Our Coffee Subscription Pick: Feb 1-15

Culinary Single Origin - Sumatra, Aceh Gayo.

Yes, it’s true - Sumatran coffee has been a long-time favourite of Mickey McLeod’s our co-founder, President & CEO - and while historically we’ve purchased our Sumatra, Aceh Gayo by fair trade, in 2010 we proudly signed the Koperasi Baitul Qiradh Baburrayyan (KBQB) co-op to our Fair to Farmer Direct program.

The Co-operative

Today, with 8,000 members (1600 of which are women) the KBQB co-op has flourished tremendously in just a few short years. Despite a civil war being waged in its home province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (a peace treaty was signed in August 2005) and the devastating earthquake and tsunami that rocked the region in late 2004, the KBQB co-op has emerged as a bright light in Aceh.

The Visit

Mickey, Robbyn and I first visited the KBQB co-op in 2009 and plan to return again this March. Our intent is to continue developing (and nurturing) our relationship with the KBQB and to cup coffees from its 2011 harvest. To our dismay though, friends and colleagues within the KBQB co-op and the coffee industry as a whole have shared that we may experience challenges securing a large supply of high-quality coffee from Sumatra - due to extreme rains in recent months.

It’s our sincere hope that we are able to fulfill our long-term purchase agreement with the KBQB – not only for Salt Spring coffee lovers and café goers, but to help relieve (in a small way) the financial burden a co-op experiences when an entire seasons coffee crop is lost.

Enjoy your cup.

Banks Thomas, Director of Coffee

2011 Pick 1.2