REcolecta is an initiative that looks to incentivize coffee pickers in Puerto Rico through a contest at selected farms in which cash prizes will be given to the top three pickers at the end of the harvest season. With these efforts, we hope to not only revive this ailing sector but to also attract new people to these farms who so desperately need them. Sandra Farms in Adjuntas, will be the first participating farm.
Contrary to popular belief, one of the major obstacles that coffee producers face year after year is the lack of available labor during the harvest season. This problem only intensifies when it comes to the Specialty Coffee industry where the level of skill and care required from the pickers is of utmost importance.
For this reason, it is very important for us to use this platform to re-educate the public about the virtues of this profession as well as to create awareness of the fact that agriculture is inextricably linked to our economic and social well being. As part of this initiative, a limited number of art works inspired by the coffee pickers will be made available to the public through a collaboration with various local artists.
]]>REcolecta es una iniciativa que busca incentivar a los REcolectores de café puertorriqueño a través de un concurso en fincas elegibles en la cual se otorgarán tres premios en efectivo a los tres REcolectores que mas café recojan durante la temporada. De esta manera buscamos REactivar dicho sector laboral y a la misma vez atraer manos nuevas a las fincas cafetaleras que tanto las necesitan. La primera finca participante será Sandra Farms, localizada en el pueblo de Adjuntas.
Contrario a la creencia popular, uno de los mayores obstáculos que enfrentan los caficultores es la falta de labor en la finca durante el periodo de REcogido de café. Esta dificultad se intensifica cuando se habla de café de especialidad ya que el REcogido de dicho café requiere un cuidado y una selección particular del grano.
Por tal razón, nos urge romper con la noción falsa de que la agricultura es una profesión inferior y promover la agricultura como un trabajo digno y sostenible para el futuro de nuestra sociedad. Como parte de esta iniciativa se harán disponible al publico varias obras de arte inspiradas por los REcolectores de café a través de colaboraciones con artistas locales.
]]>For years Sandra and Israel Gonzalez have been working towards producing what we at Baraka Coffee consider to be one of the best coffees that Puerto Rico has to offer. Taking care of a farm like theirs is no easy task. Enduring hard times after experiencing on of the fiercest hurricanes in recent history, Sandra's Farms is still holding strong to a philosophy forgotten by many; a commitment to producing true "Specialty Coffee" from an island that was once known and respected by coffee enthusiasts around the world. At their farm, they place quality over quantity as Israel would say.
Located in the mountainous town of Adjuntas, Sandra's Farms stands up in the clouds, in an area perfect for coffee production. Their farm sits in the middle of a particular micro climate which extends to the neighboring town of Lares. Here, they benefit from what is known as the "Vientos Alisios" or trade winds which bring the temperatures much lower that the rest of the island. It is not unusual to see nighttime temperatures drop to the low 50's during the colder months of the year, earning Adjuntas the nickname of "The Switzerland of Puerto Rico". This nickname came from an observation that Teddy Roosevelt made during a visit to the island in the year 1906, comparing the mountain range and climate of Adjuntas to that of Switzerland. A climate such as this makes it possible for the coffee beans to mature slowly, adding complexity and acidity in the process. It also prolongs the harvest, making it possible to pick ripe coffee cherries later in the season. It is this wonderful setting and our favorable latitudinal position that makes it possible for them to achieve such great results at lower altitudes compared to other coffee producing countries.
Although these are ideal conditions to produce exceptional coffees from heirloom varieties such as Typica and Bourbon, year after year Sandra and Israel experience difficulty finding hands to work the farm, in particular coffee pickers which are essential to their operation. This lack of available labor results in hundreds (if not thousands) of pounds of coffee left unpicked, and it's tragic. After the hurricane there have been many efforts to get the farm back on track, and compensating the laborers handsomely sits at the top of the list.
Issues like this are considered by us too important to dismiss, and we want to help. In order to stay true to our mission and commitment to Puerto Rican coffee, we will be joining forces with our friends from Sandra Farms as well as Collective Perspective in order to find ways to further incentivize and ultimately attract workers to this and other neighboring farms. All in all, we are proud to say that the future looks bright for Puerto Rican Coffee.
So guys, stay tuned to our social media feeds as well as this blog to find out what we have up our sleeves. And as always remember that "Life is Too Short for Bad Coffee".
]]>Many thanks to the people of Hecho en Caguas for giving us the opportunity to present our coffee products during the Feria Hecho en Puerto Rico 2015 and to Manuel Cidre for stopping by and trying our Cold Brew On Draft served from our bike. #barakacoffee #hechoenpuertorico #hechoencaguas
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