Our Second Reverse Origin Trip

For us at Selva Coffee, it’s of the utmost importance that everyone on our team experience the entire process of our coffees - not only from production to export; but also to learn about the ways that the roasters take each individual lot and make magic with different roast profiles and brewing methods.

I [Nazareth] had the opportunity to visit Denver and Minneapolis to discover new and different parts in the coffee chain.

For example, the importers that help us to bring the best coffees to our customers around the world. During my time in Minneapolis, I spent a few days with the Trabocca team who received me in a very nice way and showed me the dynamics of their work. We also got to cup many of their coffees that come from different origins in the world, which are very different from what we are used to in Costa Rica.

I learned a lot about the different quality controls they utilize. This allows me to take advantage of the visit and provide feedback on my work in the cupping lab back in Tarrazu.  Now, as a team at the Selva Lab we can improve harvest after harvest.

During my stay in Minneapolis I had the opportunity to participate as a volunteer in the Qualifiers for Brewers Competition. I got to see, first hand and for the first time, the different ways in which the participants develop and look for the most interesting way to prepare their coffees. In this event I had the opportunity to meet people who have many years of working in this industry and  some people that are just interested in learning too.

For people it was very interesting to have a person from another origin like Costa Rica in these events. That made me feel special!

After spending a few days in Minneapolis, we went to Denver. I met roasters that we have had a relationship with for some years. Such as, Queen City, Servant, Sweetbloom, Sonder, MiddleState, Strava and also visited others roasters that are not buying coffee yet from Costa Rica. All showed me their way of working, their different roasts and I was able to learn about the type of market that they work for. The different commercialization of their coffees. Also it was very interesting that they take their time to designing a menu and experimenting to bring out the best highlighting. One of the most important fact of all of those roasters is that all of them support important social causes, such as  projects run by women, which makes me feel proud and motivates me to continue working with them.

Español:

Para Selva Coffee es de suma importancia conocer el proceso de nuestros cafés desde su producción hasta la manera en que nuestros clientes hacen magia con estos. 

Tuve la oportunidad de visitar Denver y Minneapolis para conocer partes importante de la cadena del café como lo son los importadores que nos ayudan hacer llegar nuestros mejores cafés a nuestros clientes alrededor del mundo en este caso tuve la oportunidad de compartir con el equipo de Trabocca, los cuales me recibieron de una manera muy agradable y me mostraron la dinámica de su trabajo y catamos muchos de cafés que provienen de distintos orígenes, los cuales son muy diferentes a los que estamos acostumbrados en Costa Rica.

Aprendí sobre los distintos controles de calidad, esto me permite aprovechar y retroalimentar mi trabajo en la sala de catación para que como equipo en Selva Coffee podamos mejorar cosecha tras cosecha.

Durante mi estancia en Minneapolis tuve la oportunidad de participar en un voluntariado en el Brew Competition, conociendo la distintas formas en que los participantes se desenvuelven y buscan la manera más interesante de preparar sus cafés, en este evento tuve la oportunidad de conocer a personas que tienen muchos años de trabajar en esta industria y así como algunos también están interesados en aprender. 

Para la gente fue muy llamativo tener a una persona de otro origen en esos tipos de eventos, siempre abiertos a aprender y compartir conocimiento y experiencias.

Después de estar unos días en Minneapolis fuí a Denver, donde conocí a tostadores con los que ya tenemos relación desde hace algunos años, podemos mencionar a Queen City, Servant, Sweetbloom, Sonder, Middle State, Strava, también visité a otros tostadores que aún no compran de nuestro café. 

Todos ellos me recibieron y me dieron un trato genial,  me mostraron su manera de trabajo, sus distintos tuestes y pude conocer el tipo de mercado al que van dirigidos, me llamó la atención las diferentes formas de comercialización de sus cafés, donde toman su tiempo para diseñar un menú, de experimentar para llevar el mejor resultado y calidad a sus clientes, también debo resaltar que la mayoría apoyan causas sociales muy importantes y entre estos uno de los más especiales es el apoyo a proyectos que son dirigidos por mujeres, el cual me hace sentir orgullosa y me motiva a seguir trabajando con ellos.

Para mí esta experiencia fue increíble, porque a pesar de venir de una familia productora, en años pasados nunca había tenido el suficiente interés de aprender o conocer del mundo del café

En el año 2021 fui aprendiendo, siempre siendo apoyada por mi familia, pero principalmente por mi papá que siempre quiso que yo continuara con el legado familiar que con tanto esfuerzo y años ellos han podido obtener.

El equipo de Selva Coffee también me brindó la oportunidad de ser parte de su equipo  y de compartir conocimientos en esta experiencia.

Ver el trabajo y gran esfuerzo que cada productor pone durante el año desde los cuidados en sus fincas, hasta la parte del procesamiento y beneficiado, me hace sentir muy orgullosa de como en otro país sus cafés están siendo disfrutados y sus historias son llevadas a cada uno de los clientes.

Recent European Coffee Visit

We decided as a company to visit some European cities this year where we have clients and others where we don’t. The main purpose was to meet and spend time with our current clients in order to better understand their business and the markets they are in, as well as strengthen the relationships we have with them. Part of Selva's growth strategy is to visit new roasters and coffee shops, introduce ourselves and try to start new partnerships.

We started the trip in Madrid. Perry and I had never been to this beautiful city and it was very important for us to better understand the coffee scene in the Spanish capital. The first day we spent time with Nolo, Pablo and Eduardo, the owners and founders of Hola Coffee. We went to Mision Cafe, one of their coffee shops located very close to Plaza de Espana. At Mision they serve Hola Coffee and delicious pastries made in house as well as very good breakfast and brunch options. After having coffee and pastries we went to the Hola offices and lab, where they give classes and training mainly to coffee shops for them to learn how to prepare great quality coffee. After visiting Hola offices we couldn’t miss the famous Spanish tapas with Eduardo, Nolo and Pablo. The next day we visited the roastery that is located outside the center around 20 min drive from Malasana. Hola has a 12 kg Diedrich and a nice organized and clean space, we love it. It was nice to spend time with Nolo at the roastery and try some of the coffees they roast from different origins. 

