Every two minutes, a woman dies from cervical cancer—a preventable, treatable, and curable disease if caught early. Cervical cancer rates in coffee-growing regions are some of the highest in the world simply due to a lack of accessible, high-quality healthcare.
That's where GfH comes in. Since 1996, they've provided health programs for women in coffee communities, including innovative screening and treatment programs to help prevent cervical cancer.
Their inaugural #GfHWeek is a week-long initiative to support female coffee producers at origin, and we’re excited to do our part! From today through March 15, 2024, we’ll be donating $3 for every bag sold and $.50 for every batch brew cup sold at our cafes of these three women-produced coffees:
Imported by our friends at Caravela, Warmikuna means "women" or "group of women" in Kichwa, one of Ecuador's ancestral languages. It was produced by three incredible women: Edith Toledo, Liliana Toledo, and Melida Alverca.
For these women, being coffee producers is a source of pride and accomplishment. Their message to coffee consumers is, 'We are strong, dedicated, and focused. We have the ability to produce high-quality coffee and provide for our families.'
We've been honored to work with many accomplished women producers over the years, including our longtime Direct Trade partner Lucia Ortiz of Finca Las Mercedes!
Finca Las Mercedes has been passed down through five generations of the Ortiz family and is flourishing under Lucia Ortiz’s leadership. Similarly to GfH, Finca Las Mercedes has initiated many programs to help the local community thrive, including operating a medical clinic that offers free check-ups, vaccination campaigns, dental care, and first aid training.
Rosa Mego is a second-generation coffee farmer who owns Finca El Eucalipto, a farm in northern Peru, with her husband, Segundo Olivera.
In 2018, Rosa teamed up with our friends at Caravela to join the Grower Education Program. Since joining the program, Rosa Megos’ resulting harvests have been higher quality, in turn garnering higher prices and allowing her to provide for her family while thinking of the future of El Eucalipto.
In the past few years, Volcán Azul has been the source of a number of exceptional single-origin coffees in our lineup. Needless to say, our team was very excited to begin the trip there!
Day 1: Volcán Azul
"Fifth-generation coffee producer Alejo Castro pulls from 200 years of family tradition and knowledge as he continues to innovate and push the boundaries of specialty coffee on the slopes of the Poás Volcano in Alajuela. Over 50% of Volcán Azul’s production utilizes unique processing methods, such as anaerobic naturals, while also exporting 27 different coffee varieties, including Mokka, SL28, and Gesha."
"One of the newer managed Gesha plantations. No herbicides are used here. The ground cover helps to cool the soil and prevent erosion during the rainy season which will typically start in late April/early May."
"Vivian Kahle, Alejo Castro Kahle, and Fernando Castro Jiménez (flanked by PT's COO Brent Piepergerdes and Bird Rock Coffee Buyer Jacob White). Together, the three continue the legacy of producing coffee that their families began 180 years ago in Costa Rica."
"Alejo explaining the pruning strategy for this section of nine-year-old trees near the mill. Insolation, slope, shade, wind, and soil moisture all must be accounted for in order for pruning methods to be successful."
Day 2: Finca Llanos
"Over the past 8 years, Oscar Echevarria and Stefan Müller of Finca Llanos (pictured at top) have been developing their own approach to soil management. Moving away from synthetic fertilizers, they’ve created their own system to manufacture natural fertilizers using vermicompost that’s pelletized and applied through drip irrigation, yielding a soil that’s nutrient rich and active with microbes."
"This ideal substrate has given them impressive results, with their SL28 and SL34 coffee varieties showing incredible growth only 15 months post germination."
(If Stefan Müller's name looks familiar, that's because he also owns Don Benjie Estate in Panama! He produced our 2023 Good Food Award-winner, Static Gesha Natural.)
Day 3: SMS Specialty
"On our third day, we visited SMS Specialty’s wet mill, Patalillo, located in Tres Rios. SMS works with more than 200 small producers in Costa Rica, providing processing, agricultural, and social services. Additionally, they have their own farm, Hacienda San Ignacio, where new coffee varieties, cultivation techniques, and agricultural technologies are developed and trialed before being shared with their producing partners. We had the opportunity to cup the results of these trials, with the standout hybrid varieties featuring stone fruit sweetness with basil like aromatics."
]]>We're pleased to announce that Flying Monkey, one of our signature espressos, was recently named Brew Queue Favorite in MistoBox's 9th Annual Golden Mug Awards!
]]>We joined MistoBox in 2021 to support their mission of making it easier for coffee lovers to discover and brew the world's best coffee from the comfort of their homes. We're beyond thrilled to know Flying Monkey is a MistoBox fan favorite!
“Loved it! One of our favorites! Send again please!” -Josephine
To determine the Golden Mug Award winners, MistoBox analyzes the data collected each year from hundreds of coffee reviews and ratings to determine a short list of standouts. This year, the 2023 Golden Mug Awards consists of ten categories, ranging from Best Overall Coffee to Roaster of the Year. Brew Queue Favorite is much like a People's Choice award for coffee—it’s determined by what is most in demand with MistoBox subscribers.
Explore MistoBox's full list of Golden Mug Award recipients here.]]>Meet Asdrubal Apolo! Along with his daughter, Mireya, and her husband Freddie, Asdrubal works a five-hectare farm, Nueva Vida, in southwestern Ecuador. It's truly a family operation.
]]>Nueva Vida is truly a small-scale family operation. Aside from Asdrubal, Mireya, and Freddie, they employ 3-4 pickers during harvest. Asdrubal provides them with a weekly wage rather than paying based on the weight of cherries picked.
Caravela, a trusted importer that specializes in Ecuadorian coffee, first imported Asdrubal's coffee in 2022, and we ended up purchasing the entire lot! Then our green coffee buying team jumped at the chance to visit Asdrubal in September 2023 and initiate a direct relationship.
Above: green coffee buyer Jacob White with Asdrubal and his son-in-law, Freddie.
For the 2023 harvest, Asdrubal produced about 400kg of parchment. This ultimately converted to around five 69kg bags of green coffee. All his coffee cherry is honey processed on raised and covered beds. The cherry is floated and then fermented in covered tanks for 70 hours. It is then depulped without water and taken straight to the raised beds where it is rotated during a two-week drying period.
The current lot is predominantly Sarchimor and Acauã. It's sweet and complex in the cup, with a smooth body. We look forward to a fruitful relationship with Asdrubal in the coming years!
]]>Owned by Juan Diego de la Cerda and his family, Finca El Socorro is a model of sustainability and farm management that has proven itself to be one of the best coffee farms in Guatemala, with four First Place Cup of Excellence finishes since 2007. (See highlights from our 2023 visit to the farm here.)
