Peru 2011 Trip Report

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.

The 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.

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.