Articles in the Travel Stories Category

Nicaragua Trip Report

Banks Thomas •  05 February 2012

We’ve done a lot of direct trade work in Nicaragua in recent years, which is why it’s no surprise that this large Central American country is one our favourites to visit.

Only, this sourcing trip was a little different than most. For the first time, Kevin Burk our Director of Sales and I travelled to Nicaragua with Andrew and Jeff, friends and partners from ThirstFirst. ThirstFirst is our exclusive provider of whole bean office coffee in the Lower Mainland.

Visiting Nicaragua for the first time can be an incredibly humbling and jarring experience. In Nicaragua they depend on coffee and there’s nothing quite like a trip to the northeastern part of country to drive that home.

Coffee in Nicaragua is normally sun dried however, the weather has been very wet this year so the coffee needs to be wrapped in black plastic (tamale style!) so it does not get wet.Day 1: Rain, rain, go away.

Together, Jeff, Andrew, Kevin and I explored the grounds of the Soppexcca cooperative and I could tell right away by the look and size of the coffee lots that it was not business as usual.

Typically, the month of January is very hot and very dry in Nicaragua - ideal conditions to dry freshly washed coffee beans - only this year the rain would not let up. Many of the co-ops in this part of the world still rely on the sun-drying process, this is where coffee beans are laid out to dry in the open air on a cement patio, so unexpected wet weather can really affect a farmer’s output, not to mention put them weeks behind schedule.

Fortunately, Soppexcca did have a handful of seasonal lots for us to cup; only this visit was a not-so-subtle reminder for Jeff, Andrew, Kevin and I about the challenges that coffee farmers and co-ops around the world face when weather conditions are inconsistent.

Finca Los Pinos - Byron sharing his thoughts on biodynamic coffee farming.Day 2: Organic coffee farming through the eyes of the grower.

A sourcing trip to Nicaragua would not be complete without a visit to Finca Los Pinos in Jinotega, the home and coffee farm of our longtime direct trade partner Byron Corrales.

Not one to sit on his laurels, I’m always excited to see the creative varietal hybrids Byron and his team are working on in a given season. Byron met us at  Sol café, the café inside Cecocafen co-op’s dry mill in Matagalpa, where we cupped some of his exceptional coffee before we headed out by truck to his farm. A biodynamic coffee farmer, Byron’s commitment to organic coffee production is second to none. Here’s what Jeff from ThirstFirst had to say about his time with Byron:

“The experience for me was very humbling. What Salt Spring is doing to better the lives of the people they deal with in Nicaragua is extremely heartfelt and fulfilling. I am that much more passionate about coffee, the processes and the industry now that I’ve seen it first hand. One thing that really hit home was the fact I use organic products because I feel they are better for me. And yes they are, but the real benefit of using organic products (coffee) is the positive impact it plays on the people growing the product.”

Andrew from ThirstFirst. After one hour picking, we each earned a little less than one Canadian dollar.Jeff’s thoughts echo those of Salt Spring Coffee wholeheartedly. When Mickey and Robbyn started Salt Spring Coffee in 1996 they set out to create a company with great coffee that doesn’t compromise the earth – or its people. Organic coffee production helps keep pesticides and chemicals out of waterways, like creeks and rivers, and helps to protect ground water too.

Picking coffee cherries with Byron.

After visiting with Byron, we travelled to his sister’s coffee farm where Jeff, Andrew, Kevin and I were put to work picking ripe coffee cherries by hand. To put it in context, after one hour of picking I’d earned a little less than one Canadian dollar. The work is hard on the hands, and very detailed. Byron though, clearly got a great deal of joy watching us harvest his sister’s coffee cherries. His chuckles, coupled with his direction to “work faster”, I think, sums up his impression of our picking skills.

Day 3: A visit to Prodecoop and its dry mill.

