Originally all coffee was shade grown, produced under the tropical canopy of native rainforest trees.  In the 1970's sun grown coffee entered the marketplace, clearing off acres of land to pack coffee into rows that now required the use of chemicals and pesticides. These sun-drenched farms produced more beans, but at an environmental and economic cost. These sun coffee farms foster little habitat for wildlife while accelerating soil erosion. These new farms also put more coffee beans into the already overstocked coffee market while converting self-sustaining polycyultural coffee farms and sanctuaries into the monocultures, resulting in disappearing wildlife.

Fifty acres of rainforest disappear every minute, ...

Let’s talk about roasting coffee.

So, how long does a coffee bean need to roast?  Can it be too roasted? Not roasted enough?

How does one know when a coffee bean is “done”? 

Coffee roast masters use a variety of names such as City Roast or French Roast to identify the various degrees of roast.   Roast masters often use a recipe to highlight certain flavor characteristics.  A coffee bean’s origin, variety, processing method or desired flavor influence the recipe a roast master chooses.

The degree of roast can be determined by eye although this is not the most accurate method. As beans absorb heat, this color shifts – from yellow to ...

"Shade grown" coffee is grown under a canopy of various species of shade trees, often on small farms using traditional techniques. Shade grown coffee production methods provide food and shelter for songbirds in addition to a habitat for numerous other species of animals and plants.

For almost 200 years coffee has been grown in the shade of native forest trees, using the filtering effect of the leaves to protect the coffee plants from burning.

Sun Coffee

A new breed of sun-tolerant coffee has been developed over the past 30 years, and USAID and other international development agencies have encouraged coffee farmers to convert to a sun-grown system. Sun-grown coffee has higher yields, but requires chemical ...

Bolivian coffee is new to the world of specialty coffees, only now creating the infrastructure, technology, and skills needed to promote a quality product that supports economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Fair trade and organic initiatives, coupled with economic development projects  provide support and opportunity to coffee producers on a local, national, and international level.

Geography

Located in the western heart of South America, Bolivia covers an area of 1,098,581 square kilometers – roughly three times the size of Montana. Two ranges of the Andes Mountains stretch across western Bolivia, shaping the country’s three major geographic regions: the mountainous highlands and ...

Coffee drinkers tend to have up to a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer. Research completed in Germany identified a potent antioxidant compound in the popular brew that appears in animal studies to boost the activity of phase II enzymes, which are thought to protect against colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. A study following over 60,000 Finish men and women – the heaviest coffee consumers in the world - found that even for people drinking 10 or more cups of coffee per day, there was no increased risk of colon cancer.

Coffee lessens the poisonous effect of alcohol on the liver and help prevent cirrhosis.  A study of more than 125,000 adults (including both drinkers and non...

January 25, National Irish Coffee Day, begins National Irish Coffee Week – an entire week to celebrate this wonderfully warm rich coffee drink. As with many food and beverage holidays, the holiday origins are sketchy, but the origin of the first Irish Coffee is well documented.

The first Irish Coffee (Caife Gaelach in Gaelic) is generally attributed to Joseph Sheridan, head chief at the restaurant located at the Foynes Terminal, County Limerick, Ireland. And, yes, there is a story attached to the creation of this deliciously warming drink.

It was a dark and stormy night…..

The wind was howling…..

All right, enough drama……

Late one evening in the winter of 1943, a flight ...

Did you know:

BENEFIT #1: Coffee drinkers, compared to nondrinkers, are less likely to have type 2 diabetes. Data from 15 published studies links coffee consumption with decreased likelihood of diabetes. In one study of more than 193,000 people, those who said they drank more than 6 or 7 cups daily were 35% less likely to have type 2 diabetes than people who drank fewer than two cups daily. There was a smaller perk -- a 28% lower risk -- for people who drank 4-6 cups a day. The findings held regardless of sex, weight, or geographic location (U.S. or Europe). Drinking coffee reduces the risk of prostate cancer.

BENEFIT #2: Coffee-drinking is linked to reducing the risk of prostate cancer in men who drank.........

Coffee became Nicaragua’s principle crop in the 1870’s, holding that position until 1992 despite the increased production of other crops, such as rum, tobacco, and cotton.  Currently coffee accounts for 30% of Nicaragua’s agricultural exports. The culture of coffee has greatly impacted the Nicaraguan economy and environment, supporting over 48,000 families who own and operate small farms. In the late 1990’s, for example, coffee annually contributed $140 million to Nicaragua’s economy resulting in 280,000 permanent agricultural jobs. Coffee experts suggest the organic practices associated with shade grown coffee plantations produces some of the most flavorful coffee while supporting fair trade...

Do you remember coffee percolators? Percolators were the main method of preparing coffee for over 100 years, to be gradually replaced by the automatic drip brewer in the 1970’s. This older method of coffee brewing is making a comeback, and National Percolator Day on December 26 gives us a chance to learn more about and/or revisit this coffee brewing method.

Origin of the Percolator