a vast canopy alongside avocadoes, oranges, and other fruit trees. In Ayna we met most of the key members of CACVRA who had traveled many miles to greet us. The women prepared an incredible meal of fresh trout, plantains, and rice, which was followed by an original presentation depicting the roles of women and children in everyday life and how they assist in the production of coffee. There was singing, dancing, and big smiles. Keep in mind, this was still our first day in Peru, but the reception was characteristic of all the people that we met during the next few days. The members each stood up and spoke about their involvement in the coop and what CACVRA’s success means to their families and their community. They thanked us for our visit, which was the first to their community by any coffee importers or roasters from the United States.

I met Israel Pitesky at the 2004 SCAA show in Atlanta. He was in attendance with the director of CACVRA, Pedro Ruben Pineda Palomino, and exhibiting as part of the Transfair booth. At the time Israel had just been hired by the cooperative to assist in sales, marketing and general management. His English was rough, as was my Spanish, but we managed to make a connection that has developed into one of Café Imports’ strongest relationships with origin. CACVRA, or Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera Valle Rio Apurimac was established in 1969 as a means of uniting cocoa and coffee growers in the Apurimac River Valley. This picturesque river valley unites the two growing regions of Ayacucho and Cuzco. The town of San Francisco lies directly on the Apurimac River and spans a bridge connecting the two regions. San Francisco also is the home of CACVRA’s main offices, cocoa receiving warehouse, and coffee cupping facility.

The bustling marketplace of San Francisco would become our home for the next 3 days. Our modest ‘hotel’ overlooking the main intersection in town was the perfect vantage point for the entire town’s commerce, the central taxi stop, and general late night flare. The bridge crossing the Apurimac River, connecting the provinces of Ayacucho and Cuzco, is like a gateway between two distinct commercial centers. The bridge itself is at night, dark and a bit spooky. The cars, motorbikes and 3-wheeled taxis do not necessarily slow down nor pay respect to the large numbers of pedestrians crossing back and forth. Below the bridge along the riverbanks lies an underground community of merchants, small restaurants, and gentlemen’s clubs. It’s about half way across to Cuzco that we notice a typical Friday night gathering on the bridge. A large group including men, women and even young children, are gazing off the bridge into the dark night. We assume there is a fight, or maybe a boat or someone in the river. Moving closer we discover that this point on the bridge is actually a free peep show. The pedestrians stop and talk and smoke or make out with their lovers while hoping to catch a glimpse of one the ‘professionals’ down below as she passes in front of the door, not necessarily in full clothing. Talk about a cheap date.

We spent the remaining 3 days visiting cooperative producers on their small farms and cupping various micro lots from some of the higher elevations. We were pleased to find several of these coffees to be exceptional, while all were above average. All of these coffees are organically grown on very small farms, by producers who take great pride in their work. Most farms have their own small washing station and drying patios, and the cooperative employs several technicians who are constantly visiting and working with the farmers to ensure quality and consistency. We found all of these coffees to present generous sweetness with hints of caramel and chocolate. A few of them displayed exceptional brightness and deep, rich body. It was refreshing to taste this type of quality from Peruvian coffees, which have historically been considered mild replacements for High Grown Mexicans. We are excited and anxious to continue examining these individual coffees and work with CACVRA to eventually separate some of them out to offer as very unique Fair Trade Organic coffees. After a formal meeting with the leaders and several members of CACVRA, we remain confident that our relationship in Peru will continue to yield exceptional, specialty coffees and lifelong friendships.