Despite the fact that they have faced some of the same weather-related challenges as Soppexcca co-op, Prodecoop has managed to produce some extraordinarily beautiful coffee this season. Out of the 12 coffees that we cupped, two in particular stood out: one from co-op José Alfredo Zeledón and the other from co-op Zacarias Padilla, both from the San Juan del Rio Coco region in northeastern Nicaragua (about a three-hour drive from Jinotega).

Cupping at Prodecoop.What excites me most about the cupping scores of these two coffees is that José Alfredo Zeledón and Zacarias Padilla are the two co-ops that received chippers last March (2011) through our Fair to Farmer Direct program. To be able to taste the difference the chippers have made, and to see these two coffee communities benefiting from the equipment is incredibly rewarding.

Homebound.

Like always, at the end of a sourcing trip I’m ready to head home and to see my family. Only in the back of my mind I’m already planning my next trip. I don’t know what it is about being on the ground in ‘coffee country,’ but I just can’t get enough.

Thanks to Jeff and Andrew from ThirstFirst for accompanying us on this incredible visit to Nicaragua. Until next time,

Banks Thomas, Director of Coffee

Category: Travel Stories

Honduras Trip Report

Banks Thomas •  06 January 2012

Sumatra, Nicaragua, Peru and… Honduras? It’s time.

For the last three years we’ve worked hard to develop our Fair to Farmer (F2F) direct trade program in countries, like Indonesia, Nicaragua and Peru. And, while we’re still 100% committed to our partner co-ops in these countries and thrilled with the quality of coffee they’re producing, we like to keep an eye on promising coffee markets.

Travelling to up-and-coming coffee markets gives us the chance to us to discover beautiful, untapped seasonal coffee first hand. It also lets us develop personal relationships with coffee farmers and co-ops - one of the key pieces of our direct trade model.

A bit of background.

Finca Popitos, co-op CapucasGenerally speaking, in recent years Honduran farms have had a reputation within the coffee industry for producing average beans. Though, lately things have shifted and the coffee industry is taking note.

Honduran co-op managers and coffee farmers have come to see - maybe because of the quality of coffee coming out of nearby Nicaragua - that if they want to secure a premium price for their green coffee beans they've got to produce a high quality product. So, with that said, we packed our bags and readied ourselves for our first sourcing trip to Honduras.

Hitting the ground in Honduras.

For this trip, we focused our attention on the Copan region in Western Honduras. Once we landed our first move was to track down Peter Rodriguez of Honduran Quality Coffee. Peter is the person to talk to in the Copan region when it comes to sourcing beautiful, seasonal coffee. With only three days to tour the region, Peter said that we had to visit co-op Capucas and co-op Cocafelol, both near Beneficio Santa Rosa. And, as with most trips, Peter proved that it’s incredibly helpful to know a local.

Co-op visit 1: Capucas

Capucas is about a one hour’s drive from Beneficio Santa Rosa in the Las Capucas, Copan region. Jose Omar, the co-op’s General Manager, kindly met me at the door and after a quick tour of the co-op's operations, he invited me to see Finca Popitos. Finca Popitos is, based on other farms I've seen, a shinning example of a quality coffee farm.

We also visited coffee farmer Jose Isidro Lara. Jose, Peter told me, is thought of as the ‘master of processing’ in the region. Jose Isidro Lara takes the processing of his coffee so seriously that he himself is the only individual allowed on his drying patio (a rarity in the industry given the amount of work associated with drying coffee). It’s clear to me, from Jose’s attention to detail that he's committed to producing premium coffee.

Co-op visit 2: Cocafelol

Near co-op CapucasAt Cocafelol we had the great pleasure of meeting General Manager and coffee farmer Roberto Salazar, who gave us a personal tour of the co-op. Once again, I was blown away by its cleanliness and the attention to detail at the co-op’s washing station and in its drying areas. What impressed me most though is Roberto’s commitment to coffee education – not just for direct trade buyers like us and visitors to the cooperative – but for his farmers.

