FELIPE CROCE ON SUSTAINABILITY IN THE COFFEE SECTOR AND SPECIALTY COFFEE CULTURE IN BRAZIL
October 12, 2018
Since 1850, Felipe Croce’s family has been producing coffee at Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza (FAF), an organic coffee farm located in Mococa, on the east side of the state of São Paulo in Brazil. His mother, Silvia Barretto, became the fourth generation to inherit the farm when it was passed down to her in 2001 by her father.
The Croce family was living in Chicago at the time, and they found specialty micro-roasters in the city that were eager to work directly with farms. Felipe’s father, Marcos Croce, an international trader, began to look for buyers. His mother had a vision for an organic, sustainable coffee business, so they put special focus on consideration for the environment and building strong relationships in the supply chain, while producing high-quality products.
Marcos Croce and Silvia Barretto at Fazenda Amiental Fortaleza.
Marcos Croce and Silvia Barretto at Fazenda Amiental Fortaleza. Photo courtesy of Felipe Croce.
According to Felipe Croce, FAF was a relatively high-quality and high-producing farm in the 1990s — producing around 10,000 bags of washed and naturals sold mostly to Illy under his grandfather. When his parents took it on, they decided to decrease the production of the farm drastically to learn how to adapt to organic practices and higher quality.
Felipe moved to the farm in 2009, after attending Washington University in St. Louis, and ran the farm’s operations from 2009 to 2012. In 2013, he moved to the city of São Paulo and switched his focus to the export company and his lab, while continuing to conduct experiments on the farm. His mother took over management of the farm at that point.
Last year, Felipe resumed a more active role in the coffee production, going out to the farm once or twice per month. He is currently in the process of restructuring all the lots on the farm by making field spacing adequate for mechanization, and choosing the most appropriate varieties in terms of flavor and results.
We asked Felipe to share some thoughts and give his perspective on sustainability, Brazilian specialty coffee, and the growing domestic market in Brazil in the world’s largest coffee-producing country.
Lily Kubota: What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for specialty coffee in Brazil?
Felipe Croce: I see huge potential for Brazil to supply the growing demand for specialty beans. However, this will only happen with a radical change in how coffee is done in the country.
On the production side, new varieties need to be studied. Shade and green fertilization techniques need to be implemented to keep temperatures down, humidity up, and soils fertile. The business models of associations and warehouses — and the “business language” of coffee in Brazil — are archaic and commodity-oriented. Actions are rarely bold enough, and change can seem to take forever. An educational platform for farmers would go a long way to accelerating and solidifying Brazil’s place as a premiere specialty coffee supplier.
As for roasting and consumption, we are positioned to have one of the biggest consumption markets in the world in the next five to 10 years. I see the potential of a brand from origin establishing itself as one of the leading specialty brands globally.
Lily Kubota: From your perspective, how has the coffee industry evolved in recent years, and where do you see it going?
Felipe Croce: More than ever, producers are tasting their own coffees — with good roasts and proper extractions — and beginning to look at their coffee as a beverage. Many producers are starting to roast and increase their income, at least on a portion of their production. There are new regions being ‘discovered,’ and farmers and roasters are establishing relationships. Change is slow at first, but as specialty culture begins to gain traction in producing regions, it will take off.
Until around 2010, the only two coffee varieties planted in Brazil were Typica (arrived in 1727) and Bourbon (arrived in 1840), or derivatives of these. Now, more and more farmers are experimenting with different varieties. At my farm, for example, I have more than 30 different types of Coffea Arabica genetic material.
On the consumption end, the interest in specialty coffee is growing — I am seeing specialty cafes packed with 18-to-35-year-olds, from San Francisco to Melbourne to Seoul to Paris to São Paulo. Coffee is in with young people, and it’s only getting better.
Felipe Croce at La Marzocco Booth
Felipe Croce brewing coffee at the La Marzocco booth during the SCA Expo in 2014. Photo by Baratza.
Lily Kubota: You are also are involved with the retail side of coffee. When did you decide to open a cafe?
Felipe Croce: I started roasting in São Paulo in 2013 — partly to have an excuse to spend more time in the city, but also because of a genuine passion to convert Brazilians into ‘good coffee’ lovers. I have been extremely fortunate to be supported by an incredible team of dedicated people, and we had always dreamed of opening a shop to showcase what we do.
In 2015, this was accelerated by the invitation of a well-known entrepreneur by the name of Facundo Guerra, who is known in São Paulo as the ‘King of the Night’ from his nightclub, bar, and restaurant endeavors. Facundo had taken over a space wedged between a tunnel and a bridge, which had been abandoned for 78 years, just meters away from MASP (Museum of Art of São Paulo), the most iconic building in the city. The space was coined Mirante 9 de Julho and became a cultural center for arts, music, cinema, gastronomy, and coffee.