After having my ‘hotel’ room involuntarily relinquished to make room for a much larger, and clearly more important man, I personally couldn’t wait to get back to Tabo for some more boiled potatoes and goat cheese. The drive from San Francisco back to Ayacucho was long, but with less vomiting. We spent the night in this historic mountain town and had a chance to explore some if its many churches and museums—incredible. The history and architecture in Ayacucho is overwhelming and definitely a recommended stopping point for any visitor to Peru. Our final day was spent in Lima hanging out at Israel’s export office and also visiting the dry mill where our coffee reaches its final stage of processing and bagging. We were pleased to see two of our shipping containers parked outside the facility and two of our lots having just been milled and bagged. The facility is loaded with the most modern sorting equipment and the production is streamlined and very impressive. The management was gracious enough to setup a cupping of the two lots which had just been milled and both were fantastic! It should be said that CACVRA is one of our most reliable and consistent shippers. Our coffees are grown and processed with the utmost respect for the environment and the people involved, and they always ship on time. We look forward to our next journey to and through the Andes and continuing our strong relationship with this great cooperative.

--Matt Hupton matt@cafeimports.com

As we all know from the story of Kaldi and his dancing goats, coffee originated in Africa, in Ethiopia to be more specific. Why then am I amazed at the infancy and the new hope that I felt among the participants of the EAFCA conference this year in Arusha, Tanzania, at the base of Kilimanjaro?

The newness is specialty coffee returning home. Yes, we all know that Kenyans are specialty, and fine Ethiopians have been coming out for a long time, but in many parts of Africa the very concept of boutique coffees is just starting. This is an undiscovered continent, even though coffee has been cultivated here for centuries.

At the cupping pavilion, there were coffees from Madagascar and Malawi alongside old favorites, like Kenya and Ethiopia. There is even coffee grown in South Africa and Zanzibar. The latter I had while on vacation; it had been grown at an altitude of 20 meters. (The cardamom and cinnamon brewed with the coffee were not only exotic, but quite necessary!) Many of the coffees we cupped at the pavilion were not quite ready for prime time, but they had potential, they truly had some amazing potential.

While we all rhapsodize about farmers cupping their own coffee, we have to be realistic and realize that many small subsistence farmers aren’t cupping, and aren’t going to cup. It quite simply does not make sense for a small farmer with 15 coffee trees to cup. All hope is not lost, however, as the market develops for these coffees, cupping is being instituted at the mill level. In late July or early August, I am planning on returning to a co-op to cup all the small regions and help separate out what we are bringing in at a nice premium to the standard “washed African” market the rest of the coffee has been dumped into.

Sitting at a table at dinner one night, and talking about a Malawi that we bring in, a member of the Malawi coffee board said, “You sell the coffees as Malawi? When you are over cupping, will you give a presentation about this to our members?” Not that all coffee can be sold as boutique or specialty coffee, but just the idea that some of their coffee can be specialty coffee was almost foreign, it seemed. The Malawi that we have brought in the last three years is grown at 2000 meters, with some very nice varietals that, until quite recently, were all blended together with Catimors and other less-than-yummy variatiels (the Malawi just arrived at our warehouse, FYI).

Wow, 2000 meters, many amazing varieties, volcanic soil, and now, better processing facilities. What is the limit to the potential here for these coffees? If we can separate out top lots and pay a premium for these, and especially if we do not degrade the remainders that are sold as just washed coffee, what’s not to like?

After the conference, I went to Zanzibar to dive and explore, and as I was sitting, watching dhows (small sail boats) go up the coast, as they have for hundreds of years, carrying goods including coffee, I thought about the old ways of coffee in Africa, and the new beginnings and could not help but smile. (I was also on vacation, and it was 88 degrees and sunny; it’s now 35 degrees and grey in Saint Paul.) But even with this obvious setting, the new potential and exploration in the old world of coffee fills me with excitement.

—Jason Long (Jason@cafeimports.com)

In January, Emily and I traveled with a few customers to Costa Rica. Once again, we were lucky to have our good friends from The Coffee Source as our hosts and guides.

We spent the first day traveling within the Central Valley to Poas and the Doka Estate. This is an award-winning coffee that we have carried for several years, so it was great for those of us who had never seen the estate. We had a wonderful lunch at Doka and then traveled just a few miles away to La Hilda Estate. Both of these Estates were fairly quiet as the harvest in Costa Rica was about a month early this year.