We planned a cupping event with them at the new Mision they opened at the Student Hotel to taste the Costa Rican coffees they got from us as well as other samples we brought to taste with them. It was a great event to share with Hola clients and showcase the new Costa Rican coffees that they just started offering. We were  impressed by all the work the team at Hola is doing to educate their customers and in general their impact in the coffee industry not only in Madrid but also in the country.

We loved Madrid and after visiting some specialty coffee roasters like Toma Cafe and The Fix we realized that in our opinion, the specialty coffee scene is not as big like in other cities in Europe and there is room for the Spanish people to drink better coffee. The few specialty coffee roasters in Madrid are doing a great job, little by little they are creating more education and awareness regarding specialty coffee and we hope they continue doing so.

Our next stop was Seville to visit our client Innefable. Seville is a small but charming city, we didn’t know what to expect but we absolutely love it even though there aren’t many specialty coffee roasters or shops. We have been working with Innefable for a couple years now and we were so excited to visit their Roastery in the town of Tres Hermanas about 30 min drive from the center of Seville. We met Omar and Pablo the owners and founders of Innefable and cupped together some of their coffees including our Costa Rican coffee from Santa Rosa, which was tasting very fruity and complex. They have a nice UG Probat, in our opinion one of the best roasters out there. We really liked and enjoyed our visit and spending time with our friends.

After a couple of days in Seville we arrived in the famous city of Barcelona, it was my first time in Barcelona, Perry’s second time. Compared to Madrid and Seville Barcelona has a lot more specialty coffee roasters. We visited Syra, Slowmov, the Roast Club, El Magnifico, Three Marks and Nomad. In general we see that this city is the one that has developed more specialty coffee in Spain, and it’s not surprising, Barcelona is very multicultural and it almost feels like another country.

Our trip continued and we finally arrived in Croatia. Our main goal in Croatia was to spend time with our good friends at Lively Coffee in Zagreb. We had a great time in Zagreb with Marko, the owner, who of course showed us the best time in this beautiful city known as the small Vienna. In Zagreb the first day, we had a cupping event with some of the Croatian coffee people at Broom 44, one of the best specialty coffee shops in this city. At the cupping event we tasted all the coffees from Costa Rica that Lively gets from us including La Loma, Coopedota and Corazon de Jesus Geisha, we also brought a couple coffees from Costa Rica roasted by Hola Coffee and we all loved the Geisha from Daniela Gutierrez as well as the Sl-28 from Aguilera brothers.

The next day we visited the location where Lively roasts, the roaster is located inside of a coffee shop called Quahwa. Marko is planning to move the roaster in 2023 to a new space where he will have a Loring. We have a great partnership and are so excited for Lively and cannot wait to see the new space.

We finally arrived in Bucharest, our friend Mihai was waiting for us at the airport. The next day we had an educational event with the whole Origo team to explain to them about the work Selva is doing in Costa Rica. We talked about each lot, the processes, varieties and the farmer’s advantages as well as the challenges of their coffees. Afterwards we cupped the fresh 2021-2022 harvest that just arrived at their roastery and all the coffees cupped amazing. We were so excited to be able to spend time with the whole Origo’s team, exchange knowledge and share our passion. Mihai, Origo’s founder, had planned a full agenda of events for us. One of the days we were there we had an event with Origo’s final consumers and clients. It was very interesting to see the level of knowledge they had about specialty coffee and how much they appreciate Origo. This experience was wonderful, I don’t think we ever had this type of event where we sat, talked and drank coffee with the final consumers. We absolutely love it!

The last event Mihai had planned for us was an Irish coffee cocktail night. At this event we tasted amazing Irish coffee and cocktails made with coffee. We also talked with Origo’s clients about Costa Rican coffees and our experience working there with farmers.

After our stay in the Rumanian capital we got a better understanding of the specialty coffee scene in this country, we were amazed by all the knowledge and awareness that there is for specialty coffee as well as all the cafes and roasters there are around the city. We were able to visit Trofic, Steam, Ototo, Mabo, Nomonym, Dropshop, Guido, Saint Roastery, Bob Coffee Lab, Papa Jacques, Sloane and Meron. We believe there is a lot of potential in this market and it is one of the best Eastern European countries for specialty coffee.

Our European trip ended in Israel, a very special place for Selva since Perry was born in Tel Aviv and his family is from here. We were in this wonderful middle eastern country 5 years ago and we definitely saw a small  improvement in the specialty coffee market this time. The interest in high quality coffee is growing little by little . We visited some very nice coffee shops with great coffee such as Cafelix, Ada Hanna, Hoek, Origem, Nahat, Naima, Caya. At Caya we met with Uri, a coffee professional and passionate that has been working in this industry in Israel for many years. We had great conversations and hope to start a project with him and his partner this coming harvest. We know the Israelis drink a lot of coffee but we also know it’s a tricky market for specialty coffee because people still don’t understand and appreciate it. We hope that the specialty coffee will grow more in the next few years. We know Israel has a long way to go but we hope the coming generations will get more education and will appreciate more the value of high quality coffee.

For Selva it is very important to have these experiences of visiting different countries in order to get to know our clients better, make direct connections with them and build stronger relationships as well as be updated and aware about what’s going on in the different markets. It’s our job to understand our current and potential client’s business models and needs in order to be able to help them find the right coffees and the right project for them that can make a positive, responsible and sustainable impact throughout the coffee supply chain.