Although we are involved in all aspects of coffee, we focused on serving delicious coffee and kept our communication as simple as possible, calling it Isso é Café (This is Coffee), because we knew the public was not ready for too much information in the beginning. We gained a strong following and good reputation. Our second shop opened in May of 2017, in what is perhaps the next most iconic site in the city, Beco do Batman (Batman Alley), where the most unique and diverse graffiti in São Paulo is found.
Lily Kubota: What are your future plans on the retail side?
Felipe Croce: In a bold move, we have decided to close both (profitable) cafes to open a 400-square-meter all-in-one roastery, export office, cafe in the city center. We have decided, in fact, to stick with only one retail space and bring our three entities — farm production, export team, roastery/café — closer together. The new space will have a cocktail bar and kitchen, which we want to use to highlight ingredients from our farm and surrounding areas, including pigs from one neighbor and cachaça (Brazilian sugar cane distilled alcohol) from another neighbor.
Lily Kubota: What have been the most valuable or influential resources that have helped you learn about coffee?
Felipe Croce: Being a sponge. My father always said, if this is what you want to do, then go and learn from the best. From 2010 to 2012, I spent half of the year on the farm and half of the year abroad somewhere learning, working, and trying to expand my network. I spent time with the likes of Tim Wendelboe, Johan Eckfeldt, Mike Perry, Mark Dundon, Russell Beard, amongst other industry legends. I also read a ton and visited as many farms as I could. Each person has something to teach you, but the best in the business just have something natural in them — something about their vision gave me a North Star.
Lily Kubota: From your perspective, what are the most critical aspects regarding sector-wide coffee sustainability?
Felipe Croce: We need to make sure that knowledge and opportunity are spread equally across the supply chain. I hope that access to good seeds, the market, and information will become more widely available to small farmers and small business owners, so that we don’t see too much control concentrated in the hands of a few.
Entrance to Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza. Photo courtesy of Felipe Croce.
Three Questions with Felipe Croce
Lily Kubota: What inspires you most about coffee?
Felipe Croce: The challenge. The challenge to increase soil fertility, improve water quality, increase production, and run a profitable business at the same time. The challenge to ensure that each cup tastes great, while the bean flirts with death on any of the dozens of steps involving dozens of people on its journey.
Lily Kubota: What troubles you most about coffee?
Felipe Croce: Having patience. Things on the farm take time. We must be patient when it doesn’t rain, and when it does rain. Things don’t always go as planned. Not all espresso comes out perfectly. We must have patience with the process.
Lily Kubota: What would you be doing if it weren’t for coffee?
Felipe Croce: Real estate. I once did a mentorship program in real estate back in Chicago and found the business fascinating. It has a similar nature to coffee in terms of mixing creativity, risk, and long-term thinking. Something about the fact that it is real, tangible — brick and mortar — is incredibly sexy to me.
Boreal Coffee - Genebra Switzerland
April 3, 2017
All they need is love. We will bring them back. Yes we can!
May 9, 2016
Bobolink Coffee At Dillans Coffee in London
May 3, 2016
Coffee Supreme Mel
March 30, 2016
Bobolink Coffee Is Now Served In Washington University - St Louis!
Many students depend on the invigorating powers of coffee to get them through their days, but most fail to consider the origins of their favorite morning drink.
Washington University's alumni base is highly involved in the coffee-growing business. Kaldi's Coffee Roasting Co., Washington University's main coffee supplier, is itself the product of one of the University's alumni, providing Dining Services exclusively with coffee grown through the efforts of University graduates.
In 2002, University alumnus Ben Weiner founded Gold Mountain Coffee Growers, a group that aims to connect Nicaraguan coffee growers with roasters in the United States. The organization's flagship coffee farm, Finca Idealista, is in Tepeyac, a remote mountaintop community in Nicaragua. Gold Mountain has ongoing projects in 10 other communities in the region.
Weiner first visited Nicaragua as part of his undergraduate study abroad experience at the University, living in Tepeyac and studying various aspects of the local economy. While there, he perceived a need to connect local coffee growers with international markets.
"I saw firsthand how [the growers] were being cheated by these middlemen who were paying them almost nothing for their coffee," Weiner said.
When Weiner arrived in Tepeyac as an undergraduate, the people of the community lived without running water and electricity, regular transportation up and down the mountain was nonexistent, and any vehicles that made the climb were prone to flat tires from the uneven road.
