My Tour Through the Kenyan Coffee Industry (continued)

What I took away the most from this comprehensive trip through all facets of the Kenyan coffee industry was that it is becoming increasingly harder for farmers to make a livable wage growing coffee. This is not something unique to Kenya as it is happening all over the world. The market price for coffee worldwide has dropped, which means that farmers are getting less return for the same work they’ve put in for years. Part of this is due to the new popularity of ways to mechanically harvest coffee. Willson explained that there is a lack in coffee education for these smallholder farmers, which includes education about ideal growing methods pertaining to varietals, soil, optimal weather, and temperatures. Processing mills like the one we visited have been holding onto beans and cherries waiting for the market to drop and the prices rise so that they can get a higher return on their beans. The problem with this is that the beans then get older and run the risk of getting moldy, lowering the quality and therefore the monetary value of the coffee. Sometimes these farmers will not see any return on the coffee they’ve harvested for up to or more than a year. It is extremely difficult for these farmers and their families to survive on getting paid a small amount of money once a year.

Another issue smallholder farmers in Kenya face is the division of land. In coffee growing families, land is subdivided between children once their parents who own the property cannot work their land. For example, this means that a smallholder farmer who has two acres of land and has to divide the land by three for all three of their children, leaving each child with less than an acre to grow coffee on. Growing and harvesting coffee is very labor-intensive and growing a small amount of coffee is not worth the work that has to be put into it. This leaves most of these farmers to make the choice of uprooting their coffee and planting another crop or selling their land. Many young people are leaving the countryside and moving to the city where there are more opportunities, causing there to be less of a future for coffee in some of these areas. On our drive through the countryside, specifically in Kiambu, we passed by many lots of coffee that were for sale. A lot of the time these lands will be bought up and bulldozed to be used for building homes, condos or businesses. Willson told us that the more and more of these croplands are being uprooted to make way for developments. 

Regardless of the difficulties of growing coffee, Kenya is still renowned for producing exceptional high-grade coffees. It is exciting to see a rise in specialty cafes and consumption of specialty coffees in Kenya. Every coffee growing country has different methods of operating on all levels, from the varietals grown to its trading laws. There are so many links in the supply chain to get coffee into our hands in the United States from the source, each one as important as the last. Throughout this day, I threw out all I knew (and thought I knew) about coffee, so that I could fully absorb what was being taught to me. Seeing how coffee is sourced and traded was invaluable, and gave me a greater understanding and appreciation for my daily cup of coffee.

Written by Annie Quiñones, Operations Manager of Snowy Owl Coffee Roasters

Honduras, Santa Barbara; El Roble, Gabriel Leiva – Ally Coffee

Region: Santa Barbara
Producer: Gabriel Leiva
Farm: El Roble
Variety: Catimor
Process: Washed
Harvest: November – March
Elevation: 1,600 masl
Tasting Notes: Hibiscus, Lime, Currant

Gabriel Leiva lives and produces coffee with his family in the hills of Santa Barbara mountain in Los Andes, Santa Barbara, Honduras. Although the peak of this mountain reaches up to 2,600 meters above sea level, Finca El Roble is located at 1,600 masl. The densely forested area surrounding the farm is a part of a national park and just above Lake La Yojoa. This microlot is fully washed and dried on raised solar beds.

This coffee was prepped for export at Exportadora San Vicente located not far from Finca El Roble, on the shores of La Yojoa. Exportadora San Vicente is a family run business founded more than forty years ago and now works with over 200 producers from the area, many of which have won titles in the Honduras Cup of Excellence.

The region this coffee is produced in, Santa Barbara, extends from Honduras’ border with Guatemala into the central mountain highlands. Along with Santa Barbara Mountain, located in this region is the Reserva de Vida Silvestre Montaña Verde wild animal preserve. The rainforests in this area are known to have rich biodiversity. There are many small holder farmers in this region. Temperatures in this region maintain a range between 54°F - 72°F throughout the year and trees used to shade coffee include fruit trees, such as guava, and forest hardwoods, such as pine.

This coffee is currently available in-stores and for purchase online

Colombia, Nariño; El Obraje, Pablo Andres Guerrero – Ally Coffee

Region: Nariño
Producer: Pablo Andres Guerrero
Farm: El Obraje
Variety: Caturra
Process: Natural
Harvest: July
Elevation: 2200 masl
Tasting Notes: Toffee, Berry, Lemon

Hacienda El Obraje has been in Pablo Guerrero’s family for many years, originally producing wheat and grains until the government began importing them in the 1990’s. When this happened, Pablo and his team worked to find a different crop to produce, starting first with fruit trees. They tried this for 10 years but the challenges of bringing the fresh fruit to market made cultivation of apples and peaches unsuccessful. Pablo Guerrero then turned to coffee.

