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Coffee Pulp Compost- A report from Colombia

I had the opportunity to meet one proactive coffee grower from El Libano municipality of Tolima state in Colombia. This state has ranked top ten quality coffees in different contests, this time my interest was different. I learned some time ago that different techniques should be applied to make a farm more sustainable, for instance using the right amount of fertilizers, rationalizing the water usage and composting the discarded coffee pulp are just few options that growers have in hand.

coffee pulp

Mr. Jorge Diaz owner of the “La Noria” coffee state which lays in a wonderful valley located in the north side of the Tolima State, moreover this region ranks third by production volume in Colombia.

He provided me with simple information regarding his production from discarded pulp, a great way to help the environment and take back to the soil some organic nutrients. He started telling about the process designed in three different stages. The first tank, receives the discarded pulp from the post-harvest process, at this point the main goal is to reduce the moisture content. Once this by-product has spent ten days in the tank, it is ready for the second stage. During this step of the process the pulp undergoes further decomposition and moisture tends to stabilize, this stage takes between 15 to 20 days. Finally the compost is ready for the third tank where worms are added, the material should feel soft and compact before it feeds them. This process of final decomposition into humus takes between 1 to 2 months.

Red worms are dropped in the bottom of the tank in the upper side of the bamboo bed as shown in the picture. Then, a layer of compost from tank three is deposited on top of the worms. These magnificent animals start to digest compost at a rate of their own weight daily, so new food should be added every other day until the worms reach the top of the tank.

Two additional tips were provided; the bottom of the tank should have a drain mechanics to evacuate liquid humus. In addition a plastic shadow layer protection is added on the top of the tank, as shown in the picture.

This plastic cover provides a comfortable environment as well as protection from natural predators such as birds. The final product is returned to the field to naturally add basic nutrients to enrich the plants as they develop.

Costa Rica, Day Two

by Emily Bryant

In my last blog I mentioned that we spent some time at the mill to see how coffee goes from a cherry to a green bean. I’ll start with a quick overview of the wet process and then take you on a photo tour of the mill.

Coffee can be taken from cherry to bean in a variety of ways. In Costa Rica, as in other Latin American countries, the wet process is used. Basically, the cherries are sorted with water (good beans sink and bad beans float) and then the fruit is removed in a pulping machine. After the skin and pulp is removed we are left with a slimy, green bean. The “slime” is actually called mucilage and is removed through fermentation. The beans are dumped into fermentation tanks for anywhere from 24 to 36 hours and then rinsed before being placed on drying beds. The beans are placed out in the sun and raked to ensure that they dry evenly. There is a final layer of parchment that must be removed and then the beans are bagged and ready to be shipped!

coffee truck

Coffee farms deliver coffee to the mill in these big trucks.


The coffee is emptied into bins and the process begins!


The bad cherries are separated from the good.


Cherries go into the pulping machine and green beans come out.


A row of pulping machines…I love this picture!


After pulping the beans are dumped into the fermentation tanks. Yeah…I touched them…and yeah…they are super slimy!


Green beans drying in the sun on the patio.


The beans are raked to keep them drying evenly.


Each of those silos is full of beans ready to be bagged.


A bag ready to be shipped…the final step!

Spring has Sprung!!

The trees are budding with the start of longer days here in Portland. I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief that we made it through yet another long, dark and wet winter here in this wonderful city we call home.

With the budding of the trees in the Pacific Northwest, come the new arrivals of Central American coffees. We are happy to report we are offering fresh crop Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras Organic and El Salvador!! All of these coffees have their own unique profile that adds to blends as well as being brilliant on their own.

Look for the coffees mentioned at stores around the city, including New Seasons, Zupan’s, Whole Foods, Fred Meyer on Hawthorne, select Safeways, Sheridan Fruit Company and Food Front- NW.

Take it in and enjoy!!


—Delicioso!

Costa Rica, Day One

by Emily Bryant, FSA Representative

Last month I was lucky enough spend a few days at La Minita, a coffee farm in Costa Rica. As part of our relationship with Food Services of America we take a few of their sales reps on a trip every year. Since I’m their main contact at Portland Roasting I was tasked as their travel buddy.

After 12 hours of travel we touched down in San Jose, the capitol, and were greeted by our host, Scott. We piled into a bus and drove for an hour and a half through steep mountain roads to reach Hacienda La Minita. I have never seen anything so amazing in my life! The guest house sits at an elevation of about 5,000ft and has a wonderful view of the surrounding farm. At this point we’ve been awake for about 24 hours but its only 9am and we’ve got a full day coffee education ahead of us!


—La Minita, Costa Rica

As Scott started teaching us about the workings of the farm we climbed into the back of a truck for a tour. There are about 700 acres currently in production so a truck is definately the way to go. The roads snake up and down the terraced hillsides and if not for the experience of our driver it would’ve been a pretty scary and treacherous ride! La Minita is an estate coffee farm which means that they manage the complete coffee cycle…everything from planting the seedlings to exporting green coffee to roasters all over the world. The farm employs about a dozen full time employees year round and during harvest they hire anywhere from 300 to 350 pickers. We got back to the guest house about lunch time and were introduced to our cook, Isa. We were all so impressed by the food that for every other meal we were practically drooling while we waited to be called in to the table.

After lunch we jumped back in the truck and drove back down to the base of the hill to check out the mill. The milling process was amazing to see first hand…especially since I’ve been working in the coffee industry for almost 10 years! It was fascinating and deserves its very own blog…so more on that soon!

By the time we got back to the farm the sun was setting and it was almost time for dinner. We sat on the (amazing!) porch and watched the sun set over the mountains while enjoying a few Imperials (the national beer of Costa Rica…apparently…because it was everywhere!). The excitement of the day kept us awake for about 36 hours but after Isa’s fantastic dinner…bacon wrapped filet mignon and pineapple pie…we all felt it was time to call it a day.

Stay tuned for a virtual tour of the mill!