Juan Diego planted Java several years ago in El Socorro's Las Marias plantation. It was one of several lots in which polymers were placed in the planting holes to aid in water absorption, reducing the need for irrigation. El Socorro has had excellent results with this system.
Last year’s harvest was a beautifully structured coffee, opening with aromas of crème brûlée and orange. The creamy body featured notes of yellow plum and rocky road alongside grilled nectarine acidity. Notes of sandalwood, mandarin, and a hint of white pepper emerged in the complex finish.
More details from the Good Food Foundation's press release:
With an unparalleled commitment to honoring artisans who push the boundaries of taste, quality, and ethical production, this year's selection showcases the best of the best in the culinary landscape.
From a pool of over 1,650 entrants, over 200 Good Food Awards judges meticulously evaluated submissions across 18 categories. The 2024 Finalists represent a diverse array of culinary traditions, techniques, and regions, embodying excellence within their craft... "These exceptional producers have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to not only creating extraordinary flavors but also to sustainable practices, supporting their communities, and fostering transparency throughout their supply chains. This year's Finalists are true leaders in the good food movement." said Sarah Weiner, Executive Director of the Good Food Foundation.
The 2024 Good Food Award Winners will be announced on April 29th. Until then, explore the full list of this year's finalists and learn more about the Good Food Foundation here.
While we don’t have Java Washed in stock at the moment, we are currently offering another unique lot from Finca El Socorro: Laurina Washed. Learn more here.
]]>To our longtime customers who have been with us through several iterations of the PT’s brand and countless cups of coffee: thank you so much for your support! It really means the world to us.
To the new customers who discovered us this year: welcome! We're glad you've entrusted us with your caffeine intake and hope you enjoy exploring our wide range of offerings.
Before 2024 rolls around, let’s take a look back at the highlights of our year:
We launched 56 individual coffee offerings in 2023, 17 of which were sourced from our Direct Trade partners in Latin America. Our green coffee buying team visited Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, and beyond to reconnect with our partners and continue forging new partnerships.
As it happens, one of those more recent partnerships resulted in our 2023 Good Food Award! Stefan Muller of Don Benjie Estate has only been producing coffee for 12 years, but his willingness to dive in head-first—completely replanting an abandoned coffee farm with high-quality varieties and exploring processing techniques with the incredible team at Creativa Coffee District—has paid dividends. Our roast of Stefan's Static Gesha Natural received 95 Points from Coffee Review, as well as a 2023 Good Food Award. Needless to say, we look forward to seeing this partnership flourish in the coming years.
Speaking of Coffee Review, we're very proud of the five great reviews we received this year: 93 Points for Flor del Sol Signature Blend, 94 Points for Finca Los Planes La Muela Pacamara, and 95 Points for Volcan Azul Gesha Anaerobic Natural, Peñaherrera AAA Washed, and El Milagro Bourbon Especial! El Milagro, a special microlot from Onyx Coffee's Gems series, also appeared at #27 on Coffee Review's Top 30 Coffees of 2023.
Other highlights:
The biggest news, of course, was our brand refresh in November, which included a transition from 12oz to 10oz bags and all-new packaging across the board. If you missed the big announcement, you can learn about what changed—and why—here. We're really proud of how our collaboration with local artist Alicia Kelly turned out, and we hope you love our refreshed look too.
Now, it’s time to look ahead: Direct Trade coffees from Guatemala, single-origins from Ecuador and Ethiopia, and Per Aspera Benefit Blend are all coming in January. Get your mugs ready!
Cheers to new adventures—and new coffees—in the new year.
- The PT’s Team
]]>In the last few years we’ve been forced to raise prices as our costs have increased, particularly for items like green coffee and packaging materials. Rather than leaving the door open to further price increases on our standard bags, we decided to reduce their size to make our coffees more affordable without sacrificing much volume. We’re also responding to market forces, as 10oz is the preferred size for various distribution channels (beyond our website) through which people discover our coffee.
Our intention here—similar to offering rare and limited Blue Label coffees in 4oz pouches—is to make our full lineup accessible to a wider swath of coffee drinkers.
Happily, this created an opportunity to refresh our look in honor of our 30th Anniversary, six years after our full rebranding by Carpenter Collective. We found a perfect fit with local artist Alicia Kelly, whose cut-paper works evoke natural forms and embody our “handcrafted with love” motto. We’re excited to showcase her subtle yet striking hand-drawn updates to the PT’s look you know and love, emphasizing botanical elements that nod to coffee as an agricultural product as well as a beverage.
Let’s talk about pricing. To answer your burning question: yes, customers who typically buy 12oz bags will now pay less per 10oz bag. Roaster’s Choice subscribers who have received 12oz bags will also see a slight price decrease. (This reduction kicked in on 10/27 for monthly Roaster’s Choice subscribers. Customers who prepaid for 2x12oz Roaster’s Choice subscriptions will hear from us soon via email.)
As ever, the price per ounce of any given coffee decreases as bag size increases: a 2lb bag costs less per ounce than a 10oz bag, and a 5lb bag costs less per ounce than a 2lb bag. 2lb and 5lb pricing has not increased as part of this transition—in fact, we have reduced 2lb and 5lb prices for certain single-origin offerings.
You can save even more on your favorite coffee by taking advantage of our Subscribe + Save discount: 10% off each order when you subscribe for recurring delivery of Signature Blends and most Single-Origins.
But we have one more piece of good news to help ease you through the transition to 10oz bags: we’re offering free domestic shipping on all coffee orders for the rest of the year. Yes, really!
So try out some 10oz bags, adjust the volume or delivery schedule of your subscriptions as needed, and don’t worry about paying for shipping!
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email us at support@ptscoffee.com and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
As always, we're proud to bring you award-winning coffee, hand-crafted with love from seed to cup. Cheers!
- The PT's Team
]]>Mike led two public cuppings at our Crossroads cafe on September 1st with a trick up his sleeve.
First, he covered some coffee roasting basics and explained the profile roasting process, which involves roasting a new arrival in several different ways to determine the best expression of its inherent characteristics. Printouts of roast curves from two development roasts of Colombia El Chaferote Pink Bourbon (exclusive to Roaster's Choice subscribers and the pour over menu at our cafes!) helped illustrate the process.
Then he guided guests through cupping the two bowls of Pink Bourbon that were waiting in front of them: dry fragrance, aroma after filling each bowl with water, breaking the crust at 4 minutes, and beginning to slurp at 12 minutes.
General consensus was that the coffee in the white bowl was a bit thinner and sharper, though with a more intricate aroma. The coffee in the black bowl was described as being more round and sweet, and was the preferred bowl for most attendees.
The big reveal? Both bowls contained the exact same coffee!
Visual cues as simple as the color of the vessel we're drinking out of subconsciously affect our perception of flavor.