However, since the foundation of Gold Mountain, Weiner said, Tepeyac has changed dramatically, with growers buying solar panels to provide electricity to the community and buses to transport coffee.
"The changes that we've seen are day and night," Weiner said.
In addition to economic empowerment, Weiner has made gender equality one of the primary focuses of Gold Mountain's mission. Gold Mountain offers free computing classes for girls who live in the coffee-producing communities, and its employees sometimes take young girls from the communities to visit nearby universities.
"The idea is to whet their appetite for higher education," Weiner said, "to get them excited about studying and to make sure their grades are good enough for them to go to college."
Weiner also emphasized that Gold Mountain encourages farmers to leave a certain percentage of farmland as wild rainforest to protect community water supply and biodiversity.
"You can literally see that it is hotter where there has been deforestation," he said. "Where there are trees next door, there's natural [air conditioning] for the coffee, which results in beans taking longer to mature so that they more absorb natural sugars, making the coffee sweeter."
Zachary Latimore, a recent Washington University graduate, is preparing for an extended stay in Nicaragua, where he plans to work with Gold Mountain Coffee Growers during the harvest process. In anticipation of the trip, he has been learning about the system behind getting the bean to the cup.
"It's a pretty wide world, and there's a lot more that goes into it than I think a lot of people realize, and certainly more than I ever realized," Latimore said.
Weiner hopes to get more students like Latimore to travel to Nicaragua and work at Finca Idealista, especially during the harvest season from October to April. Latimore will be the first student from the University to work at Finca Idealista, whose labor force more than quadruples in size during the harvest season.
"During coffee harvest, it's all hands on deck," Weiner said. "We're happy to have students go down if they speak 100-percent fluent Spanish and are very hands-on."
However, Gold Mountain is not the only coffee-growing business with University ties.
Felipe Croce, another Washington University graduate, has spent much of his time since 2007 revitalizing and reinventing his mother's coffee farm in Brazil, which has been handed down in the family since 1850.
He first became interested after his time with the University's Praxis program.
"One of the things that I think is really cool about this project," Croce said, "and what really attracted me to the coffee industry when I first got into it was that it's…an industry where there's traceability and there's a certain interest in where things come from, how they're grown, what's the story."
After familiarizing himself with the roasting process through an internship with Kaldi's Coffee, he headed for Brazil, which did not have a reputation for good coffee at the time.
"Good coffees weren't getting to [roasters], so they just assumed that Brazilian coffees were boring, just average," Croce said.
He implemented several changes in his farm's growing techniques, aiming to improve the quality of his coffee.
"First, I had no idea what I was doing. I was trying to do everything. I kind of turned into a cowboy. I was herding cattle. I was trying to do all this stuff, and then I decided to specialize in just the coffee and downsize a little bit," he said.
While downsizing, he also set aside 33 percent of the farm's land for reforestation. Croce's family is working to make the farm and others around it organic and added Ambiental, or "environmental," to the name Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza (Environmental Fortress Farm) in 2001.
Croce and FAF work closely with local farmers, helping them develop their coffee and trying to earn a reputation for Brazilian coffee.
"I use my mom's farm and several of the farms we work with as laboratories to study the recipes, to study what tastes best and get that feedback, so [we're] constantly trying to innovate," Croce said.
So far, Croce said he has seen numerous successes in getting his product into the specialty coffee market.
"We've been able to get our coffees in Noma it's the best restaurant in the world in Copenhagen in roasteries like Kaldi's. Tim Wendelboe in Norway, who's considered the best coffee guy in the world he's come every single year and is roasting our coffees. So I've been really lucky in that I've gotten in the graces of these top coffee people," Croce said.
Croce attributed the farm's success to the diverse skills of his family members, who are experienced in finance and speak both English and Portuguese.
Frank McGinty, Kaldi's director of marketing, was impressed by the impact Croce and Weiner are having on growers.
"After seeing it firsthand, being there and experiencing it, it's pretty mind-blowing that coffee can get from this little town in southern Colombia to a cup of coffee in Cherry Tree…It's incredible. With coffee, these guys are living off of nothing, and that's where…people like Ben [Weiner] and Felipe [Croce] are helping people make a career out of it and helping recruit other people to realize it is something that can be sustainable," he said.
McGinty added that Kaldi's pays nearly double the fair-trade rate for the Nicaraguan coffee, helping the farms purchase better equipment and improve the quality of their product.
Paul Schimmele, Dining Services manager, expressed his excitement for working with alumni like Croce and Weiner.
"We have a lot of alums who have great stories to tell, whether we're in business with them or not. It's just fun to be able to do business with alums," Schimmele said.