Our First Reverse Origin Trip

Relationships are the crux of our existence in the specialty coffee industry. There must be a producer or supplier as well as a roaster or retailer and together they must do a spectacular dance in order to create the miracle of a cup of coffee. Adding to the mystic of the partnership is the distance in which is between the two. We know that travel is crucial in order to strengthen that bond and gain understanding.

It’s been our first hand experience that there are many lessons learned when we visit each other. There’s a deeper understanding using the senses - one can see, touch, and feel whats happening that’s not replicable if not in person. Throughout our careers, we’ve been blessed to build and strengthen a number of close relationships thanks to traveling, events, and the kindness of the folks in our industry.

Bags of coffee at Ogahpah

Hanging out with the Airship Crew!

It was always our dream to have our own business in coffee and while we worked in building up other companies, back in the day, we frequently thought about how we would like to invest in our teammates. Encouraging our members to travel and experience the other side of the industry was clearly a necessity. A very proud moment for us came to fruition, recently. When we were able to send our lab manager, Maria Paula who is from San Pedro de Tarrazu, to visit some of our partners on the other side.

Firstly, we feel extremely fortunate to have someone, in Maria Paula, that fits into Selva so well. It gives us even more confidence in choosing to invest and share this experience with her. We hope that through this practice Maria Paula will learn valuable lessons about what happens with our coffees when they arrive at the roastery - as well as what is required of us to deliver the best results. Maria Paula writes of her time visiting our good friends Airship and Ogahpah:

Cupping with the man, myth, legend, Mark : )

An espresso at Airship

English Translation

“During these past two weeks, I have had the experience of visiting two of our clients in the United States. It opened up a perspective that was unknown to me and made it possible to get deeper into the process of our coffees after they have been shipped and delivered to their homes.

It is very important, because in this world we are all connected by this crucial chain. The producers, doing their best work in growing and processing. Us as Selva, opening new doors and opportunities so that the world can find these incredible coffees - working rigorously on quality so that our clients, roasters, and baristas can get the best beans and can then make magic with their roasts, extractions, and special drinks.

Barista training at Airship

Shadow roasting with Airship

I also had the experience of working behind the coffee bar for the very first time. I noticed how all the customers and guests very much enjoy our coffees from Costa Rica and how they prefer them for their sweetness, complexity, and structure. This made me believe that we are doing a great job by continuing to improve each time.

This trip has me feeling very proud of our work and even more so of the renown reputation of Costa Rica coffee all over the world. So, I’m motivated to continue working with a lot of love and dedication; because I know that at the destination of these coffees there are people waiting for them and that love it and work with such passion and dedication just like us.

Hanging out with the Ogahpah Crew!

Selva bags at Ogahpah : )

During these difficult times when agriculture has been so impacted by the change in climate - this experience has motivated me even more to appreciate the labor of our producers and to continue to support them even more. This way, their projects can continue growing and their incredible coffees can arrive to more people around the world.

Those are my feelings as I leave. We are preparing for the next harvest, 21/22, with a lot of emotion and gratitude. We are anxiously awaiting new processes, relationships, and many more coffees to enjoy!”

Selva bags at Airship

Cheers, Claire : )

Original Spanish

“Las últimas dos semanas tuve la experiencia de visitar dos de nuestros clientes en los Estados Unidos, lo cual abrió un panorama desconocido para mi y tuve la posibilidad de conocer más acerca del proceso de nuestros cafés después de que son embarcados y entregados en sus distintos destinos.

Es tan importante como en este mundo todos estamos conectados por una cadena tan importante, los productores haciendo el mejor trabajo en la producción, beneficiado y procesos, nosotros en Selva Coffee abriendo puertas y oportunidades para que el mundo pueda conocer estos increíbles cafés y trabajando muy rigurosamente en la calidad para que nuestros clientes, tostadores y baristas puedan recibir el mejor grano de oro y puedan hacer magia con sus tuestes, calibraciones y distintas bebidas.

Cupping and quality control at Ogahpah

Sample roasting some bags at Ogahpah

Así también tuve la experiencia por primera vez de estar detrás de la barra de cafés y ver como todos los clientes disfrutaban tanto nuestros cafés de Costa Rica y como los prefieren por su dulzor, complejidad y estructura, esto me dirige a pensar que cada vez estamos haciendo un mejor trabajo.

Este viaje me hizo sentir muy orgullosa de nuestro trabajo y sobre todo del renombre que tiene el café de Costa Rica en todo el mundo, así como me motiva a seguir trabajando con mucho amor y dedicación porque sé que en el destino de estos cafés hay personas esperándolo y que aman esto y trabajan con tanta pasion y dedicacion como nosotros lo hacemos.

Shadow roasting at Ogahpah!

Sample analysis of coffees from other countries too

En estos tiempos difíciles donde la agricultura ha sido impactada por los cambios del medio ambiente, esta experiencia me motiva a apreciar aún más la labor de nuestros productores y a seguir apoyándolos aún más para que sus proyectos puedan seguir creciendo y estos cafés increíbles lleguen así a más personas en todo el mundo.

De esta manera me despido y nos preparamos con mucha emoción y gratitud para la cosecha 2021-2022, esperando con ansias nuevos procesos, nuevas relaciones y muchos cafés por disfrutar.”

• Maria Paula Rojas - Lab Manager

Loving Ogahpah production space

Selva bags at a roastery in LA - Cognoscenti

As we have been fortunate enough to be spending some good time with a handful of our partner roasters; we’ve been noticing a common theme. They have all expressed such thankfulness for our visits and introduction into working at origin. We continue to see that roasters are diversifying their buying portfolio and looking to each country for a point of contact - rather than consolidating all their supply from very few, nearby importers. It warms our hearts to see this trend and appreciation for assisting in the new direction of working closer to origin.

All in all we are hooked on the concept of visiting each other and convinced that it elevates everyone involved. We always say that without people coffee couldn’t exist. As people we are impacted by connections with others and the relation that has with what we consume. By coming together, for even a brief amount of time, we can strengthen the bond and make coffee that much better.