When cupping for quality control at our warehouse, the best way to circumvent this quirk of psychology is to replace the lightbulbs in the cupping room with red lightbulbs. Red light prevents us from seeing the true color of the coffee in each bowl, or the contrast among coffee grounds in a given bowl, so that visual cues cannot lead our taste buds astray.
Try it at home: the next time you brew a pot of coffee, taste it out of two mugs that are different colors and see if you note any changes in flavor. The effect will not be as drastic this way, since you already know that both mugs contain the same beverage, but the results might still surprise you!
]]>Much has changed since our last visit a few years ago, from the global—Covid, broad economic shifts—to the local—new leadership at Villa Loyola, a new processing site for Finca Santa Maria. Read on for the latest updates at each farm!
Since Padre Joe’s reassignment and departure from Villa Loyola in late 2019, leadership has been taken on by General Manager Alejandra Giraldo, with coffee production overseen by Agriculture Manager Diego Chicaiza. Born and raised on a coffee farm, Diego has worked various roles in the coffee industry in Colombia since beginning his career in 2008. A certified Q Grader and experienced quality control technician, Diego’s skill sets are fully utilized at Villa Loyola, where he manages coffee production, processing, cuppings for quality assurance, and the roasting program for locally sold coffee.
Alejandra and Diego have refined Villa Loyola’s processing techniques, having settled on baseline washed and natural processes after years of trial and error. For their standard washed process, coffee cherries are collected in 55-gallon drums, sealed, and allowed to further ripen for 72 hours. Afterward, the cherries are depulped and the coffee seeds are allowed to ferment aerobically in stainless steel tanks. After 36 hours, the seeds are floated and washed before being moved to shaded raised beds.
For naturals, coffee cherries are placed in 15-gallon containers. A CO2 tank is used to purge the containers, which are then sealed and placed in a temperature stable room. The cherries ferment for 5 days, with the containers flipped once a day to ensure a homogenous fermentation. Afterward, the cherries are moved to a mechanical dryer for 5 days before being moved to shaded drying beds to finish.
While these processes are becoming more common in the specialty coffee industry, they’re still far from the norm, with most consumers being unfamiliar with them. Incredibly, these are the standard processes used by Villa Loyola for all of their coffees roasted and sold locally in Nariño. If you ever find yourself in the Antonio Nariño Airport, you can pick up a bag of locally-grown and roasted carbonic maceration natural from Villa Loyola!
Since 2020, Armando has shifted processing of Finca Santa Maria’s coffee to his friend Huber Castillo’s wet mill at Finca El Paseo. Since taking over operations at Finca El Paseo in 2015, Huber has spent an enormous amount of time and energy educating himself about coffee processing, diving head first into processing experiments. Over the years, Armando has provided guidance to Huber with respect to improving cup quality. Having observed Huber’s dedication and consistency, Armando felt confident moving Santa Maria’s cherries to the new site.
Cherries are picked and collected at Finca Santa Maria, then moved to El Paseo the following day. There, the cherries are cleaned through recirculation in a salt water solution composed of 4 kilograms of salt to 50 liters of water. This solution is intended to inhibit any mold or bacteria that might produce off flavors in the coffee, while preserving bacteria that might contribute positively. The cleaned cherries are left to continue ripening for an additional 72 hours before being depulped. The depulped coffee seeds are placed in stainless steel tanks and are fermented until all of the mucilage has broken down. After being washed, the seeds are then transported to Armando’s home nearby in Buesaco. There, Armando has dedicated half of the home to raised drying beds.
While it’s unusual to see coffee dried away from the farm or wet mill, drying the parchment coffee at Armando’s primary residence means he can keep a watchful eye on the coffee's progress, and make adjustments at a moment's notice. If humidity rises dramatically, or an unexpected storm occurs, the drying rooms can be closed to prevent unwanted fluctuations in the drying process.
]]>Jacob White, green coffee buyer for PT's and our sister company Bird Rock, traveled to Panama last month to visit some of our Direct Trade partners—including Stefan Muller, producer of our recent Good Food Awards winner!
These producers are at the forefront of specialty coffee production in Panama and are responsible for many of our limited Blue Label offerings throughout the year. Nearly 20 years after the discovery and refinement of Panamanian Gesha, they continue to push the boundaries of specialty coffee by experimenting with fermentation styles, native yeast inoculations, and more.
Read on for Jacob's experiences from his trip:
Our first visit in Panama brings us to Café Kotowa in Boquete, Chiriqui. Owned by third-generation coffee producer Ricardo Koyner, there are seven farms under the Kotowa umbrella throughout the Boquete region. With seven varieties planted between the farms, Ricardo has managed to win the Best of Panama on various occasions in both the Gesha and Traditional Variety categories. A trained agronomist, Ricardo's reputation for excellence and performance in the Best of Panama led to his recognition as Coffee Producer of the Year by the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama.
Ricardo’s inventiveness is exemplified by his custom-designed tank for anaerobic and carbonic maceration fermentations (below). As the coffee cherries begin to ferment, juices are expelled from the fruit, resulting in some of the cherries being submerged while others are not. His design allows the tank to be easily rotated, mixing the fermenting cherries and juices, creating a more homogenous ferment.
His meticulousness can also be seen in the color coding system used at Kotowa’s wet and dry mill. Each variety, process, and farm is assigned a color. A piece of fabric representing each category is stitched to the corner of the bag when the coffee is packaged, allowing workers to easily organize and identify lots through the storage, milling, and shipping process.
Born in Colombia but having spent most of his childhood in Panama, Stefan Muller was unfamiliar with the coffee industry in Panama until meeting his wife’s family in Boquete, where they owned a coffee farm. Stefan fell in love with the region, and 12 years ago jumped at the opportunity to purchase a farm of his own, now known as Don Benjie Estate.
The farm had been abandoned by the previous owner, and required renovation and replanting. Stefan has preserved a diverse range of fruit trees, oaks, and shade trees from around the world. Multiple coffee varieties were already on the farm, with the standouts including Maragogype and a single Orange Bourbon tree. Both the Maragogype and Orange Bourbon are now established plots at Don Benjie, as well as Yellow Catuai, Pacamara, SL28, Mokka, Gesha, and most recently Pink Bourbon.
When walking the farm with Stefan, his love and affection for the land and coffee he works with is immediately obvious. “Fantastic,” “amazing,” and “incredible” are words Stefan uses often as he points out the different varieties, pauses to adore the sprawling trees, and tastes coffee cherries. His excitement spills over to the processing and cupping of his coffees, which is all done on-site.
Three years ago Stefan began experimenting with anaerobic fermentations, and after consulting a friend of his who owns a brewery, began experimenting with carbonic maceration as well. Through multiple experiments, Stefan has developed a preference for carbonic maceration naturals. On the cupping table they expressed florals and fresh fruit flavors, with a restrained note of wine in the aftertaste. His processing isn’t heavy-handed, though, and the flavors of each variety are present and expressive in the cup.