The second day we visited a very nice estate called La Laguna in the region of Trés Rios. We were surprised to see the extent of development in this well known coffee region. The new real estate developments are literally bordering some of the larger coffee plantations. La Laguna happens to be one of the oldest estates in the region dating back to the early 1800s. The wet mill is actually housed in one of the original buildings. This is a beautiful estate with alot of history as well as some very state-of-the-art sorting equipment. The afternoon of the second day was spent traveling to the region of Tarrazu and the small town of Santa Maria.

After an incredible home cooked meal at a local establishment, we walked across the street to the Dota cooperative. Dota was established in 1960 by a small group of farmers in the region and is now represented by more than 700 growers. This cooperative has a long standing reputation for producing some of the best coffee in the country and is now run by Roberto Mata, the son of the original director. It was great for all of us to see coffee processing on a very large scale from very small producers. Dota is a great example of the cooperative coffee system at work in terms of fair prices, environmental concern, and coffee quality. After a long day in Tarrazu, we rode back through the clouds to our hotel in San José.

The third day, we continued our tradition of the canopy tour, where everyone conquered their fears and flew high above rivers and water falls through the rainforest canopy. For those of you who have considered one of these zip-line tours, but haven’t had the opportunity, we strongly suggest going for it! We spent the last evening discussing our travels and coffee issues over an incredible meal and strong drinks on an outdoor patio...perfect!

We would like to thank our friends at The Coffee Source, as well as our customers from Dry Creek Coffee in Hill City, S.D., Roaster Direct and Caffe Amoré in the Twin Cities, Great River Roasters in Pepin, WI., and Burgies Espresso in Ames, IA., for joining us on this incredible adventure.

—Matt Hupton (Matt@cafeimports.com)

Women in Coffee: El Salvador

When invited to go on the Women in Coffee Tour to El Salvador in January, I was excited at the opportunity, but then began to wonder, “what about coffee in El Salvador?” But, it was a trip none-the-less, and it was January in Minnesota, and there was a great group of women that I was excited about getting to know. Not only did I learn a lot about the history of coffee in Salvador, I learned to admire the country and the people, and I made a lot of excellent connections.

For those of you as clueless about El Salvador as I was before committing to this trip, I’ll share a little background information. Salvador is the smallest, and most densely-populated country in Central America, and the only country without both a Pacific and Caribbean coast. The country borders Guatemala to the west, Honduras to the north, Nicaragua to the east. It has the most volcanoes of any Central American country and has a mostly mountainous terrain, which gives it ideal growing conditions for coffee. There are five main growing regions in Salvador, of which we visited two: Apaneca-Llamatepec Mountain Range (Santa Ana Volcano is highest peak), and the Central Belt (San Salvador Volcano is highest peak).

In the 1970s, El Salvador was rated as the forth largest coffee exporting country, at 3.5 million bags. The decade of the 80s, though, brought Salvador’s production to a crawl, from which they are only now beginning to recover. A twelve year civil war, where some 75,000 people were killed, ended in 1992. During the decade of the 80s, an estimated 300,000 people fled the country, including many coffee landholders. This resulted in an abandonment of the land and the coffee plants. The abandonment of the land in the 80s has helped Salvador to create a name for itself in the Specialty Coffee industry today, as it is home to many heirloom varietals, including the sought-after Bourbon, Pacas and Pacamara (natural mutations of Bourbon).

We were able to participate in several cuppings while on tour and I found Salvadoran coffees to be a hidden gem, and quite different from other Central American coffees. This is due primarily to the main varietal, Bourbon, produced in the country. These coffees, overall, were very complex with hints of chocolate, vanilla, acidic fruits, and an excellent body detected in most samples. I was very impressed with the coffee and am pleased to announce that we have purchased a box of FTO
Salvadors for this year, and look forward to carrying more coffees from this origin next year.