Spencer showing us Selva bags at Peixoto

Visiting old coffee friends! Bulat at Mythical

Transitioning from ‘21 to ‘22

We’re nearing the  end of September and fresh harvest coffees are finally arriving to market. It’s about the latest we’ve had new crop coffees land in our short career(s) - usually fresh coffee hits market around August. So, to say it was a challenging harvest is putting it lightly, because so many unique problems presented themselves all at once. 

For starters, the borders were closed going into the 20/21 season and migrant labor for harvesting cherries was a big question mark - growers were uncertain if their crop would be collected and feared that much of their fruit would be lost, fallen to the ground. Later, new protocols were put in place by the government and iCafe in order to receive migrant workers and run processing stations; requiring more money and effort of farmers. With everything going on, a lot of farmers chose not to take on much risk and did not process as many micro lots.

Across pretty much the entire country, the harvest was a full month behind in ripening and the rain season set in early during April - leaving a huge impact on high altitude farms which were still being picked at the peak of their harvest. The harsh weather greatly affected the current crop’s drying as well as  the coming crop’s flowering - it’s already been expected to have less production, especially in higher altitudes. Producers are reporting that they are at half of their typical yield in farms at 1700masl and higher. That is scary, because its where most of the spectacular micro lots come from.

Empty branches at high altitudes

Some flowers stuck, many didn’t

This last season, Costa Rica was also heavily affected with an extremely common secondary defect of partial blacks better known here as “granos manchados” or “chasparria”- literally translated to stained seed. The defect hurt yields for nearly every producer and is extremely difficult to sort out appropriately. We are still looking into the extent and precise effect that these beans cause in the cup as well as what exactly results in the defect, since there are various theories.

Some believe that the defect comes from the plant not absorbing enough nutrients - further saying that the excessive rains are to blame for washing away fertilizer and saturating the plant. Also related to over watering and environment is the commonality of a disease caused by a fungus named, Anthracnose. The fungal disease causes dark lesions on leaves, branches, trunks, and worse of all the fruit, stunting its growth and life. Many believe this common fungus to be the culprit behind the defect. Even now, larger mills and producers are already receiving the very first fanegas of fruit for the 21/22 harvest from lower altitudes - if you can believe it. We’re already being told that these first pickings are still showing signs of many partial black beans. 

Partial blacks or granos manchados

Anthracnoses attacking the branches

This exporting season, shipping lines often canceled carriage which lead to delays in exporting. Discharge ports are backed up and coffee warehouses are slow to strip containers. Roasters are waiting to re-stock with incoming coffee and reserves will be used quickly. There is simply not a lot of coffee in the world market right now and we are sure that you, reading this, are feeling that some way or another. It’s well known that Brazil went through a dreadful frost - adding to the low supply already being forecast across the producing countries.. The biggest players in the global market need more coffee from Costa Rica and the rest of Central America to make up for the low supply and are going into the harvest with extremely competitive prices for fruit.

There is strong speculation in the streets about what the going price will be for a fanega of fruit this season (fanega = ~46kg green). We don’t know for sure what the standard price for a fanega of fruit will be when the harvest hits, but folks are talking about around a 20-25% increase this year. The price for a fanega of decent quality fruit has been hovering around 90,000-100,000 colones or about US$150 for years. The big multinational players are already contracting fruit with farmers for 120,000 - 130,000 colones or about US$200. 

Daniela Gutierrez measuring fanegas

Aguilera Brothers measuring fanegas

Due to the prices being offered, or being expected to be offered, there may be many micro wet mills that are tempted to simply deliver their farm’s fruit; rather than put in all the effort and risk required to produce micro lots. You wouldn’t even need to collect the fruit very well when delivering it to multinationals - again, making it cheaper and easier than harvesting and processing micro lots. At the same time, the cost of production is also rising on farmers as products, labor, and equipment prices go up.

Most of the micro mills that we work with are expecting less coffee, but still want to provide enough product for their existing relationships. In many cases the producers would like to purchase fruit from family members and/or neighbors to make up for their loss, but this year it’s going to be extremely difficult to pay more for well harvested fruit than the multinationals and/or cooperatives. While they may be willing to pay more for fruit they’ll have to reflect the increase in their selling price. Typically specialty producing wet mills would buy a fanega of fruit for a differential of around 115,000 colones, and now they may have to shell out more than 130,000 colones - that’s a US$25 per 46kg or about 25 cts/lb increase. Multinationals are also able to pay cash at the time of delivery whereas micro mills may need to make payments back to the grower overtime or take out loans which come with interest payments. 

Alto San Juan Microbeneficio

Vara Blanca Microbeneficio

The producers which have a history of purchasing fruit from other growers are doing their best to remind the farmers that they were paying well for coffee when the cooperatives and multinationals were not giving out these bloated prices. That they will continue to be there when the larger mills return to paying lower prices for the fruit, but that they rely on this coffee to keep their relationships going. However, it is looking to be very difficult to convince growers to take less for well picked coffee than top dollar, instantly, with less effort - even considering their existing relationship. 

Do you see how the c market price of coffee does indeed have an impact on micro-lots? Some may have believed that specialty coffee prices aren’t related to the c market price, or that micro lot prices are more stable, because the differential is so much higher; but there is absolutely an effect caused by the fluctuation of the commodity price and supply. When better prices are being paid for the fruit it is good for those who grow coffee, but it makes things more challenging for wet millers, exporters, roasters, and consumers. The cost to buy fruit fit for specialty coffee gets very close or even surpassed by that of conventional coffee. In order to make the same profit wet millers will have to raise their prices with the fruit. Producers want roasters and buyers to know that although prices will probably be going up - they are not taking advantage of a situation, simply doing what they have to to stay sustainable.