Every season Roberto roasts, brews and tastes the co-op's coffee with the farmers. For me, this is incredibly telling. The vast majority of coffee farmers don’t taste or cup the coffee they produce. What this means is that they don’t get the chance to reflect upon the quality of coffee they've grown in a given season.

Giving the farming community the opportunity to taste their coffee means that they are much more likely to become invested in the quality of product they produce.

Home bound.

It’s true; the buzz about Honduran coffee in the Copan region is well deserved. Not only did I cup coffee that scored in the mid-80s and above at Capucas and Cocafelol, the management and day-to-day operations at each co-op impressed me. Given everything we’ve seen on this trip, and if weather conditions remain consistent in the region, we hope to share a Honduran coffee or two as part of our seasonal lineup this spring.

Cheers and until next time,

Banks Thomas, Director of Coffee

Category: Travel Stories

Peru 2011 Trip Report

Banks Thomas •  08 September 2011

Like always, the first few days of a trip to origin are all travel, and Peru is no exception.

This year we travelled through three different countries, logged a total of 15-hours in the air and racked-up another 10-hours in the truck before we reached our destination: Villa Rica.

Andes mountains, while driving from Lima to Villa Rica - July 2011The drive from Lima to Villa Rica is one of the most beautiful drives I’ve ever experienced. And although I’ve done this drive several times now, I’m still amazed at the landscape of Peru. Coastal desert turns into high, dry mountains that peak at around 4,800 meters. And then, as you descend the mountains begin to turn to green as you enter the outer areas of the jungle.

There's no question that this is a tough drive. But it’s a drive I’ll do any time thanks to the sights, and the fact that there’s coffee to discover at the other end.

Farm Visit 1 - Villa Rica.

On our first day in Villa Rica we visited the Yanesha, a group we first met two years ago. With the support of a local non-governmental organization (NGO) the Yanesha's coffee quality has come a long way in just a few short years. So much so, that this year their coffee cupped at 84, where two years ago it cupped at 80. And although we're not buying a container of coffee from the Yanesha this year, I have high hopes for them in the future. They are one to watch.

Farm Visit 2 - CAC Palomar

Just outside Villa Rica is CAC Palomar, a co-op that we’ve visited three times now. Since my very first visit to CAC Palomar in 2010 it's clear the quality of their coffee has improved thanks to a few production refinements at the co-op and farm level.

First, the farmers for CAC Palomar now process their coffee cherries at the co-op as opposed to on their own farms. Second, the co-op hired highly trained staff to process the farmers' harvests. And although these may seem like subtle changes, both of these production refinements have had an impact on CAC Palomar's coffee quality.

(From left to right) At CAC Palomar with Lorenzo and farmer Pedro Mateo López Gaspar

Visit 3 - Finca Marin

Just down the road from CAC Palomar is Finca Marin, the home of our upcoming seasonal Culinary Single Origin from Peru.

We discovered Finca Marin by chance last July (2010) while on a direct trade sourcing trip to the Villa Rica district. Owned and operated by the three Marin brothers, Finca Marin is a certified organic coffee farm. Its coffee is also grown and harvested in accordance with Rudolph Steiner’s teachings on biodynamic agriculture.

Biodynamics calls for new thinking in every aspect of the food system. From how land is owned, to how farms are capitalized, to how food is produced, distributed and prepared.

Farm Visit 4 - CAC Pangoa.

Always a treat, this year’s visit to CAC Pangoa is one I’ll never forget. In a single moment a Fair to Farmer Direct project of tremendous value was born. Read Mickey’s account of our time at CAC Pangoa and about our new financial management project with CAC Pangoa »

Home bound.

As I reflect on this trip and our visits to Villa Rica, CAC Palomar, Finca Marin and CAC Pangoa, I am once again reminded just how important our sourcing trips to origin are. Not only for the farmers and co-ops that we work with but also to help us retain our understanding and appreciation of the coffee craft.

