Introducing KWF's Costa Rican

My son Mike and I were cupping a few versions of this when suddenly he said, "Golden Honey Nut Coffee." So true. The high grown Costa Rican beans are well known for their sweetness, and we've roasted it medium light to take full advantage of its natural flavor.

This single origin offering is from the Cooperativa de Caficultores de Dota R.L. At current count, there are 769 member farms. Their recent community projects have centered on compost, recycling, and waste management.

If you don't have translation features on your browser, try this link to view an English language video from their website. I particularly enjoyed watching the pulping and processing details, and there is a nice overview of their social objectives.

This coffee carries the Rainforest Alliance certification. From their website: "The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior." As a roaster, I strongly support certifications based on a range of factors: sustainability, fair treatment, and a forward looking mission.

Costa Rica, Heaven on Earth:

Fair Trade on You Tube

There is a wonderful Fair Trade channel on youtube now. If you want to learn more, or direct friends to a very comprehensive overview, you couldn't do better than to take advantage of this site.

I still represent an increasingly dusty generation that skips video feeds and reads the article. My bad, as proven by this excellent presentation. Makes me very grateful that young webdesigners and innovators are dedicating their talents to important issues like this.

Me, I had to type the title of this post 3 times. youtube? YouTube? You Tube? They all look wrong. photo courtesy Transfair.usa

El Amor de Madre

Here is an organization doing very important work. Grounds for Health addresses cervical cancer in developing countries. From their website:

In many countries where coffee is grown, cervical cancer rates are among the highest in the world. However, this disease is both preventable and, when caught early, one of the most treatable cancers.
Our mission is to bring effective cervical cancer screening and treatment to women in coffee-growing communities. We currently work in Mexico, Central America and Tanzania. We use an innovative, affordable and community-appropriate method called the Single Visit Screen & Treat Approach, which has been endorsed by the World Health Organization.
Our work is made possible through partnerships with local coffee co-operatives, national and regional ministries of health, and specialty coffee companies. These partnerships have made it possible for us to bring better and sustainable health care to women in coffee-growing communities.

In my own words, I'd say, "For God's sake, let's keep the Mommies alive." We need every one of them.

Our new coffee label, "El Amor de Madre" - a Mother's Love, will be a permanent fundraiser for this organization. You can get it at our regular grocery outlets, and as our cafes begin to participate, we'll let you know.

Designing the blend, I went looking for 'smooth and sweet, a little spicy and nutty' (like Mom! lol) with deeper caramel flavors. It is mostly a Brazilian bean from Poco Fundo. So many featureless commercial coffees come out of Brazil that we can almost forget the dedicated farmers creating exceptional coffees like this one. I've added a Fair Trade, organic bean from the Mancotal Valley in Nicaragua as an accent, rounding out the flavor profile. Enjoy!

Do Good, Have Fun

Call it the Hobo Way, best approach to putting a smile on the planet.