A new generation of young farmers - science-based roasters who also understand the agricultural aspect of coffee, and root farmers who understand how to make the land work so that crops grow in harmony.
A glimpse into life at Rooster Farms, the oldest certified organic Kona coffee farm, farming and roasting coffee, using permaculture methods and US labor - on the BIG ISLAND of HAWAI'I!
We are both a root farm, growing Turmeric and Taro, as well a coffee farm, and we're the Oldest Certified Organic farm in Hawai'i!
WHY do you grow two such different crops?
----
Turmeric not only growns very well in the mountain jungles of Big Island - it is also a natural potent anti-fungal. Coffee as a crop is often very susceptible to fungal issues. This permaculture method allows us to grow two different crops, and lets them help each other grow better than on their own!
TELL me about Kona coffee!
---
The #1 question people have about Kona coffee, is "Why is it so expensive??" This is not because it's magically better than other coffees. It's because it's farmed in the U.S, which means paying U.S. wages. The average coffee laborer in many coffee regions of the globe are paid about $1/100 Lbs of coffee picked. Coffee is extremely labor intensive!
Kona coffee pickers are paid an average of $1.50/One Lb of coffee picked. Migrant workers are often able to support their families in other countries simply by traveling to Kona for a harvest season.
Like any coffee region in the world such as Kenya, Colombia, etc, the quality of coffee is not dependent its region. It relies on How it's farmed, How it’s then processed, How it's graded, the Freshness of the bean, and the flavor styles of the final Roaster.
Kona is no different - there is delicious Kona coffee and not very tasty Kona coffee..! The Kona region alone has over 650 small coffee farms. It is the heart and soul of the region and surrounding communities.
Coffee is simply a fruit and an agricultural product like any other food. The farming of our food is the first factor that determines the quality of the final product.
Because of this, and because of the many steps from seed to roasted cup in the processing of coffee, there are many chances for quality loss between the farmer, processor, and the roaster who often has no control over all the prior steps before the final one of roasting.
A common frustration for even experienced roasters is being able to source from quality farms, meet them somehow, and work to flourish the relationship.
Rooster Farms is unique in that we are not only coffee roasters, we also are coffee farmers! We remove the opportunity for quality loss between the farming, the harvest, the processing, and the roasting. We do every step here!
As some of the youngest farmers in Kona, we like to think we also bring a contemporary set of knowledge to the longstanding traditions that have made coffee a fuel for local and global economies, for foodie fans of delicious and flavorful tastes, and communities that rely on the culture of coffee, for millennia all over the world.
We hope you give our coffee a try to find out!