Okay, now, after the praise of Salvadoran coffee, I must also share my concerns. It is difficult to foresee how Salvadoran coffee will carve out its niche in the coffee market of today. Will it once again become a top-producing country? They do have the quality to do so, but there were a few things that I noticed while there that will be interesting to follow in the coming years. One, there is very little organic coffee there. What concerned me is the overall lack of desire to produce organic and acknowledgement that organic coffees are in ever-increasing demand in the specialty coffee industry. Of course, there are exceptions (our FTOs that are afloat, amongst others), but I learned that less than five percent of coffee grown in Salvador is organic. The aforementioned may be a result of the fact that they are a reemerging producer in the specialty market and maybe they will come around (I suspect they will). I did have several conversations with both producers and coop managers about the organic issue and I learned that many have the misconception that, in their conversion to organic, they will have a 60-75% crop reduction for several years. Now, I’ve heard figures that hover around a 20% decline (difficult to find solid figures on this) and assume that this is more the case. Plus, I’ve heard of production increasing from going organic. It’s all dependent, I suppose, but I have a notion that producers would not be converting to organic if they were not making money at it. Second concern: their milling system. Salvador operates, for the most part, on a system of larger, regional mills. I think that the absence of smaller wet mills will limit Salvador’s production of fancy ‘boutique’ coffees, which are also becoming more and more popular in our industry. With these larger mills, it is very difficult to keep different lots of coffee separate, reducing the traceability that so many of us look for.

Luckily, having traveled to this origin, I met many of the exceptions to the above-mentioned concerns. We are excited to continue to make these connections, which will allow us to bring in new and exciting coffees. Consider trying the FTO Salvador that we have for this year, and look forward to an expanded selection of Salvadoran coffees in the coming years.

—Emily Naber (Emily@cafeimports.com).

A few roasters and I went to Colombia last month to visit farms and meet with growers in the region of Huila. We flew in to Bogotá, where we met a couple of guys from the Colombian Coffee Federation (FNC) who are the exporters for most of the boutique Colombian coffees we import. We spent the next five days getting up early and going to bed late. We flew and drove and cupped coffee...and drove and flew and ate a lot... and drank Aguardiente and cupped coffee and drove and flew some more. It was truly fantastic!

Over the last few years, Café Imports has brought in many coffees from the region of Huila such as Campo Alegre, Glorius, Huila Select and the Super Decaf (EA), so we thought it fitting to tour this region. We have found the coffees from this part of the country to be high in acidity, intensely fruity, and sweet.

Our first stop was the Colombian Coffee Federation office in Bogotá, where we were given an overview of the history of Colombian coffee and the intricacies of the FNC. It is an old and democratic organization of coffee farmers that provides technical assistance and purchasing stations, builds infrastructure, schools and health clinics. That afternoon we boarded a small plane and headed South to the interior of Huila, where it was 100 degrees and where we spent the next few days visiting producer groups and farms.

The most striking thing about this part of Colombia is the natural beauty of the countryside. It is primarily rich, green jungle with small farms etched across the mountainsides. There are two mountain ranges that meet in the region of Huila, with the country’s largest river flowing in the valley between them.

Colombia is one of two coffee producing countries in the world that harvests two crops in the same year. The north harvests in the fall and the south in the spring. Huila is located in such a remarkable micro-climate that they get harvests from both ranges and harvests.

The Huila departmental coffee committee, that we met with for a round table discussion, believes that they have a “gift of nature in the outstanding quality of their coffee.” They say that “coffee is life”. Farmers in Huila, through the efforts of the associations and the FNC are very aware of the effects on the environment from processing coffees. The technical farms use a type of Aqua-pulper to remove the meat from the cherry. The old style requires 40 liters of water per kilo and the new improved technical type, an earth saving 1.5 liters! Many farmers are actively converting to Rainforest Alliance (RA) and welcome the structure it gives to what they have always believed in: protecting their resources. They state their challenge as “to be sustainable and to increase quality”.