At the end of our cupping and reflecting on all of the work that goes into coffee production, Stefan smiles and says, “It’s a lot of fun.”
Owned by the Peterson family, Hacienda La Esmeralda is the epicenter of the rediscovery of the Gesha variety and the subsequent fascination the Specialty Coffee industry has had with the variety. In 2004, the Petersons decided to separate lots based on their location on the farm, and kept them separated throughout processing. By doing so, the Petersons were able to isolate the cup profile of Panamanian Gesha, experiencing the juicy acidity and multi-layered aromatics that it has to offer. While common practice today, this decision to separate lots was progressive and experimental at the time.
That same spirit of experimentation continues today. On the cupping table is a reference key for the coding used to identify 32 various processes currently being tested, including combinations of fermentations, yeast inoculations, and drying techniques. Customized equipment had to be designed and built for these processes, such as stainless steel fermentation vessels that allow gases to escape and for must (juices released from the coffee cherry) to be removed during fermentation, all while keeping the coffee isolated from the outside environment. Shaded drying beds (nicknamed “wind tunnels” due to the gusts of air that circulate through them) were constructed to allow for slower drying of coffees, with the average lot drying in 29 days. This is in contrast to the 7 to 9 day drying time on the patios.
Most recently, the Esmeralda team has begun isolating native yeasts found at their farms and on coffee cherries, including different genera such as Pichia, Candida, and Saccharomyces. Working with a local university, these yeasts have been isolated and cultured. The various yeasts have been used to inoculate coffee fermentations, with the most successful trials increasing the floral and stone fruit qualities inherent to Gesha when compared to commercial alternatives.
]]>
Learn more about coffee seasonality in our Coffee 101 blog post |
If you drink our blends regularly you might notice a slight change this month as we transition from using coffee from Finca La Providencia, in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, as the basis for most blends.
As we noted in our Guatemala Origin Trip Report last month, La Providencia's flavorful and remarkably consistent coffee provides the "body and soul" of our blends for most of the year. Coffee from Tolima, Colombia will take over that role until mid-summer, when we transition to fresh crop La Providencia.
As usual, this change will not be drastic enough to alter the flavor profile of your favorite blend, but if you pull shots of espresso on a machine at home you might need to adjust your settings slightly to account for the new component. Use our guide to dialing in espresso as a baseline and adjust as necessary.
We're thrilled to announce that Hacienda Bajo Mono Static Gesha Natural, a special Blue Label offering from last summer, won a Good Food Award at the ceremony in Portland on April 21st! Better yet, our sister company Bird Rock Coffee Roasters also won.
The Good Food Awards recognize social and environmental responsibility along the supply chain in tandem with craftsmanship and flavor of the finished product. We're so thankful to have our work—and the work of coffee producers—recognized in this way.
We last won a Good Food Award in 2021 with our roast of Tigesit Waqo Natural, a single-farmer heirloom lot from Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia.
Since taking over an abandoned coffee farm in Boquete, Panama, 12 years ago, Stefan Muller has preserved and replanted a diverse range of fruit trees and shade trees alongside eight unique varieties of coffee, including Gesha.
After harvest, Stefan's natural Gesha was processed via the experimental "Static Cherry" method—an anaerobic fermentation that slows the growth of yeast and bacteria—at Creativa Coffee District's state-of-the-art facility in Boquete. Our head roaster Mike (pictured below with Jacob, green coffee buyer for PT's and Bird Rock) carefully roasted the coffee to coax out intense aromatics, juicy fruit notes, and complex floral elements like hibiscus and Lambrusco wine.
Coffee Review called it "An aromatically intense, deep-toned Panama coffee with focused fruit, floral and sweet herb notes" in their 95-Point review.
We no longer have the winning coffee in stock, but we do have a new offering from the same production team: Stefan Muller Dynamic Cherry Gesha. It's silky and complex with notes of cherry, cedar, and blueberry—another treat for fans of Panamanian Geshas!
~ ~ ~
Our green coffee buyer traveled to Panama earlier this month to visit our Direct Trade partners, including Stefan Muller. Look out for an Origin Trip blog post about the visit soon!
]]>"The drive from Guatemala City to La Providencia in Huehuetenango earlier in the trip took around 8 hours. Lots of beautiful sights along the way, but clearly a time commitment. The return was quicker: starting just a few years ago, daily domestic flights make the trip in about 30 minutes. The view is pretty great too!"
"Our first visit to Bicafe was a rewarding stop on the way to El Socorro. Significant infrastructural investments in 2019 and 2020 have expanded their capabilities to micro- and nano-lot milling and processing of honeys and naturals. Currently, 40% of the mill's energy needs are met through solar panels. Bicafe is once again preparing the coffees for this year's Guatemalan Cup of Excellence."
"Recycled denim has many uses. These denim scraps were first turned into green coffee bags before being upcycled into this sofa at Bicafe."
"Overlooking El Socorro at nearly 2000m."
"Flat areas are hard to come by at El Socorro. This spot may serve in the near future for some of Juan Diego’s experiments in concentrating resources and yields as a means to tackle input cost increases and labor shortages."
"In 2021, Juan Diego completed renovation of the wet mill structure, raising and reinforcing the roof, adding walkways, and additional safety measures. In tandem with the implementation of solar power that provides nearly all yearly energy needs, the wet mill is noticeably more quiet, breezy, and bright."
"Beautiful cherries of Maracaturra on the tree and, post-harvest, in line to be weighed and poured into the receiving tanks."
"One of the most picturesque lots at El Socorro is right next to the wet mill where
yellow and red Bourbon are intermixed underneath the forest canopy."
"A small piece of the solar infrastructure at the farm."
"Juan Diego explaining the pruning strategy for certain lots. Pruning occurs in rows of two each year so that the yield is only reduced by about one-third annually for a given 3-year cycle."
"A natural process lot that was moved from the patio to the raised beds in the early morning."
"A breathtaking view of the wet mill and the principal valley that divides the El Socorro side from the San Guayaba side. The river that starts high above and carves its way through the valley bottom provides all of the fresh water needed at the mill."
"Laurina is a delicate variety known for its small stature. Juan Diego cited recent research that indicates Laurina typically contains between 30-40% the caffeine content of other predominant arabica varietals. Interestingly, Gesha generally has only 70% the caffeine content of other arabicas.
"The most striking aspect of El Socorro is how green and bountiful it looks. Luckily, not every area or varietal ripens at once. This year, the Bourbon, Java, and Laurina are the first to be picked. Gesha and Pacamara are on track to be the last."