Hybrid Variety at 1600masl

Typica at 1800masl

So now, the question is what does one in our position do to support coffee producers, roasters, and influence more specialty coffee production this coming harvest. The simple and quick answer is simply, commitment. While most farmers are reporting about a 30% decrease in yield they do still have coffees that they may later choose to deliver rather than process. It is more likely that a producer will process their fruit as a micro lot if they already have it sold than wait to see how good or bad the price for delivering turns out to be. Having prior commitments on paper also assists producers in getting finance before the harvest and balancing their cash flow. Our approach this year is to contract as much coffee ahead of the harvest as possible to secure coffees for each of our relationships. We will need the help of our partners to pull this off!

Caturra at 1600masl

Caturra at 1900masl

Dry Milling Details '21

It’s unbelievable, but we already find ourselves in May of 2021 and our first shipments of the year are quickly coming together. Through part of March and all of April we’ve been sending offer samples to our roasting partners and locking in lots between them and producers. To our surprise, the first few shipments had filled up pretty rapidly and that requires us to shift our focus a bit more towards preparing for export. It’s our job to communicate to farmers that their coffees have been committed to and that it’s time to dry mill their parchment. We ask where they are planning to dry mill their coffees, tell them when they need to have the coffee ready for us, and make them aware of the details of our preparation standards.

An often overlooked turning point in coffee’s life cycle is preparing parchment for export. All the extraordinary effort that goes into growing, collecting, processing, and drying the crop all comes to the moment of peeling and sorting. In Costa Rica, it has become customary that the producer is responsible for dry milling their coffee and delivering it ready for export - there are a few important reasons why and we will get into that more in the future. So you can imagine, that it is not their favorite part of the process - as it usually leads to a loss in yield and strict standards. There is also a shortage of dry milling capacity during what’s usually a rush to get the entire country’s crop exported in a timely manner. There is an immense cost to having a dry mill and most farmers rely on the main one in Cartago, Tesoros del Cafe, or a handful of producers in their area that have managed to acquire the equipment and space to have their own. There are so few options that we are familiar with every dry mill there is in Costa Rica - which helps when we ask farmers where they will be preparing their crop.

Since we function within the specialty coffee spectrum we must uphold extremely strict standards when it comes to sorting the coffee for export - SCA’s European Preparation. This requires near perfection in first qualities and we try to convey to the producers that this is partly why they are getting paid top dollar for their coffee. However, every year there seems to be a common theme or ubiquitous challenge when it comes to yield and defects. This harvest, it appears that partial black beans or as it is referred to here as “manchado” or “chasparia”. This seed is classified as a secondary defect. So, there needs to be 3 partial black beans in a 350 gram sample to equal 1 full secondary defect. If there are no other major issues with a lot that means you can only have 15 partial blacks in a 350 gram sample. This year, many samples are coming with 20-30 partial blacks along with the typical broken or insect damaged bean. Since this has become such a problem this harvest we have decided to be a little more flexible on partial blacks this time - allowing about 18 or so to pass. In many instances producers are having to pass their coffee through sorting machines multiple times, which is quite normal, but now yields are down 30-40 percent where they used to be 10-20. 

There are a few schools of thought as to what is the cause of these frustrating partial black beans. The most popular idea of the cause is a disease or fungus that we call Antracnosis (Canker). It’s a pesky fungus that causes the tree to basically rot in certain areas of the plant. While we do see this disease out in the field - we don’t feel that we have seen it quite enough to cause all these grains. Another possibility is due to the labor difficulty this year and some folks think that this partial black comes from over ripe fruit. Because there wasn't enough labor (let alone skilled at coffee picking), many cherries over-ripened on the tree, but were still picked resulting in a partial black. Finally, another thought was that there was unusual heavy rains right before the harvest in November due to hurricanes Eta and Lota. This could have potential washed away certain elements that are needed during cherry maturation, Zinc, Borron, and Phosphorus. This excess rain fall could also have just cause the fungus known as Antracnosis to form freely.

The solution to this issue is usually another pass or two through the electronic color selector. The machine is set to indicate grains with black spots on them and a burst of air kicks those beans out of the lot. Passing coffees through sorting equipment multiple times is totally normal, but obviously not all producers are happy to do it. Each lot is different for a barrage of reasons and some coffees need more passes through the equipment than others. Our missions is to teach farmers how to evaluate their pre-shipment samples while they are at the dry mill so that they can run it through again if they need to right then and there; rather than having to transport their coffees back and forth multiple times.

Now, while we don’t require that farmers dry mill their coffee at the main dry mill, Tesoros del Cafe, we do nearly always ask for our coffees to be delivered there to be loaded onto containers. Since most farmers must travel a couple of hours to transport their coffees there - we ask to see their pre-shipment samples prior to delivering the coffee. So, producers bring their ready-to-export samples to us in the lab and we analyze them. Often, we encounter some kind of issue with the sample and must work with the producer to solve it. Sometimes, we are met with resistance as re-working coffee requires more effort, expenses, and loss in yield. Once any issues are finally resolved, the sample is good, and the coffee is delivered to Tesoros - we take yet another sample to make sure that the right coffee is there. Finally, we make the official approval and start loading containers to be shipped to their destinations.

A Woman Coffee Chain

We’d like to wrap up the month of March, Women’s History Month, by acknowledging the essential role played by woman of so many different backgrounds that come together to create a space for growth and opportunity for all.

This time, Maria Paula, our lab manager and advocate for women’s rights, expresses her thoughts about the coffee industry and how women have supported it in every facet. And from another angle, Marianela, one of our founders, appreciates the support given to her by male and female peers alike.

Maria Paula writes:

“En este mes de la mujer queremos conmemorar, pero sobre todo agradecer y visibilizar el arduo trabajo de las mujeres en la cadena de valor del café y cómo día a día esta se va fortaleciendo gracias a ellas.

*During this month, celebrating women, we not only want to commemorate them, but above all we want to show our appreciation and shed light on the difficult work that women put into the coffee value chain and the strength they add to it every single day.