Pablo Guerrero was the first to bring coffee to the Tangua area, as its altitudes averaging around 2,200 meters above sea level were thought to be too high for coffee growth. The coffee he produces has a very unique flavor due to the farm’s high altitude and mineral rich soil of nearby volcanic mountains. Another uncommon aspect of El Obraje is the drastic range in daily temperatures, it can be as high as 90°F and as low as 46°F in one day. This considerable change in temperature impacts the density of the beans and causes the trees to grow smaller and more compact than coffee trees of the same (caturra) varietal in other regions of Colombia. Since his coffees have thrived, others in this region have begun to grow coffee as well.

When Pablo Guerrero first began cultivating coffee in 2000, he only produced conventional coffee and did not have a processing mill. By 2009, he built his own mill and transitioned to producing only specialty coffee. His background in architecture has helped him in the planning, building and organization of El Obraje. He uses two distinct methods to process his coffee, natural and washed. The natural process is used mostly in places with limited access to water; El Obraje does not receive adequate rainfall to only use the washed method of processing coffee. He developed an irrigation system from the farm’s retention pond to use on specific lots to combat this problem in the growing stage.

This coffee is currently available in-stores and for purchase online

Peru, Cusco – Lucmabamba; Huadquiña Cooperative - Red Fox Coffee Merchants

Region: Cusco

Province: La Convención

District: Santa Teresa

Community: Lucmabamba

Number of Producers: 11

Cooperative: Huadquiña

Altitude: 1800 – 2000 masl

Variety: Typica, Caturra, Bourbon

Process: Washed

Flavor Notes: Fig, Honey, Orange

Huadquiña cooperative is located in Santa Teresa, Cusco, Peru. It is near the base of the Templo de La Luna, an ancient Incan ceremonial temple, which is on the Urubamba river. Huadquiña started as a small operation in 1964 but since Red Fox Coffee Merchants began working with them in 2015, they’ve quickly grown with 11 producers contributing their harvests. Until recently the nearest major coffee trading hub, Quillabamba, which is about 90 minutes away from Huadquiña was ruled by a large cooperative union. This caused smaller cooperatives great difficulty in navigating the trade channels; because of this, the quality potential from this region went unnoticed and unrealized for many years. In 2015, the large ruling organization was disbanded, opening up the region to new trading opportunities that it had never experienced before.  La Convención is far off the beaten path, a 6 hour drive to town through high mountain passes. The varietals found in this area are typically bourbon, typica and caturra and are produced at elevations between 1,800 – 2,000 meters above sea level.

This coffee is currently available in-stores and for purchase online

Isabel Souza

Photo by Erin Gavile

Isabel Souza , or Izzy, first began playing with clay at an after school program. Born and raised in Truro, Massachusetts, Isabel absorbed the artist culture that is endemic to this part of Cape Cod and continued to play with pottery throughout her childhood. At the age of 10, she was granted a scholarship by Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill and pursued her ceramic studies through her time at Nauset Regional high School, where she studied with Amy Kandall (Green Thumb Ceramics).

In May of 2019, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BFA from Syracuse University, where she studied art and business. While in college, Isabel took advantage of an opportunity to study abroad in Florence Italy in 2018. After graduating, Izzy moved back to Cape Cod and has pursued the artist life on our sandbar.

Most cafe mugs popular in the specialty coffee world are mass-manufactured in China because we, coffee shop owners, need precision. If we sell 10oz cappuccinos and 12/16oz lattes, we need our mugs to be consistently 10oz, 12oz, and 16oz. We also need a certain level of durability since we are serving over 100 coffees per day. Finally, the ability to stack our mugs is key in a small space where so many items get knocked over.

Before we met Isabel, we ordered our mugs from well-known specialty coffee supply companies. In our search for a local potter who could make us custom mugs, we learned quickly that mass-producing stackable mugs of the same size was not something most artists could do (or wanted to do, most likely). Artists love the unique aspect of their work and are rarely excited by the opportunity to produce many of the same thing. And, let’s face it, the precision needed to throw 25 x 10oz mugs is not a skill that is easy to come by.

We met Isabel in the fall of 2019 and were blown away by the work she was producing at such a young age. Fresh out of college, Isabel looked like an early-twenty-something, but her demeanor was that of a refined and experienced business owner. When we began to discuss collaborating, we were blown away that every question we began with a “Can you do…” was answered with a definitive “Yes.” (Did we mention that we were blown away by Izzy?!) The ordering process was as easy as ordering from any of our previous suppliers. That is to say, this girl has the business savy merged with the artistry, a combination of skills that we know will take her far in her career.