"One thing you rarely see among the coffee trees is bare soil. It’s intentional, of course. A large portion of El Socorro is forest preserve. The native trees not only provide shade where needed but lots of leaves and bark that create a layer of detritus of multifaceted benefit. The layer helps suppress weeds, keeps the soil more cool and moist, and replenishes the organic layer. The more substantial the organic layer, the less shade is needed. Less shade equals more photosynthesis.
"One of the most recently planted areas is a lot of yellow Maracaturra situated at 1925m. Looking forward to tasting this in a couple of years!"
Finca La Providencia
"If you've had Flying Monkey, Southpaw, or other Signature Blends recently, you've tasted coffee from La Providencia. It's the body and soul of our blends for a good portion of the year. Max Palacios is the owner of the farm."
"The day's harvest flows into the fermentation tank after depulping."
"After fermentation and washing, the parchment coffee dries in the sun on large concrete patios and is turned regularly to ensure even drying. This step is crucial for optimum cup quality. The workers even change the orientation of the rows as the day passes so that the mounds don't cast shadows."
"After drying, parchment coffee is bagged and loaded onto trucks to be taken to the dry mill. We’ve heard and seen it throughout Guatemala this year, but the labor shortage seems especially acute in Huehuetenango. Proximity to the Mexico border is a major factor, as thousands of people have emigrated north during the pandemic. Timing is essential to the coffee harvest, and with fewer pickers a noticeable amount of coffee is going unpicked."
Finca La Bolsa
La Bolsa is one of three farms owned and managed by Vides58 in Huehuetenango, along with El Rincon and Las Terrazas. Jorge Vides, a doctor, founded La Bolsa in 1958. Since 1995 it has been managed by his daughter, María Elena Vides, and grandson, Renardo “Nayo” Ovalle.
"The nursery at La Bolsa looks vibrant and full right now. They anticipate planting 75,000 new plants of multiple varietals spread across all three farms. Renewal is a constant and organized process given that most coffee trees do not produce a viable volume of cherries until they are 3-4 years old. The current schedule is to renew around 5% each year."
"The mill is at the base of the farm with nearly all of the coffee lots climbing upwards several hundred meters until the sheer rock faces leading to the mountain peaks prevent further cultivation."
"Bees are a new addition to the farm, placed and managed by a neighbor. Bees play an essential role in coffee production by pollinating the coffee trees and helping buds set. La Bolsa also hopes to eventually collect honey from the project."
"One of the best ways to get around Huehue is in the back of a pickup truck. A little bumpy, sure, but the views are worth it!"
]]>"Dry milling is an essential step in producing great coffee, and Servex has provided this service (among others) to many of our Direct Trade partners in Guatemala. After initial processing on the farm, there are numerous steps involved in processing and preparing parchment coffee into green coffee ready for export to roasters like us. Sorting is one such step, in which beans are screened and separated by size, density, and color."
"This sorting machine has three channels: the top or left channel is the A selection of the best (densest) beans; the middle are the B beans that get recirculated into the sorter, and the right are the C beans that are rejected and set aside."
"Servex does more than dry milling. They provide consulting, sampling, logistics, and exporting vital to the green coffee chain. Some essential services they provide go beyond business, to employees' well-being. They have dedicated space for a health clinic where, once a week, a physician is on-site to offer medical care for workers and their families free of charge."
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"Remote and off the electrical grid, Santa Ana is surrounded by private forest reserve. The coffee-growing areas are forested and very steep. This year's SL28 Natural lot is currently drying on the patio. The coffee also spends time in covered raised beds during the drying process, which takes about three weeks for naturals."
"One of Nando's latest experiments is a dry-depulped honey process lot with 72-hour anaerobic fermentation. Looking forward to trying this one!"
"Pineapple Process in the making. To produce 10 (69kg) bags of green coffee, they start with around 70 pineapples. The fruit ferments for 48 hours before being added to the coffee in larger fermentation tanks. The fleshy fruit gets added first and stirred and the juice is added last so that it doesn’t just sink to the bottom. This sits for another 48 hours or so before being drained and then washed."
Stay tuned for updates from Huehuetenango next week!
]]>Their first stop was Chimaltenango Department, home to Fernando Diaz's El Retiro and La Merced farms. Follow along!
El Retiro
"This is Rumoldo, a picker working at El Retiro. The farm manager says he has been picking around 250 pounds of cherries a day. That is nearly twice the average!"
"This year’s Cimarrona crop is about to be picked. Cimarrona is a Bourbon mutation that Anacafe [Guatemala's National Coffee Association] identified at El Retiro several years ago. Seeds from these trees were collected and planted in a new location at El Retiro that is now thriving. One noticeable difference is that the cherries are more compact and have less mucilage than Bourbon."
"Beneficio El Retiro is the wet mill for the farm where the coffee cherries are processed and dried. It’s a very busy time and the patio space is at capacity. The raised beds [pictured at top] are a necessary addition that aids in consistent rotation during the drying process."
La Merced
"La Merced is the other portion of the family farm owned by Nando’s extended family for over 100 years. Around the turn of the century, they sold much of the land between the farms to local families in the area. La Merced is around 200m higher than El Retiro. It is an interesting mix of 100+ year-old Typica and Bourbon and more intensively pruned and managed Pache."
Stay tuned for more from the Vides58 family of farms and Finca El Socorro in Huehuetenango!
]]>And, of course, you: the coffee lovers who keep an eye out for each new release, or obsess over the latest processing innovations, or just love drinking a reliable blend in the morning. You motivate us to source, roast, and serve the best coffee we can find around the globe year after year.
Best of all, we're reaching this milestone with a string of recent successes:
We'll keep doing what we love as long as you love the coffee we roast. Thank you for your support over the years!
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As travel continued to ease slightly we were able to briefly visit Direct Trade partners in Guatemala and Colombia, including Juan Diego de la Cerda of Finca El Socorro and Nando Diaz of Finca Santa Ana (pictured with Jacob White, our green coffee buyer, at top). We continued to keep in touch with our partners through video chatting platforms, making sure that even if we could not see each other physically we could at least meet virtually to review recent harvests and plan for the future!
What did the year really look like?
We offered a total of 71 different coffees, 26 of which were produced by our Direct Trade partners.
We continued to support our local community and our international coffee community with various special offerings:
In June we redesigned our website with a new look, more features to aid in browsing, and improved functionality.
Head Roaster Mike Mazulo and roaster Matthew Yoakum attended the Coffee Roasters Guild Retreat in August, connecting with roasters from around the globe.
In November our cafe in KC's Crossroads neighborhood hosted a latte art throwdown. Our very own barista Tristan Smith (pictured below) earned 4th place in the event!
We rekindled our collaboration with Hazel Hill, a small-batch chocolatier in Topeka, to bring you another unique coffee-infused chocolate bar.