The lives of our partner farmers and their families depend on coffee. They break their backs daily to produce the highest quality coffee beans for us, and for that we at Salt Spring Coffee are both grateful and humble.

I’m already looking forward to our next trip to Peru, which is slated for Spring 2012.

Category: Travel Stories

Banks is back from Sumatra

Banks Thomas •  24 March 2011

I love visiting Sumatra...

although one of the hardest parts of traveling to Sumatra is simply the travel itself. It all starts with a 3:10am departure from Vancouver enroute to Hong Kong (a 13-hour flight over 15 time zones); next, a four-hour flight to Kuala Lumpur and finally another short one-hour flight to my destination: Medan, Sumatra.

Sorting at C.V. SidikalangCheck-in and Check-up

Admittedly, the motivation behind this month’s visit to Sumatra is a little different than usual, and very different than our visit to Nicaragua earlier this month.

As we mentioned back in January, friends and colleagues within the KBQB co-op and the coffee industry shared that we may experience challenges securing this year’s supply of high quality coffee from Sumatra because of extreme rains in Aceh in recent months, and a lack of rain in Lintong.

So, with Sumatra, Aceh Gayo as one of our most popular Single Origin coffees, we wanted to ensure that all was well for the coming year.

Lessons from the Road

What this trip did for us as a company is reinforce the power and importance of direct fair trade. If we didn't enjoy such a strong relationship with KQBQ, I might be anxious about our Sumatran supply in the coming year.

The best news of all is that not only are we going to have high quality coffee from Sumatra, Aceh Gayo again this year, we were also able to contract enough of our Sumatra High Density (a Micro-Lot in 2010) to introduce this excellent brew to our line of Single Origin coffees in 2011. All good things for Sumatran coffee lovers, like our own Mickey McLeod.

Sumatra Travel Journal - Recap

Day 1 and 2. All travel.

3:10 AM departure non-stop to Hong Kong is how it all starts. One of the hardest parts of traveling to Sumatra is the travel itself. First a 13-hour flight that takes me over 15 time zones. Next, a 4-hour flight to Kuala Lumpur then a short one-hour flight to Medan, Sumatra... and, finally a 12-hour nap.

Day 3. Medan, Sumatra with C.V.

Still recovering from jet lag. I visited CV. Sidikalang, a coffee exporter in Medan. We cupped a few spectacular coffees from Lintong and Aceh. The Aceh was really interesting; it was quite bright with a nice spicy flavour to it. Once I get to Aceh, hopefully I'll get a chance to meet the farmers that grew this awesome coffee.

Cupping at Volkopi, Indonesia.Day 4. Volkopi, Indonesia.

This morning I was lucky enough to have time to cup at Volkopi, Indonesia before leaving for Aceh - and wow were these coffees good. We cupped 10 coffees overall, all good but a few really stood out: Aged Sumatra Peaberry, Lake Tawar and a blend from Lintong. At the moment, I believe the best coffees in Sumatra are coming from Volkopi. I would love to write more about these unique coffees but it's time to jump on a very small plane and head to Aceh.

Day 4 Part 2: Travel to Takengon, Sumatra.

Travel from Medan to Takengon (home of KBQB co-op) was grueling. It started with a bumpy one-hour flight, then a windy five-hour drive into the mountains. Thankfully the trip ended at guesthouse (later than expected) with outstanding Chinese food.

Day 5 Part 1: Cupping at KBQB.

Our morning was spent cupping coffees from KBQB. As always the coffees from this area are extraordinary. I am happy to announce that the high density bean will be our Single Origin Sumatra this year. We should have new crop in June and will have enough for the whole year.

Day 5 Part 2: Tour of KBQB.

The KBQB dry mill is one of the cleanest and best-organized mills that I've visited. This place does huge volumes of coffee; just yesterday they received 37 tonnes of wet coffee, which will yield about 12 tonnes of grade one organic coffee. Although I heard that this was going to be a challenging year in Sumatra, so far things are looking ok for Salt Spring Coffee.

