At Orchard del Sol we are very small coffee producers here in Costa Rica.

Due to low coffee prices and costly transition periods a great deal of coffee is produced using chemical fertilizers. pesticides and herbicides .  Small farm producers can shift to natural farming practices and belong to an organic cooperative to increase the price they get for their coffee. The coffee weevil that is destroying tonnes of beans can be controlled by manual picking and using a trap that captures the little fly that lays nearly 80 eggs inside one coffee bean.  Wider plantings of plantations eliminates the need for herbicides.  Organic matter from mulch and composting along with foliar micro nutrient spraying provides fertilizer to grow a healthy plant.

Coffee production is a yearly crop.  Harvesting takes place in October through to January in Costa Rica. The fruit of the coffee plant is called the cherry.  Removing the outer skin or pulp of the cherry reveals the beans as two halves are exposed.  From these beans begins the propagation of the coffee tree. At approximately 3 years a coffee tree will start to produce with it’s first major harvest as a 5 year old mature plant. With care of it will produce for up to 20 years. Flowering takes place when the first rains of spring arrive, March and early April.  Blossoms last approximately 24 to 36 hours and have a wonderful fragrance. This is the time of year that determines the quantity of the harvest.

A commercial harvest is taken and sold to one of the beneficios, (like a grain handling facility). It is immediately processed and dried.

Sun drying is labor intensive.   The cherries are put on the drying beds whole. The process often takes more than 30 days but is what gives our coffee it’s unique flavor.

After our coffee is dry it is ready for the next step. As a cherry it has an outer and an inner skin.  It is run through a cleaner several times before it reaches what is known as green bean stage.  At that stage it resembles the bean we know and is called “oro or green beans”.   Now it is ready for roasting.

Roasting is an art that takes a lot of practice.   A batch roast may weigh 26 kgs. prior to roasting and yield 18 to 19 kgs when roasted.  Moisture plays a big role in the quality of a roast as does the quality of the bean, altitude and the roasting time. A batch this size takes an hour. Our medium dark roast is most popular. Thanks to Tim Hortons and Starbucks we now have a whole generation that enjoys a darker roast coffee..

Organic cooperatives are a group of farmers dedicated to making a difference. Their impact on environment and bird habitat makes a difference.  Those who support organic, shade grown, fair trade products make an impact on the small producer.

Large commercial plantations are concerned with bottom lines.  Environmental concerns are not in the forefront. 

Uniquely Ours. Our coffee is different and speaks for its self. The slow drying process gives our coffee a special flavor. The organic cooperative, Montana Verde,  is roasting our coffee.

Seasonally coffee changes. Saskatoon Farmers Market customers enjoy fresh seasonal coffee. Some say “Hey!, this is better than last years coffee”.

My opinion is “everyone has a different expectation to their cup of java.  “One person can love it and the next one turn up their nose”.

Next Page - Cocoa       Home