The decision to work together to create our own custom, in-house mugs was an easy one, and we are thrilled to finally be able to serve our coffees in mugs that represent the creativity, saltiness, and talent of Cape Codders. And, we now have a selection of her retail products for sale!

photography by Erin Gavle and Isabel Souza

Brazil Cafe Delas - Olam

Region: Patrocínio, Cerrado Mineiro, Minas Gerais

Process: Natural

Some Farmers Include: Delza Resende de Castro Chagas of Quebranzol farm, Telma Batista Machado of Bom Jardim farm

Flavor Notes: Chocolate, caramel, dried fruits, pear

Café Delas is a program developed to help empower women in the coffee industry in Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is no secret that women are often invisible although not absent on coffee farms across the world. This initiative is geared towards giving coffee growing women a platform to have an equal voice in leadership and access to resources and knowledge that they need to grow their operations in the field. Olam, the coffee importer and creator of this program found that women are more likely to invest their income back into their families and communities, improving education, nutrition, and health. All of the coffee produced by farmers in the Café Delas program can be traced back to women growers. Not only do women farm the land, they are in charge of all other aspects of the business. For every pound of coffee purchased from Café Delas, Olam reinvests 3 cents into initiatives that promote gender equality and the empowerment of women in the coffee industry.

Burundi Bavyeyi Ngozi - JNP

Region: Ngozi Province

Variety: Natural Bourbon

Altitude: 1800 m ASL

Process: Natural

This direct trade coffee is grown in the Ngozi Province of Burundi at an altitude of 1,800 meters above sea level. This natural bourbon varietal is grown, harvested and processed by a woman-owned cooperative that has more than 600 members mainly comprised of Muslim women. JNP coffee is a company that produces and exports specialty coffee from Africa, primarily Burundi. The founder of JNP, Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian, has roots in this particular province of Burundi. Her mother grew up in this province harvesting coffee on her family’s farm to cover school fees. This is the reason why this coffee is named, “Bavyeyi”, which means “parents” in Kirundi. JNP coffee has a relationship with the farmers and producers at the washing station, helping to improve practices that will strengthen crops and achieve higher cupping scores. This coffee is processed naturally, giving it a fruity flavor.  This syrupy coffee offers notes of red fruit, brown sugar and vanilla.

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Edido Washed - Olam

Subregion: Yirgacheffe

Wet Mill: Edido – managed by Abdulmejid Jibril

Process: Washed

Growing Altitude: 1800-2200masl

Flavor Notes: Lemon tea, strawberry, florals

This grade 1 washed coffee comes from the Edido washing station in the Yirgacheffe district of Ethiopia which is managed by Abdulmejid Jibril. There are 650 smallholder farmers that contribute to this station, bringing in their ripest cherries. All of these farms are located between 1,800-2,200 meters above sea level in the surrounding area. Washing stations like this give small scale coffee farmers the opportunity to sell their coffee to larger markets. Ethiopia is known as the birthplace of coffee, and Yirgacheffe is known specifically for producing high quality coffee. With the combination of high altitude, fertile soil, consistent and plentiful rains, and the locals’ proficiency in coffee growing, it has ideal growing conditions. Coffee thrives in the rich environment that the forests in this area provide. 

Ethiopia Gelana Abaya Natural - Olam

Mill: Gelana Abaya dry mill, managed by Alemu Bukato

Region: Doko Chere Kebel, Gelana Abaya

Process: Natural

Altitude: 1,800-2,000 masl

Rainfall: 1,800-2,000 millimeters per year

Varietal: Indigenous heirloom 

Flavor Notes: Red fruit, Honey, Jam

This grade 1 coffee is processed at the Gelana Abaya dry mill in the Doko Chere Kebel region of Ethiopia, which is managed by Alemu Bukato. 750 small scale farmers from the surrounding area bring their coffee to this mill to be dry processed. Each farmer has an average of 2 hectares of land to grow their coffee, with a harvest period between October and January. With 1,800-2,000 millimeters of rainfall each year and its naturally fertile soil, this region is ideal for growing coffee. This indigenous heirloom varietal is unique to this region and can be found growing in the wild. The coffees produced in this subregion of Yirgacheffe are known for their complex flavor and when processed naturally they have a juicy, jam-like flavor with a creamy body. 