Awards and Accolades
This year was capped by a milestone that will go down in PT’s history! In May, our Yemen Haraaz Red Mahal Aqeeq ul Station Natural earned 97 points from Coffee Review. In December, they named it the #1 Coffee of 2022!
Though we’ve received nearly fifty reviews of 94 and above from Coffee Review over the years, this is our first time clinching the #1 spot on their year-end list.
Meanwhile, Gear Patrol named PT’s one of the Best Coffee Roasters in America and Food & Wine named PT’s Best Coffee Roaster in Kansas!
We of course couldn’t have accomplished any of this without our loyal customers. With your continued support, patronage, and enthusiasm, we’re looking forward to what 2023 will bring with renewed optimism. We love what we do! After all—without the love, it’s just coffee.
]]>Here’s how they described it:
“This exceptional coffee was selected as the No. 1 coffee on Coffee Review’s list of the Top 30 Coffees of 2022. Produced by smallholding farmers, from the Tuffahi, Dawairi, Jaadi and other heirloom varieties of Arabica, in collaboration with Al-Ezzi Industries, and processed by the natural method (dried in the whole fruit).”
It’s the cherry on top of an exciting year for us here at PT’s. Beyond nabbing the top spot with this unique Yemeni offering, we garnered praise for special lots from producers you might be more familiar with throughout the year:
Achieving the No. 1 spot was no mean feat, from the farm to our roasting facility. Shabir Ezzi of Yemeni coffee exporter Al-Ezzi Industries began focusing on buying fresh, not dried, cherries directly from producers in partnership with Cafe Imports in the mid-2010s. This allowed them to control the drying process, drying the cherries evenly on raised beds instead of the traditional patios or rooftops.
Al-Ezzi’s business also differs from the traditional Yemeni coffee market by paying farmers a higher base price for bringing their harvest to participating receiving stations. They are paid premiums for coffees that meet certain standards such as moisture content and quality selection. Fresh, ripe red cherries earn the farmer an additional premium over traditional dried cherries, as this allows Al-Ezzi to ensure quality before drying. Farmers are issued ID cards voluntarily to keep track of deliveries and ensure payment. Each farmer’s contributions are recorded so that the coffees are traceable back down to the individual.
Our very own Mike Mazulo and Lara Prahm took extreme care to develop a sweet, balanced roast profile that allows the coffee’s inherent flavors and complexity to shine. As Coffee Review's synopsis attests, the results are unmistakable:
“Lyrically sweet, stunningly deep, engagingly complex. Dried black cherry, black sage, wild honey sandalwood, honeysuckle in aroma and cup. Juicy-bright structure with malic (green-apple-like) acidity; luscious, satiny mouthfeel. Integrated, multi-layered, flavor-saturated finish.
"A gorgeous stunner of a classic Yemen cup: fruit-laden, floral and sweetly herbaceous—a heady coffee, both aromatically and on the palate.”
Click here to learn more about this coffee and grab a bag to taste for yourself!
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We sat down with Mike and Matt to talk about their experience at the Retreat this summer and share how the event stands out within the industry.
What is the Coffee Roasters Guild retreat?
Mike: It is a collective of like-minded individuals brought together typically yearly, minus COVID, to work together to be educated, to educate, and to build lifelong relationships with folks in the industry.
How long have you been attending?
Mike: My first time was 2015 and I've gone to every retreat since. I have taught seminars in the past but I did not teach this last year. I hope to get back into it next year. I love being in the teacher role, seeing bright eyes and the love for learning new things—so it will be exciting to see what’s to come.
Matt, this was your first time at the Coffee Roasters Guild Retreat. What was it like for you?
Matt: It was intense, welcoming in a lot of ways. I got the impression from a few people that other coffee events are about the newest gadget but this event was filled with people who genuinely have a love for coffee. Farmers, importers, exporters, baristas, roasters. It was very neat to witness.
What kind of things happen day to day at the Retreat?
Mike: There are educational classes you can sign up for. There are heritage classes and there are extra seminars and symposiums they hold every year dealing with different aspects not just with roasting but with the coffee supply chain and sensory portions of coffee. It is a non-stop learning experience, from beginning to end.
I understand Coffee Roasters Guild was canceled in 2020 due to COVID How did it feel to be back?
Mike: It was great to reconnect with folks I haven't seen or even kept in touch with. It was great to pick right back up as if we had seen each other just yesterday.
Why, out of all the years that you could, did you decide to attend this year?
Matt: I’ve been a part of the PT’s family since 2015. I started in production and became curious about roasting and decided to give it a go. Ever since, I’ve been almost exclusively roasting all day every day. I was given the option to attend the year COVID hit, and as you know it was canceled, so this was my first opportunity since.
Do you have to be a roaster to attend this event?
Mike: You do not. Every single year I've met people who have been in all parts of the coffee chain. Farmers to importers, equipment manufacturers, and those who even dial in water for coffee.
What was the most interesting thing you experienced at the retreat?
Matt: I participated in a multitude of classes and seminars, but what was very fun to me was the “team challenges”. There were 12-13 people on the team. What you would do is pick a green coffee and roast for a filter and an espresso. You’d try your best to roast for the profile of the coffee and then be judged at the end. It was very hard to manage, as you can imagine, but all around it was very fun.
Mike: The coolest thing they have at the retreat is the roaster’s tent. It is a tent that has roasting machines from all different manufacturers with representatives to educate about the machines as well as give you the chance to roast on these machines. Either to get it under your belt or to just try it out. As a roaster you might as well try everything because, why not? It’s always amazing to see all these competitors, from manufacturer to roaster, coming together to learn from each other and set aside conflicts of interest for the sake of learning.
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Ever wondered what kind of machines we use for our roasting process, and why? To satisfy your curiosity, we tasked ourselves this week to gather knowledge on that topic and more. The best way to accomplish this was asking our Head Roaster, Mike Mazulo.
Dive into our Q&A below to learn the ins and outs of the roasting process at PT’s:
Q: What machines do you use at PT’s Coffee Roasting Co.?
Mike: We use two Diedrichs—one IR-24 and the other is a IR-5—along with a German Gothot and our sample roaster is a Marty Curtis Primo.
Q: When were they built roughly?
Mike: Our red IR-24 was built in the early 2000s. Black IR-5 in 2014. The Gothot in 1932. The sample roaster, late 90’s.
Q: How much coffee can each machine roast?
Mike: The Gothot roasts upwards of 180 pounds. The IR-24 roasts at a max capacity of 52, but we keep it to 30-46 pounds, while the IR-5 can do up to 12 but we keep it to 2-8 pound batches. (This helps us retain more control over the roast.) The sample roaster only does 100 grams per roast.
Q: What are each of them used for?
