Origin Focus: Columbia – Nuevo Futuro Co-op

Our current offering of Columbian is a great example of how the simple act of drinking coffee can make the world a better place, and not just our own little private worlds!  Columbia is a country deeply divided by violent politics and a government propped up by US military aid.  Americans probably associate Columbia with two things: Cocaine and Coffee.  Unfortunately, the coca leaf is theprimary product fueling Columbias economy, producing as much as 2/3rds of the world’s cocaine.  While Columbia has long since been regarded as an origin of premium potential, they exported far less than half the amount as the next largest exporter.

Overlooking 1 of the 140 Nuevo Futuro farms

Nuevo Futuro is a small primary co-operative in the southern Cauca province of Colombia.  The co-operative was initially set up as a coca substitution project based on the higher incomes derived from organic coffee.  They have been steadily expanding into nearby cities and villages, offering  a vital and sustainable alternative to both subsistance farming or coca leaf.  It isn’t hard to understand why they named the cooperative “The New Future Association.”

Once the cooperative establishes a new relationship with a farm, they teach them methods of organic cultivation including composting, alternative pesticides, and legume and livestock rotation.  The small farms also grow maize, beans, sugar cane, yuca, and some livestock for home use.

To learn more about recent challenges to Colombian coffee supplies as well as world wide market conditions, click here.

Origin Focus: Wahana Estate, Sumatra

Younger Coffee Plants, Wahana Estate

 

 I wouldn’t be surprised if the Wahana Estate becomes one of premier Indonesian producers in the next decade!  Established in 2005 in the Northern district of Sidikalang, Sumatra, the Wahana Estate Plantation is a prime example of a vision driven, socially responsible, and ecologically sustainable company.  The plantation size is over 1200 acres with just under half of that under cultivation.  The remaining space is used for processing, composting, coffee nursery, and (this is the really cool part) conservation areas strategically located along sensitive river valleys.

Conservation Area

 The estate currently employs 1000 people, and they have built a clinic to serve them.  Far from being a big bully neighbor, the Wahana company actually buys ripe cherries from surrounding family farms and co-ops to support their processing facility.  It has also created a farmer’s support center to help the area’s growers with farm management, providing shade trees, organic fertilizer, and coffee seeds free of charge.

Workers Clinic

Other Farmers Learn Management Techniques

 

It has yet to be certified, but the Wahana plantation practices Organic and Rainforest Alliance methods of cultivation.  From a specialty coffee perspective, one of the coolest features of their operation is that they process the ripe cherries three different ways.  They actually export washed, semi-washed, and dry-processed lots every year.   Our current Wahana lot is the dry-processed, or natural.  Roasted just to the vienna stage, our Wahana has a sweet-spicy aroma, a rich body, and a strawberry fruit note. 

Dry Mill Hand-picked LaborPalletized Coffee

Why I’m doing Social Media

I’ll admit it: I had a bad attitude about dragging LaSalle St Coffee into the world of social media.  But, my reasons were good, albeit naive.  I didn’t want to add more “branded spam” to people’s news feeds.  I didn’t think I had anything to say.  And truthfully, on the introvert/extrovert scale, I’m more of a Don Draper than a Ryan Seacrest.

I feel differently about Social Media now.  I came to realize that I really believe in our coffees and that I do have things to say about coffee in general and LaSalle St Coffee in particular.  More importantly, I believe that we can promote the love of coffee by advancing coffee culture through our interactions here.

So, to establish a community of coffee, I plan on contributing dynamic content about origins, roasting, brewing, and anything else that might come up along the way.  Your creative participation is encouraged.  Your comments, questions, and feedback are welcome.  That’s what it’s all about.

Andrew