En todo el mundo el papel de la mujer en el café ha sido crucial e imprescindible, en los últimos años la mujer  ha tomado un rol prioritario en esta industria debido a la especialización que se ha  dado poco a poco en todos los ámbitos como el productivo, de comercialización así como tueste y barismo, creando así una cadena fuerte de intercambio de conocimiento pero sobre todo de empoderamiento que permite  abrir camino para muchas mujeres de todas las edades de aventurarse en este mundo tan interesante.

*All over the world, the role of women in coffee has been historically crucial and essential. In the past few years women have slowly, slowly taken a prime role in the industry by specializing at each level of the coffee supply chain ie trading, roasting, and brewing. In this way, we have succeeded in creating a strong chain for sharing of expertise between us women which results in an empowerment that opens a path for a lot of women of all walks of life to explore a world that is so interesting to so many of us.

Sigue siendo un punto importante seguir fomentando liderazgos en las mujeres de todas las edades y el apoyo entre nosotras es primordial para mejorar cada vez más y hacer el mundo del café un lugar mejor.

*I continue to feel that a point of importance is to keep forming women leaders from all walks of life and to keep supporting each other in order to uplift us all. This is of the utmost importance in order to persistently improve over time and make the world of coffee a place for all women.

Cada vez resulta más emocionante ver como más mujeres se unen, derriban sus miedos y barreras y emprenden sus propios proyectos para muchas veces dar sustento a su propia familia o para seguir su pasión y sobretodo el legado familiar que muchos tenemos presente por este grano de oro.

*When we see that women continue to unite it gets more and more exciting. Knocking down their fears, barriers, and taking on their own projects - in many cases to provide sustainability to their own families, to follow their passion, and/or to continue the family legacy that many of us have for this golden grain.

Es admirable ver como las mujeres van eliminando brechas sociales, persiguiendo cada vez más sus propios sueños y realizándose de la manera más exitosa posible.

*It’s so admirable to see women eliminating social barriers, following their own dreams, and realizing it in the most successful way possible.

Es necesario apoyarnos entre nosotras mismas, creando una cadena fuerte donde podamos ir creciendo y aprendiendo y así uniendo esfuerzos para lograr superar todos los retos que el café contiene día a día

*It’s necessary to help ourselves within the community of women. Creating a chain that is strong where we can grow, learn, and unite our power in order to overcome all of the challenges that coffee has always had.

Por eso desde el equipo de Selva Coffee que es conformado desde la parte femenina por Marianela y Maria Paula, así como por muchísimas productoras cafetaleras y tostadoras que trabajan de nuestra mano, queremos ser inspiración y apoyo para todas esas mujeres que aman el café tanto como nosotras e instarlas  siempre a dedicarse a lo que les apasione.

*For that reason, Selva Coffee which is formed partly by women, Marianela and Maria Paula, as well as all the producers, growers, roasters, and retailers that all work hand in hand - we want to be an inspiration and support system for all women that love coffee the same way that we do and always encourage them to dedicate themselves to what we are passionate about.”

Marianela states:

“As a women I always felt very supported by the men around me - starting with my father, he has always pushed me to pursue my dreams and be a leader in the coffee industry in my community.

It’s not a secret that the coffee industry is lead by men. I’m very lucky and grateful  to live in a country and community that supports me and gives me the same rights than men. In my job I interact every day with men and women and it’s very gratifying for me to represent them through their work and coffees around the world.

I admire the women in the coffee industry - that despite all the challenges and limits they’ve had are doing an amazing job! I feel that sometimes we are making a mistake by naming the coffees only with the farmer’s name, which is usually a male. Behind every coffee producer there are hard working women, wives that are working at home and ensuring the family and business are running smoothly.

Fermentation Craze

Sam of BlueHouse Coffee Goods and Jacob of Don Eli excited about their experiment!

It’s our job as Selva to be aware of market trends and to be able to translate them effectively to producers - especially around this time of year when processing takes place. We feel that by now it’s no secret that heavy honeys, naturals, and anaerobics are what the majority of roasters and consumers are expecting to see from Costa Rica; however not all producers are in the know about it - nor do they have the skill set to follow the new direction. What some of the first specialty buyers that came to Costa Rica five or ten years ago told producers to completely stay away from - they are now making special requests for them to do for even longer periods of time. It still kind of blows our mind to think about... For example, back-in-the-day, the fruit was expected to be pulped immediately after picking and put out to dry as quickly as possible after that. Any sort of fermentation was to be completely avoided unless it was used for the sole purpose of removing mucilage from the seed. Today, buyers are making special requests for coffees that are left in tanks or bags for days on end and usually to be dried in the fruit.

New, larger fermentation tanks at El Cedral in Santa Maria de Dota - Tarrazu

The nuance here is that, it is not as simple as just leaving the fruit in a tank in order to achieve the outcome that this new market is expecting. There is a lot of risk, investment, and experimenting at each individual wet mill that is required to produce a consistent and high performing fermented coffee. In the best of outcomes, a given farmer’s coffee can cup far better and stand out as more unique on the cupping table - fetching them a higher price for what might have otherwise been a classic coffee. In a bad scenario, the new processing system could malfunction when harvest time comes and/or the fermentation could have gone very wrong - turning out in a complete loss to the producer. We are very lucky to have producers, here in Costa Rica, that are open to new techniques! And although we as Selva are experts at analyzing and selecting coffees as well as managing relationships - we cannot claim to be fermentation authorities.