Vietnam Lam Dong - Olam

Altitude: 900-1400 masl

Varietal: Catimor, Bourbon/Typica

Process: Wet Hulling

Flavor Notes: Cedar, Lime, Dried Fruit

This grade 1 coffee from the Lam Dong province of Vietnam is grown at a variety of altitudes between 900-1,400 meters above sea level.  This province is renowned for producing some of the purest teas in the world and is home to 60% of Vietnam's arabica coffee production. Vietnam primarily produces robusta coffee (arabica's more bitter, more resilient, and higher caffeinated cousin) and is actually the second largest producer of robusta in the world. In recent years there has been a shift towards growing higher quality specialty coffee in Vietnam in order to increase crop value and revenue for farmers. The varietals in this lot are 95% catimor and 5% bourbon/typica, and are all Rainforest Alliance certified. These beans are harvested between September and February and are wet hulled, a process that involves more fermentation and higher moisture content than typical coffee washing processes lending earthy and herb like notes to the coffee. This cup has notes of Cedar, Lime, and Dried Fruit making it a great fall season coffee.

Kenya Murang’a Peaberry Riakiberu Station - Olam

This Peaberry coffee comes from the Riakiberu washing station in Kenya’s Murang’a province north of Nairobi. Around 700 small holder farmers from the region bring their ripe cherries to this station to be washed and processed in the fully washed and wet processing method. The soil in which the coffee is grown is rich in volcanic minerals lending a unique and bright flavor to the beans. The Riakiberu Coffee Factory belongs to the Kamacharia Farmers Cooperative Society. They strive to cultivate a transparent relationship with local farmers and assist in maintaining sustainable industry growth in Kenya, while ensuring premium prices and quality to the farmers. The flavor notes you could expect to taste in this bright coffee are sweet lime, grape and grapefruit.

Finca El Cipres - Farm to Roast

Finca El Cipres is a small farm run by Jose Herrera and his family in Huabal, Jaen, Peru. Located adjacent to a protected forest and the Chorro Blanco waterfall, it rests at an elevation of 1800 meters above sea level. The farm is only accessible after a 30-40 minute trek on horseback or by foot through mountainous terrain. Because of this, Jose and his family live on the farm during the harvest season. Along with coffee, there is an abundance of cypress trees (the farm’s namesake), sugarcane, and banana trees. The family of Jose Herrera has been growing coffee for several generations, his father and his grandfather currently work alongside him on this property. Sourcing from their 90% Red Caturra and 10% Yellow Caturra beans, this coffee was the winner of a regional coffee competition between over 50 farms. Once harvested, the fully ripened cherries are wet-processed and sun-dried on concrete patios for 7-12 days. A cup of this light and airy coffee may bring up notes of citrus, caramel, and strawberry.

Edgar Prudencio – Pisonayniyoq Farm; Cusco, Peru – Campesino Mateo

Region: Cusco
Producer: Edgar Prudencio
Farm: Pisonayniyoq
Altitude: 1,800 – 1950 masl
Varietal: Typica and Bourbon
Process: Fully washed
Harvest Period: July-September
Flavor Notes: Aromas of caramel, red berries – mild acidity nicely balanced with the sweetness of cocoa nibs and sugarcane juice 

Edgar Prudencio’s farm sits in the Quellouno valley within one of the smaller sub-valleys formed by creeks and gullies that run through the landscape. He was born on this farm and relies heavily on the coffee he produces. Apart from growing coffee, he takes care of his mother who still lives on the land. Unknowingly, he has been producing specialty coffee for many years and now is excited at the opportunity to reap the rewards from it. In addition to coffee, he grows bananas, cherimoya, yuca, taro root and other vegetables, with hopes of expanding into other markets. He uses natural farming practices to get the most he can out of his trees, by making his own organic compost out of coffee cherry skins, guano de isla, phosphoric rocks, and decomposing organic matter. He processes all his coffee using a fully washed method, with the beans drying in their parchment on raised beds in his greenhouse. 

Heber Moscoso, Chintamocco Farm – Campesino Mateo

Heber’s farm is located 1,850 meters above sea level, in the Quellouno Valley of Cusco. He grew up in this region working on coffee farms alongside his family. They rely heavily on the income they get from their production and sale of coffee, however they now have plans to expand their crop to include other fruits and vegetables. Heber used a traditional fermentation method this year that resulted in a clean and balanced cup of coffee. The trees on his lot are all of the Typica variety and are selectively harvested by picking the highest quality beans. Although this coffee is not certified organic, Heber and his family follow natural and organic practices. When drinking this coffee you can expect to taste notes of lemon, cocoa, and caramel.