In quality competitions over the last few years, Huila has fared exceptionally well. In the Cup of Excellence they had 16 of the last 25 coffees. In the Illy competitions they were in the top 5 over the last two years; in 2002 they took 1st through 5th place.

In the town of Pitalito we met with the association and discussed our coffee philosophies and theirs. We asked and answered questions and then concluded the meeting with a round of applause and a few cases of beer. We then climbed in to the back of some trucks and jeeps and headed up the mountain to a farm at nearly 6,000 feet where they had prepared a feast for us. The Mayor arrived and everyone feasted.

We took a tour of the facility, a recent RA certified farm and were shown the improvements in processing and conservation, including domiciles for the employees and a water and septic system. Afterward the Mayor and his brother stood on the patio and entertained us with traditional music and a band of youth danced for us in traditional Huilanese fashion.

Afterwards, they let us ride their motorcycles down the mountain, of which I cannot share photos or my insurance agent and wife will be clamoring to choke me. Wow, what a day!

These people were fantastic. They were friendly, happy, proud and kind. They have a beautiful and rich country and are blessed, I believe.

—Andrew Miller (Andrew@cafeimports.com)

It's a long one...read on.

Honduras 2006. Journal of Emily Naber.

Arrival in San Pedro Sula on 30 April, 2006.
It was HOT when I arrived in SPS. I was overdressed because I always freeze on the plane. Found the driver to the hotel with relative ease. We communicated in my broken Spanish and I learned that José has 4 kids and likes to spend his weekends at the beach with his family. He even pointed out his house.

Nearing the hotel, there are 3 Pizza Huts on one block, two on one side, one on the other. There’s an Applebee’s, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts… the people are very proud of this. José pointed these out to me, proudly. I smiled, although it made me sick. But, who am I to say how these people should live their lives and what should make them proud?

When I arrived at the hotel, Arnoldo Paz greeted me. I took a nap and then met the group for dinner.

1 May. First day of CoE.
I was a little bit nervous about being a judge at the Cup of Excellence. It was my first event of the type, and having been in the industry for a year, was not confident of my cupping abilities, with the likes of many industry veterans. After our calibration exercise the first morning, though, I found that I was well-calibrated with the group and trusted my abilities.

A bit more awake today and began getting to know the other jurors. We have jurors from the US, Europe, Japan, Taiwan, Canada and Colombia. What a great group!

2 May. First day of cupping CoE contenders.
Already sick of buffet food. Had a great first few rounds of cupping the competition coffees. Finding some nice coffees in the bunch. Lots of chocolate and nice fruit flavors.

Went on a field trip today to La Fe, Coffee Research Center and had dinner at Finca Las Glorias, on Lake Yojoa. I wished that it wasn’t dark out when we got to the Lake. With the program, Trees for the Future, we planted over 80,000 trees in this region as part of our becoming ‘carbon neutral’ (see www.treesftf.org for more information). It would have been great to see, for myself, the geography of where our trees are planted.
It was nice to interact with the other jurors over a few cervezas.

3 May. Intensive cupping day.
Three full rounds of cupping today, 10 coffees per round. We took another bus tour to visit the beautiful Finca Buenos Aires. Our driver happened to be my friend, José! Afterwards, we visited Cactril, a coffee cooperative.

Joel (of Stumptown) and I went out to a local bar with Arnoldo and Miguel Pon of IHCAFE. We ended up at a place called ‘The Spur’ and began drinking Flor de Caña and paying the Mariachi band to stay and play at our table. I couple of the others joined us out and we made a night of it. We had a great time, and I was even fortunate enough to play one of the Mariachi’s guitars.

4 May. Cupping all day.
Another all day cupping marathon… It’s challenging to stay fresh when you’re cupping 50 coffees per day, from the same origin. But, when we keep the program and the objective in our minds, it makes it a bit easier. Whoever we grant the Cup of Excellence to, could really have a life-changing experience. They’ll receive top dollar for their coffees and open up opportunities for future relationships with buyers. This means everything to the farmers. Cup on!