Jacob of Don Eli processing Yellow Bourbon Reposado Honey in El Llano de la Piedra

This is why we put our trust in the hands of the specialists to impart their knowledge to us and share it with producers. One of our favorite and most exciting fermentation and fruit processing experts to bounce ideas off of and recommend to producers is Daniel Batalla. Daniel comes from the West Valley growing region of Costa Rica and is an avid fruit aficionado - of which Costa Rica is a privileged place to be in for a fruit lover, because 1,000s of various fruit plants thrive here. On top of his expanding experience helping farmers ferment their harvest - he comes from a coffee producing background and has taken the Q-Processing course in Colombia. Frankly, he has an extremely strong passion for coffee, fermentations, all things fruits, environmentally conscious farming, and everything surrounding agriculture. We asked him to jot down some of his feelings about what’s going on for our interested community to read and here it is:

Daniel Batalla checking the “mosto” or coffee juice during a fermentation at Don Sabino

“Every year there's something new to talk about in specialty coffee, producers are always seeking innovation to modulate and improve their coffee's flavor profile, and often roasters and consumers demand exciting and interesting new combinations of aromas and attributes. This is true for coffee fermented under controlled conditions in airtight tanks, or commercially and colloquially called Anaerobic coffees. These are innovative processing methods that have been gaining popularity and are now common among specialty growers and processors in Costa Rica. I assure you that we are at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these processing methods and that we should stop categorizing them under one tag or under one flavor umbrella. This is because producers have discovered that they can radically change their coffees manipulating certain variables of their fermentations, i.e. turning the knobs to work in their favor. I will discuss how these novelty methods can open many doors for producers and also how they´ve become a challenge to make correctly and consistently.

Steven Vargas of Don Sabino at his brand-new fermentation station in Central Valley

Understanding how a controlled fermentation can contribute to creating body, acidity and flavor in a coffee is crucial to conduct a given fermentation in the desired way. Fermentation is a metabolic process led by microorganisms and enzymes that transforms complex organic molecules present in the pulp and mucilage into simple aromatic compounds (esters, ketones, terpenes, aliphatic acids, higher alcohols, furans, aldehydes, phenols...) that float around in the coffee must. This coffee must is the liquid surrounding the coffee seeds during a fermentation and it is concentrated with simple aromatic compounds, it works as a medium for the diffusion of these compounds into the seeds. These simple aromatic compounds penetrate the parchment layer until seeds become turgent with new components that weren't there before the fermentation. Later on, these compounds act as precursors during roasting in chemical reactions like Maillard and caramelization. Diversity and concentration of these products of fermentations steeped in the green seed are correlated with nuanced aromas and flavors in the final cup. So, by managing the variables that drive these fermentations, diverse cup qualities can be achieved.

Very well collected fruit waiting to be processed at La Isla Mico Mill in West Valley

Producers in the country are mostly practicing wild fermentations now, but they are just beginning to understand that they are the stewards of these fermentations and many opportunities can arise to create different coffees with these processes. Variables that modulate these fermentations are plenty, some of them include: the availability of oxygen or any other kind of gas (carbonic or nitric maceration), the kinds of microorganisms fermenting (alcoholic, lactic, acetic, malo-lactic), the temperature of the mass (thermophilic or mesophilic fermentation), and quantity or type of sugars in the tank (adulterated fermentations). Turning the knobs in the right direction can lead into new undiscovered lands of flavor and aroma, it's just a matter of time and trained effort for these places to be ventured. 

A super sweet fermenting area at a larger wet mill near Cartago - Tobosi

Optimization  of  these  processes is challenging and a huge barrier of entry for many producers. Often a huge investment in equipment and instruments has to be made by the producer to process these coffees and it plays a financial risk that can jeopardize an entire operation. After the investment, the producers also have to design protocols to guarantee replicability and consistent results. Furthermore, monitoring and systematization of fermentation data is crucial to understand what's taking place in the tanks and create a traceable process. Analyzing this data alongside with sensory evaluations of lots is important to make decisions to dial in fermentations. All of these steps are entirely new for the traditional coffee producer, which may seem daunting to take but are surely leading to new and diverse cups of coffee that will please and surprise many roasters and consumers. 

Catuai being fermented in a tank at El Cedral near Santa Maria de Dota - Tarrazu

These processing methods are under scientific study at the moment from different research fields and perspectives in various parts of the world because of their novelty and complexity to the industry. In Costa Rica, I'm currently doing research on how native microorganism colonies, that reproduce inside of these tanks and ferment the sugars, pectins and peptides of the coffee fruit, can be harnessed and cultured for future inoculation. Aside from research, I partner with processors, producers and roasters to perform and educate about these fermentations. Innovative techniques and protocols have sprouted out of these collaborations like: isolating yeasts present in the coffee flower nectar and using them as a starter culture for pulped fermentations. Based on this work I've launched an instagram page where I´ll present some of my findings and also key ideas and practices I believe are necessary for high quality processing. Most of my work is concentrated at mills in Costa Rica working directly with coffee producers and in the lab, but I also try to scope out to understand where the research and trends regarding processing are heading. So no hesitation in reaching out, I'd appreciate some perspectives from different parts of the coffee chain and the world.”

An anaerobic being dried on raised beds near the center of Santa Maria de Dota

We want to thank Daniel for his insightful thoughts about the current events of these shifts in production and how we can make an impact on the details making it all happen. It’s always been important for the producers of Costa Rica to innovate as well as strive for quality and traceability. We’re a tiny, tiny country with a very high cost of production. It’s increasingly difficult to compete with the volumes and prices of other countries - particularly more washed and commercial coffees. So, CR coffees have always had to make themselves stand out with unique qualities and detailed transparency. Taking all of this into account, the Selva Team is here to guide and both producers and roasters through the jungle that is the ever transforming market and production that must follow it.

Maria Paula and Marianela getting exctied about this fermented natural in Santa Maria

People Behind Harvest

For this month’s blog, we’ll be discussing a phenomenon that occurs heavily in January - the picking of the harvest. As you know, most of the people who collect the coffee cherries in Costa Rica come from our neighboring countries of Nicaragua and Pananama. Obviously, their immigration was complicated this year due to covid-19 restrictions. This created for a lot of uncertainty among farmers and requires even more effort into their production. 

