An educational opportunity of a lifetime, I've been asked to tag along on a trip to Costa Rica! Bob, our green coffee buyer, visits every year and a couple of folks from Batdorf get to join him. This time it's me, Brad (Atlanta roaster), and Jim (building maintenance, problem solver, Master Recycler).
We'll spend about a week there in January. First, we'll visit Hacienda La Minita, whichhas long been a model for coffee estates around the world due to the farms social equity, 200 acre wildlife reserve and amazing coffee.I'll get to visitthe farm and mill, participate in a day of harvesting coffee and cup next years coffee crop with our old friend, Scott Merle. We'll also visit the producer of our Organic Costa Rica, AFAORCA, which will show us the model for sustainable organic coffee production in action.
It will be very interesting to compare the two producers and see differing perspectives on how to address concerns of Specialty Coffee production. I hope to learn a lot while I'm there, particularly in the realms of Coffee Agronomy andProcessing, Relationship building and maintaining. I also hope to relax a bit and just take in the location(s). Pictures and stories tell me it's a beautiful place, with good coffee to boot. And this is my job? More posts to come when we get there!