5 May. Final day of the competition.
Another buffet. I am feeling like quite the sloth from all of this eating… that, and the treadmills in the ‘modern gym’ are not working. I need some exercise!

Today we cupped the top 10 coffees, to establish an order and determine the #1 coffee in the competition. After this session, we had an open discussion with the coffee growers who are in the top 10. It was a bit overwhelming. They all want to make contacts with importers that can buy their coffee long-term. Upon hearing that I am an importer, I got flocked. I did my best to communicate our needs and what we’re looking for to the farmers and gave out a stack of business cards. It’s great to see the excitement of the farmers and sad, at the same time, to see the desperation of many of them. I hope that this truly opens up doors for them.

The award ceremony was held at the hotel, outside in a tent. So much energy in the tent, and nervousness amongst the farmers, many of whom had to travel all day to be at the ceremony. Was an emotional ceremony, to see all of the farmers winning their awards and see the disappointment on some of their faces. This disappointment was especially apparent when the top prize was awarded. The winning farmer was not a poor farmer (like many there), and is apparently the owner of a couple of Dunkin Donuts franchises in the country. But, can’t let this disenchant us too much. This competition is conducted fairly and all samples are cupped blindly. …some people just have an unfair advantage. There is always next year, though, and this competition gives the farmers something to strive for, and rewards them for greatness.

The group went out for dinner tonight and out to a karaoke bar afterwards. We had a few singers in the group. Some went out clubbing late-night, too. I opted for sleep.

6 & 7 May. Travel day.
On my way to the island of Utila. I had to catch a bus to La Ceiba and found it to be quite the challenge. When I asked one of the program coordinators about the bus to La Ceiba, they said that it left every hour and that it would be no problem. I was set to catch the afternoon ferry to Utila and had my lodging booked in advance (which wasn’t at all necessary, as I found out when I finally got there…).

When I arrived at the bus station, I asked what time the next bus to La Ceiba left. I was informed by the attendant (who found this very funny) that it didn’t leave till 3:45. It was 10 a.m. at the time… ! In my best Spanish, I asked if there were another bus company who went to La Ceiba earlier. Yes, there was a company across town that had a 2 p.m. bus. I decided to go for it and try to catch the afternoon ferry.
I missed the ferry by half and hour and then had the problem of where to stay for the night. I met a nice woman, Liz, from the UK and she and I decided to try and find a cheap hostel. We found it. $5/night. It came complete with bedbugs! Aargh.
Finally got to Utila the next day, round noon. Got in an afternoon dive.

8 May. On Utila.
Early a.m. dives. Saw some great rays, nurse sharks and nice coral. Not a lot of fish, though. Over harvested. The sea was quite rough and I was really motion sick. I decided, once I made it back to land, to cancel my dives for the next day in attempt to enjoy some time on the island and not feel dizzy for my travels back to the states.
Had a great, cheap dinner on the island and read for hours.

9 May. Utila.
Set out today to find out about flying off of the island to try and avoid the troubles on my way out to the island. I had to walk across the island to this woman, Helen’s, house. She’s the island travel-agent. I could fly off the island into SPS for $100. I was sold. Had to walk back to my room, get money, and then back to her to pay cash for the ticket.

Spent the afternoon sea kayaking around the island, walking, and getting attacked by biting flies. Read some more and had beers with a new friend, Brad, that I met on the island. Read some more, took a nap… Ahhh, vacation! I am so glad that I spent $4/day for air conditioning in my room. My lodging was $12/day with air.
Early to bed. 6am flight off the island.

10 May. Back to reality.
The airport on Utila is a tin-roofed shelter on top of a hill. Six of us waited there for an hour-and-a-half for our plane to show up. It was an hour late. We finally got on our way, though, and stopped in La Ceiba and then off to SPS. I was glad to be heading home!