Day 5 Part 3: Farm visit.

I ended the day with three farm visits. The farmers had their homes and farms completely burned down in 2004 during the civil war in the Aceh region. With the help of KBQB co-op these farmers have been able to move back onto their old land, rebuild their homes, replant their coffee and get their lives back. Be on the lookout for a blog about this in coming weeks.

Abdul, one of the farmers who rebuilt his coffee crop with the help of the KBQB.Day 6.

Today we visited a few more rehabilitated farms of KBQB’s. The afternoon was spent meeting the board members of the Tunas Indus co-op and then a trip to their dry mill. At this point in the harvest season, they don’t have any coffee to show, so our visit was short but nevertheless important.

Day 7 Journey home.

Left Takengon Saturday morning on NBA airline, which uses old small airplanes that look like a bus with wings to fly back to Medan. We’re spending the night in Medan and then starting the long trek back to Vancouver with some really interesting coffee samples that we'll be tasting at Friday's 10:00 staff cupping. See everyone soon.

Category: Travel Stories

On the ground in Nicaragua

Mickey McLeod •  10 March 2011

I really enjoy trips to origin. No matter how tired I am before I leave, I get a surge of energy as I'm landing.

I love being hands on and learning about the challenges, issues and achievements first hand. For this trip it was great to bring a team of staff with me to share in the experience and also bring back personal examples of the work we are doing in Nicaragua.

Origin trips are all about relationships. We created our Fair to Farmer Direct program so that we could have a more meaningful relationship with co-ops and farmers. This is why it’s critical that either Banks Thomas our Director of Coffee or I visit co-ops and farmers in Central and South America, as well as Indonesia each and every year.

Before we created our Fair to Farmer Direct program I knew that by deepening our relationships with farmers, Salt Spring Coffee would eventually have a positive impact on the health and prosperity of the co-ops and farmers.

This year we’re committed to doing a better job of showing you the relationships we’ve formed through web posts, photo galleries and a series of short videos.

So what does a deeper relationship with co-ops and farmers look like in practical terms? We thought you might appreciate an example.

Nicaragua

Salt Spring Coffee has visited the San Juan del Rio Coco region in Northwestern Nicaragua six times in the last the five years, and twice in the last six months. In this region we work specifically with two outstanding partner co-ops: Zacarias Padillo and Jose Alfredo Zeladon. Responsive, willing and open, they’ve been working with us to find creative solutions to some of their daily challenges – namely, improving their coffee quality and crop yields.

During a previous visit to Nicaragua, we identified that although these co-ops were growing their coffees organically, there was an opportunity to improve soil fertility through some basic equipment additions.

After some research and consultation with other farmers, most notably Byron Corrales of Byron’s Maracaturra, we identified that incorporating a small chipper into each co-ops’ chain of production could make a world of difference to the vitality of their soil.

Getting chippers to the co-ops took some work. We personally picked up three chippers in Jinotega, loaded and tied down all three to the back of our pickup truck, and hand delivered them to Zacaris Padillo (about five hours by truck from Jinotega) where I started it up and gave a demonstration on its use.

What’s a chipper?

It’s a piece of equipment that chops-up coffee plant trimmings and other organic vegetation. You name it, leaves, branches, residue from wet processing and other readily available organic materials are fair game. Mix all that with some cow and horse manure and there you have it - a good basic compost. Now it's up to them to create the mixture that will feed and enrich next season's harvest.

The delivery of the chippers to our co-op partners at Zacarias Padillo gives me tremendous satisfaction. I was moved by the excitement and passion of the co-op leaders. They could not wait to start using the chippers - right away they were brainstorming and talking through how they would put them to good use.

I’m already looking forward to going back to Zacarias Padillo later this year to see the progress they’ve made.

What origin trips like this always do is drive home why we the make extra efforts we do, and reinforce the value of Fair to Farmer Direct at Salt Spring Coffee.

Category: Travel Stories