Mike: The Gothot is used to roast the components of our post-roast Signature Blends (think John Brown, Southpaw, Flying Monkey, Flor Del Sol, etc.). Our IR-24 is mostly used for production of our staple Single-Origin offerings. The IR-5 is used in coffee profile developments, along with small-batch Blue Label or Single-Origin offerings. The Primo is used for purchased offerings and then we also use it for pre-ship samplings and arrival sampling.
Q: How often are each of them used and tended to?
Mike: We use the Gothot and IR-24 every day. The IR-5 is used a couple days a week for new profile developments and every Tuesday for our Blue Label microlot offerings. Primo is used as needed, varying on samples arriving from origin.
Q: What is it like to roast on these machines?
Mike: Every machine has its own dynamics and each has its own attributes, with the Gothot being a convection roaster and the others conduction. Keeping the roast profile characteristics the same with different styles and different roasting behavior is definitely a fun challenge.
Q: Do you have any other experience with other machines?
Mike: Yes, almost every other machine: Mill City, Giesen, Probat, Loring, US Roaster Corp, Joper, and Ikawa.
Q: Are they manual or automated?
Mike: The Diedrichs are fully manual roasters, while the Gothot is automated with manual controls and finally the Primo is fully manual. Same for our up and coming Probat sample roaster.
Q: Can you explain the difference between roasts and what it takes to get there?
Mike: Let me answer that one with a question: What is a roast? It’s the controlling of heat and air (and in case of our Gothot, drum speed) to reach a temperature of set points in a desired time to achieve certain flavor characteristics and qualities optimal to PT’s desired outcome.
Q: What are the glories of being a roaster?
Mike: It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Behind the glory shots and videos people post on social media, it’s a lot of burning yourself, throwing your back out over throwing heavy bags of beans, sweating non-stop, and restacking pallets, scraping and cleaning the chaff box and flues, among other things. Definitely gives the saying “blood, sweat, and tears” a new meaning when roasting.
In regards to the glories of roasting it is tasting the finished product that achieves the desired characteristics and attributes that we aimed for in the final reputable product. Being able to know how to approach a brew by knowing how it roasted for the bean and process applied.
Also, opening the vac-seal bags cuz that’s super fun!
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We put this off for as long as we could, but the time has come to increase the prices of our Signature Blends. Unfortunately we can no longer absorb the rising costs of green coffee, shipping, and supplies resulting from the ongoing effects of the pandemic.
This is the first time that we've increased the prices of our blends in nearly 5 years. Thank you for understanding and for supporting us as we continue to roast the coffee you love!
There are still a couple of ways that you can save money on your coffee purchases:
• Instead of buying multiple 12oz bags, upgrade to a 2lb or 5lb bag to pay a lower price per ounce of coffee.
• Subscribe for recurring delivery of your favorite coffee and get 10% off every order—all Signature Blends are eligible! Just select "Subscribe + Save 10%" before adding a coffee to your shopping cart, then select a delivery frequency that works for you.
• Sign up for our newsletter to be among the first to hear about sales and special offers.
As always, thank you for choosing PT's!
The homepage banner photo (above) offers a bird's-eye-view of a crucial step in coffee processing: drying harvested cherries. In the photo, a worker at Finca La Bolsa in Huehuetenango, Guatemala tends to natural and washed process coffees that have been meticulously raked and turned for even drying on a concrete patio. A labor of love indeed!
Read on for some highlights:
Easily refine your search while browsing any collection. Select filters on the left side of your desktop screen, or tap the Filters button at the top of your mobile screen.
Product pages for special items like Blue Label coffees and Roaster's Choice subscriptions now highlight important information about roast schedules, packaging, and delivery. No more wondering when your special purchase will roast and ship!
The shopping cart tracks how close you are to our $50 free shipping minimum, and alerts you when you've reached the threshold!
There's much more to discover as you browse. Let us know what you think!
]]>Net profits from Per Aspera this spring totaled $845.75, and we will be rounding our donation up to an even $1,000. This donation will help fund the Kansas Children's Discovery Center's programs and offer free/discounted admission to families who need it. These programs include:
Play Free: Incarcerated mothers/grandmothers are brought from the correctional facility to CDC before their children arrive. They get to have breakfast and lunch together along with a day of play. The mothers also get to meet with their children's caregivers to hear updates about their kids’ lives. The kids then leave before the mothers go back to the facility so they never see their mothers "in custody."
Sensory Friendly Sundays: One Sunday every month where kids on the autism spectrum or with sensory disorders can come play in a calmer environment. They have a music therapist as well as a therapy dog to provide fun interactions without being overwhelming.
Discovery Baby: New parents with infants can play together. Parents get support and tips on ways to interact with their baby.
Medical Warriors: Scheduled after-hours time for children with fragile immune systems to play with their family. These children often cannot go to the library or playgrounds, so this gives them a safe place to have fun and get hands-on learning.
If you'd like to find out more information, visit kansasdiscovery.org.
Make sure to keep an eye out for our next launch for Per Aspera Benefit Blend!
Taking its name from Kansas' state motto—Ad Astra Per Aspera, or "to the stars through difficulties"—our Benefit Blend evolves seasonally, with 100% of net profits going to organizations dedicated to fostering positive social change. We will often focus on Kansas-based causes, but will also take into account organizations that address inequities along the global specialty coffee supply chain.
]]>
Here’s how they described it:
“Lyrically sweet, stunningly deep, engagingly complex. Dried black cherry, black sage, wild honey sandalwood, honeysuckle in aroma and cup. Juicy-bright structure with malic (green-apple-like) acidity; luscious, satiny mouthfeel. Integrated, multi-layered, flavor-saturated finish.”
Achieving such an excellent cup of coffee was no small feat. Shabir Ezzi of Yemeni coffee exporter Al-Ezzi Industries began focusing on buying fresh, not dried, cherries directly from producers in partnership with Cafe Imports in the mid-2010s. This allowed them to control the drying process, drying the cherries evenly on raised beds instead of the traditional patios or rooftops.
Al-Ezzi's business differs from the traditional Yemeni coffee market as well by paying their farmers a higher base price for bringing their harvest to participating receiving stations. They are paid premiums for coffees that meet certain standards such as moisture content and quality selection. Fresh, ripe red cherries earn the farmer an additional premium over the traditional dried cherries, allowing Al-Ezzi to ensure quality before drying. The coffee farmers are issued ID cards, if they so choose, to keep track of deliveries and ensure payment. Each farmer's contributions are recorded so that coffees are traceable down to the individual.
Our very own Mike Mazulo took extreme care to develop a sweet, balanced roast profile that allows the coffee's inherent flavors and complexity to shine. The results are unmistakable. Here's Coffee Review's conclusion:
“A gorgeous stunner of a classic Yemen cup: fruit-laden, floral and sweetly herbaceous—a heady coffee, both aromatically and on the palate.”