Eusebio Ayequipa & Ilda Alvarez, Quellounuyoq Farm – Campesino Mateo

Located 2,400 meters above sea level in Peru’s Valley of Saxsara, Eusebio and Ilda’s farm is considered to be one of the highest elevation farms in the world. Climate change and the melting of nearby glaciers has sped up the growth of their coffee, yielding a plentiful harvest. The location of their farm also benefits from many streams that keep their soil fairly humid year round, which sustains them through the dry season extending their growing period to 9 months in total. On their property, Eusebio and Ilda also produce avocados, passion fruits, sugarcane, bananas, guinea pigs, chickens and ducks. In this coffee you can expect a clean and balanced cup, with flavor notes of orange, cocoa, and caramel.

Gregorio Quispe Mamani; Cusco, Peru - Campesino Mateo

Snowy Owl is proud to present this Limited Edition Direct Trade Coffee from the farm of Gregorio Quispe Mamani. The passion Gregorio and his family have for their coffee is as rich as its flavor. Gregorio only hand selects the ripest cherries and manually pulps and processes them on his farm located in the Cusco region of Peru. This attention to detail and quality yields a deliciously sweet cup that offers notes of lemon and cocoa with a nutty finish.  We are thrilled to be partnering with Campesino Mateo to bring this delicious coffee from Gregorio’s home in Peru to our home here on Cape Cod.

Honduras CAFESCOR

Region: Copan

Growing Altitude: 1400-1600M

Arabica Varietals: Caturra, Catuai

Process: Washed

Suggested Brew Ratio: 1:15

Flavor Notes: Cocoa, Cherry, Pear

This Honduran coffee is a blend of certified organic coffees coming from the CAFESCOR co-op located in the Copan region. The co-op has a membership of 131 producers made up of 37 women and 94 men across 400 hectares of land. The founder of CAFESCOR, Joel Lopez, is part of a family that has been selling and producing coffee for 4 generations, starting with his great-grandfather in 1865. CAFESCOR was created to help local farmers in the Copan region to sell their coffee to a broader market. This co-op practices Fair Trade and is a member of the Rainforest Alliance. It is part of their mission to promote sustainable social and environmental practices; reducing pollution and conserving water sources while also enhancing the region’s biodiversity. Aside from using this coffee for our cold brew we love it’s notes of cocoa, cherry and pear in a regular drip or pour over as well. 

Mexico CESMACH - Olam

This delicious coffee from the CESMACH Co-op (Campesinos Ecológicos de la Sierra Madre de Chiapas) in Chiapas, Mexico is certified Fair Trade and Organic. It’s a perfectly smooth cup for the upcoming fall season offering rich notes of cocoa, roasted nut, and brown spice. Our red label coffee (our full body label) is from the CESMACH Cooperative (Campesinos Ecológicos de la Sierra Madre de Chiapas). CESMACH is located in the buffer zone of the El Trufino Biosphere in Chiapas Mexico. El Trufino is one of the largest cloud forests in Mexico and protects many endangered species of both plants and animals. It is home to some 390 bird species and contains the largest diversity of tree species in Central and North America. The almost 700 members that make up this Co-op organized themselves in 1994 and have dedicated themselves to organic farming practices to protect the fragility of the biosphere they neighbor, and to create a sustainable income for their families. Certified Organic and Fair Trade, this Mexican coffee offers notes of cocoa, roasted nut, and brown spice which makes a rich, smooth coffee.

Sumatra Crowned Garuda – Olam

The Sumatra Crowned Garuda beans are grown and harvested in the North Sumatra and Aceh regions of Indonesia at an altitude between 1,100 and 1,300 meters. Over the past 6 years, our importer, Olam, has done extensive work at identifying the best practices in this region to ensure a close relationship with the farmer. Through this practice they carefully select and process by wet hulling to create a flavor unique to these grade 1 beans. This coffee has a full body profile with herbal and earthy notes including tobacco, cedar and peat moss.

Costa Rica Don Otto

This microlot from producer Otto Esteban Bonilla Avila is grown in the village of Palmira, Costa Rica. It produces a unique cup of coffee with winey notes of citrus and red fruit. We love the complexity of this light bodied coffee, especially when brewed via Chemex or pour over. Our green label (our lighter body label) is a microlot grown by Otto Esteban Bonilla Avila in the village of Palmira, Costa Rica and is 100% Venecia coffee. Otto is a part of the Vistas del Buru micromill which is a family business located within the Brunca region of Costa Rica, the same region in which Palmira is located. Coffee producers from Vista del Buru participate in a program called “Casas de la Alegria” a cooperative operation started by UNICEF in collaboration with the Costa Rican government, international organizations and a number of regional micromills and cooperatives. The mission of “Casas de la Alegria” is to provide education and healthcare to the pickers’ children during the coffee harvest. This unique coffee offers complex winey notes of tropical red fruit and citrus.