In this months’ blog, we are incorporating our first excerpt in Spanish by our very own lab manager,  Maria Paula. We believe that she wrote some beautiful words about how the Tarrazu growing region feels during the harvest season and how the pandemic has been approached by this country. We also interviewed immigrant laborers from Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama to learn more about how their experiences have felt this year.

We’ve been visiting many micro mills to observe their processing and keep connected throughout harvest. During a visit to Santa Rosa 1900 Micro Mill, we went to take a look at their “La Plaza” lot which was being harvested at the moment. We met some amazing people working in the field and wanted to learn more about their story. The encounter inspired us to also spend time with folks helping harvest at Don Eli. We got to know Olman and Anibal who were also open to share their experiences migrating to work here.

Abelino & Matilda are from Chiriqui Panama. 46 and 38 years old, respectively. They’re here with their 5 children and arrived on December 28th 2020. Coming across the border was complicated this year and they had to wait for 3 days at the border. Farmers had to have a lot of extra documents and pick them up directly at the border, then they were put into a house on the farm to quarantine for two weeks. The family didn't mind much and said that Abelino read the bible the entire time - he is a religious Christian. He said that they don't know anybody that has caught the virus to this date. As far as they are concerned it doesn't really even exist since they aren't able to see it. Abelino said that if he sees that it’s raining, for example, that he’ll take cover; but coronavirus isn't tangible. He believes that God will decide how everything turns out. Getting into Costa Rica this year was a lot of trouble and they didn’t really feel that it was worth it; nonetheless, they have to come here to work and make money since there's basically no opportunities back home. They are alright with the protocols put in place at the farm and don’t feel too affected since they are part of an agreeable social bubble.

Olman and Family are from San Ignacio de Cajon, Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica; which is south of Tarrazu. Olman is 40 years of age and was born and raised in Costa Rica. The last time he remembers coming to this area was to harvest coffee when he was a small child and his parents used to come here to collect coffee cherries back in the day. Olman and his wife have a small restaurant we call a “soda” which has suffered and closed down due to the pandemic. This harvest came at a good time for them not only to make money while their business is closed, but to also continue the tradition of collecting cherries together.

The family only knows one person that got covid-19 so far. but they understand that there were many cases in Perez Zeledon, the 3rd largest city in Costa Rica. There is a lot of changes in the work since they were kids - you have to keep separated from other workers and you cant just leave the farm and come back whenever you want. It’s harder to pick specialty coffee than how they used to harvest before; because you have to go slow, take of the tree, and you do less volume with higher prices. They say that they enjoy the activity and it gives them hope; even though they have to wake up so early to do it. They’re getting along with their boss, Carlos, and it’s nice and cool up here with lots of shade. They stated that it’s very important to take care of these workers.

Anibal is 42 years of age, he’s here with his family of 5, and is from Esteli Nicaragua. Anibal has been working in Costa Rica with a visa for 4 years - so he was here before and during the pandemic. He is one of two families that came from another coffee farm in Central Valley. This year, Carlos had to reach out to farmers in other areas that harvest at different times in order to “share” their labor. Anibal doesn’t know anyone who has contracted the virus yet and says he keeps in his family bubble very easily so he has no worries. Anibal is content with higher price Carlos is paying per cajuela for better specialty coffee pickings.

Maria Paula writes:

“Tarrazú, un lugar fértil y próspero  con una  economía basada en la caficultura, está por muchos años ha llevado progreso a la zona y le ha dado múltiples oportunidades a los productores y sus familias de desarrollarse y forjar un mejor panorama para el futuro.

Con la llegada de la crisis mundial por el COVID-19, una de las industrias con más incertidumbre ha sido la del café en Costa Rica, debido a que todos los años se cuenta con mano de obra panameña y nicaragüense para la recolección del grano de oro, este hecho llevó a la caficultura a un reto más para asumir, de esta manera como parte de las distintas alianzas que creó el Ministerio de Salud con distintas entidades como el ICAFE, se dió la creación de todo un protocolo donde se deben acatar medidas por parte de los recolectores, cafetaleros y personal migratorio. Así bien entre protocolos de aislamiento, transiciones seguras con pruebas de COVID negativas al país, traducción al idioma ngäbe  de todas las medidas de lavado de manos, protocolo de estornudos y tos así como el uso correcto del cubrebocas, de igual manera se brindó una revisión exhaustiva de las casas que estos recolectores habitan en Costa Rica para lograr mejorar las condiciones de trabajo para ejercer con mayor responsabilidad esta actividad, que es un pilar tan importante económicamente para Tarrazú y el resto del país. 

Después de que se acataron las distintas medidas fijadas por las autoridades de salud para los recolectores de café se asume otro reto aún más grande que consiste en la adaptación cultural de los recolectores especialmente panameños a la nueva realidad sanitaria, debido a que ellos comparten una cultura particular y diferente debido al hábitat que tienen en su lugar de origen, también se le dió la oportunidad  a personas costarricenses de inscribirse para recolectar café ya que la reactivación económica debe ir de la mano con la solidaridad y la innovación para así buscar mejoras, sobre todo  mayores oportunidades de empleo para los costarricenses.

Una vez más la industria cafetalera asume un nuevo reto que  únicamente pudo ser sobrellevado con el amor y pasión que cada productor le tiene a este grano. Como todos sabemos la pandemia por COVID-19 vino a desafiar el mundo y más que todo a movernos de una zona de confort, sin embargo para los productores de café y todas las personas que de alguna u otra manera dependemos de esta cadena de valor ha sido un panorama retador, sin embargo gracias a la perseverancia, trabajo fuerte y dedicación se ha sobrellevado con el  positivismo y compromiso que  caracteriza a cada productor de café en Costa Rica, esperando así que la cosecha 2021 y las cosechas venideras sea aún más prósperas.”