Click the link below to grab your own bag of excellence!
Praising our longevity and commitment to Direct Trade partnerships, they write:
“Back in 1993, before at least a few of the roasters on this list were born, Jeff Taylor and Fred Polzin were out in [Topeka] pioneering the notion of direct trade. Every bit as relevant today.”
This is our third time receiving this honor since Food & Wine premiered the list in 2018, and we couldn’t be happier. Founded as a single cafe in 1993 in Topeka, Kansas, we’re proud to have helped pioneer the Direct Trade model, working closely with farmers to ensure their long-term success.
To this day we source nearly 80% of our coffee through this program, still working to achieve that perfect cup of coffee from seed to cup.
To see who stood alongside us on Food & Wine’s list from other states across the U.S.A. go to https://www.foodandwine.com/coffee/best-coffee-roaster-every-state
This blend features three coffees from Africa and Central America. It has a rich body with cherry-like sweetness. The aroma creates a fruity scent notably of pomegranate and grape with a splash of toffee. It has a nutty flavor with a semi-sweet finish, perfect for spring mornings.
As we have in the past with Per Aspera blends, we will be supporting another local organization. This benefit blend’s proceeds will be going directly to the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center in Topeka, Kansas. The Kansas Children's Discovery Center uses donations for programs and to offer free/discounted admission to families who need it. Those programs include:
Play Free: Incarcerated mothers/grandmothers are brought from the correctional facility to CDC before their children arrive. They get to have breakfast and lunch together along with a day of play. The mothers also get to meet with their children's caregivers to hear updates about their kids’ lives. The kids then leave before the mothers go back to the facility so they never see their mothers "in custody."
Sensory Friendly Sundays: One Sunday every month where kids on the autism spectrum or with sensory disorders can come play in a calmer environment. They have a music therapist as well as a therapy dog to provide fun interactions without being overwhelming.
Discovery Baby: New parents with infants can play together. Parents get support and tips on ways to interact with their baby.
Medical Warriors: Scheduled after-hours time for children with fragile immune systems to play with their family. These children often cannot go to the library or playgrounds, so this gives them a safe place to have fun and get hands-on learning.
Kansas Children's Discovery Center is also the first cultural center in Kansas to join the Museums for All initiative. This means that anyone who qualifies for state food assistance programs can get admission for just $3. If you would like to find more information, go to https://kansasdiscovery.org/.
CESMACH (Campesinos Ecologicos de la Sierra Madre de Chiapas) is a cooperative of 455 coffee farmers located in the buffer zone of El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, in the highlands of the Sierra Madre in southern Mexico. It's one of the most diverse forest reserve areas in the world and contains Mesoamerica's largest cloud forest, as well as a protected natural environment for thousands of plant and animal species.
Food 4 Farmers began working with CESMACH in 2013, after coffee leaf rust devastated coffee farms throughout Latin America. Many farmers in Chiapas do not have adequate access to food during the rainy season (June-October). Food 4 Farmers developed a beekeeping program to diversify farmers' output, provide income after the coffee harvest is over each year, and improve nutrition by supporting the growth of coop members' home gardens. As an added bonus, beehives help their coffee plants thrive!
Beehives in the CESMACH beekeeping program.
Here's an update from Food 4 Farmers about what they've accomplished with CESMACH over the past year and their outlook for 2022:
"Thanks to a new revolving loan fund we co-financed with CESMACH, its beekeeping group, Apicultores Real del Triunfo (ART), was able to pay beekeepers in advance for the first time. They also negotiated the sale of honey through a formal contract for the first time and sold their honey for the highest price ever. In total, CESMACH beekeepers produced 39,203 pounds of honey in 2021, generating over $50,000 in additional income—more than twice what they earned in 2020.
"In 2022, PT’s support will help us introduce agroforestry—the integration of trees and shrubs into crop systems—as a food security strategy at CESMACH. We’ll be planting trees on 455 coffee farms to improve environmental health and family nutrition, provide shade for the coffee plants, and promote new sources of income through sales of surplus fruit, cacao and cinnamon. The trees will produce nectar for bees that are part of CESMACH’s beekeeping program and other pollinators.
"CESMACH will also work on securing organic certification for their honey, a process projected to take 2 years. Organic certification will give beekeepers a path to better prices for their high quality specialty honey."
CESMACH beekeeper Mario delivers his honey to the CESMACH warehouse.
We look forward to providing further updates from CESMACH and to working with Food 4 Farmers on the ground in Guatemala and Colombia where we have long-standing Direct Trade relationships. Thanks as always for your support!
]]>Travel was hindered for the second year in a row, disrupting our Direct Trade program but making space for a more flexible evolution. While we had fewer official Direct Trade offerings—which typically involve a trip to origin during harvest—we were able to establish new partnerships and agreements via phone and videoconference.
So what did the year look like?
• We offered 61 unique Single Origin coffees
• 27 of those (44%) were Direct Trade
• Those 27 coffees came from 11 Direct Trade partners. Those partnerships range in age from just one year to 16.
• We continued introducing new incarnations of our Per Aspera benefit blend, focusing on programs that support our community, both locally and globally:
• Per Aspera II benefited local community support group, SilverbackKS. We have worked with SilverbackKS for several years, providing coffee for their Sunday meal program and hosting a donations drop-off area in our cafe.
• Per Aspera III benefited Grounds for Health, a program we've collaborated with several times, whose mission is to combat cervical cancer in coffee-growing communities.
• We began a partnership with Food4Farmers to support their efforts in building food security in remote coffee-growing communities.
Awards + Accolades
The year started off with our roast of Tigesit Waqo's Natural Processed coffee winning a 2021 Good Food Award! (The new harvest is available in our store now.)
In April, Gear Patrol named us one of the 25 Best Roasters in America.
We had four separate high scoring coffees on Coffee Review:
• Colombia Villa Loyola Carbonic Maceration: 93 Points, May 2021
• Rwanda Kinini Village: 94 Points, June 2021
• Colombia Las Margaritas Gesha Honey: 95 Points, November 2021
• Costa Rica San Isidro Red Honey: 95 Points, December 2021
Of course, we couldn't have done any of this without you. This year, we introduced nearly 3,000 new customers to our coffee! You kept us roasting through logistical challenges, supply shortages, and more.
Some things to expect in 2022:
• Delicious coffee, of course!
• We will continue to support non-profit partners through our Per Aspera benefit blend.
• Our local Community Blend—a venture in sustainability and gifting.
With your continued support and patronage, we can look ahead with confidence and renewed determination to move forward. After all... Without the love, it's just coffee.
From all of us at PT's, Happy New Year and best wishes for 2022!
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