Freshman Nate Rickard said he prefers the Kaldi's coffee served on campus to other coffee he has tried, such as Starbucks.
"I think Wash. U.'s coffee is pretty quality. It's better than I expected it to be. I prefer Wash. U. coffee to the coffee I make in my room," Rickard said.
First-year graduate student Aura Ferreiro also appreciated the quality of the University's coffee.
"I like coffee in general because it helps me function, but Wash. U.'s coffee is pretty good," Ferreiro said.
Although Kaldi's pays above the fair-trade rate for coffee, Ferreiro added that she feels the University's coffee is reasonably priced.
Neu im Shop: CASCARA Kaffeekirschentee
January 30, 2016
Ab sofort erhältlich:
unser koffeinhaltiger Kaffeekirschentee aus Brasilien, Mococa.
Warm, wie auch kalt ein sehr fruchtig, belebendes Getränk.
Shop
MOCCAMASTER- Für eine bessere Tasse Kaffee
November 19, 2015
Wir sind Partner von MOCCAMASTER- Handgefertige Kaffeemaschinen. www.moccamaster.de
In der knapp 50 jährigen Firmengeschichte von TECHNIVORM MOCCAMASTER in den Niederlanden hat sich das Team auf ein Ziel orientiert: Die Herstellung einer Kaffeemaschine, die bestmöglichen Kaffee brüht. Das heißt im Wesentlichen, Brühtemperatur und Extraktionszeit sind bestmöglich abgestimmt, die Maschine ist extrem sicher und feuerfest, Brühelement und Warmhalteplatte funktionieren unabhängig voneinander. Alle Maschinen werden in Amerongen, Niederlande, handgefertigt.
Da uns die Maschinen von Anfang an überzeugen und perfekt zu unserer Philosophie passen, kann MOCCAMASTER bei uns probiert und bestellt werden.
Neue BOBOLINK- Variante erhältlich
July 2, 2015
Ab sofort haben wir einen weiteren BOBOLINK im Angebot. Der Kaffee kommt von einer deutschen Familie in der Nachbarschaft der FAF, von der Fazenda St. Antonio. Besonders erlesene Qualität und nur eine geringe Menge von 25 Sack. www.kaffeeroesterei-alber.de/bestellen/bobolink-caf%C3%A8-especial/
Beste brasilianische Kaffees...
June 19, 2015
Wir haben neue, beste brasilianische Kaffees von unseren Freunden und Partnern von der Fazienda Ambiental Fortaleza ins Lager bekommen. Es gibt also in Kürze BOBOLINK- Varianten...
This month, we are pleased to introduce you to Brazil Bob-O-Link, a single estate coffee from the Zani family’s small farm in the Mogiana region of Brazil. The Zani family has produced an exceptional crop of specialty coffee this year using varietals whose fruit ripens to a bright yellow color. We hope you have the opportunity to try a cup of these very limited Yellow Catuai and Yellow Icatu beans that we have roasted right here in New England.
Brazil Bob-O-Link is the result of a coffee project pioneered by Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza and its network of smallholding farmers, who put environmental sustainability at the forefront. When Silvia Barretto inherited Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza (FAF) from her family in the early 2000s, she and her husband Marcos Croce immediately began the work of implementing sustainable agriculture practices on the farm. However, they soon realized that in order to produce high-quality coffee in harmony with nature, they would need to collaborate with the dozens of family farmers who surround Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza and have an equal stake in protecting their shared environment.
Together with their neighbors, Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza created the Bob-O-Link network, a group of farmers who work together to preserve the quality of the natural water springs on their land, manage the soil using organic practices, and plant fruit trees for shade. These banana, mango, and avocado trees also help to sustain the habitat of the many birds and other animals that live in the Mogiana region.
One of these birds is the bobolink, a small blackbird that gives this Gold Cup coffee its name. Every year, the bobolink migrates from the northern half of the United States all the way to the southeast edge of South America, settling into the shaded canopy on Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza and the network of Bob-O-Link farms to spend the winter. The bobolink serves as a powerful symbol of the interconnectedness of our global environment and the power of quality coffee to create a positive impact that transcends national borders.
The high value that the Bob-O-Link farmers place on environmental sustainability translates into a coffee that is meticulously grown and processed. After harvesting, the farmers use both hand-sorting and mechanical color-sorting to remove underripe cherries and other defects. This coffee from the Zani family farm is naturally processed and sun-dried on raised beds. The Zani family’s painstaking work yields a bright, full-bodied coffee with notes of milk chocolate, citrus, and blackberries.
We couldn’t be more excited to feature Brazil Bob-O-Link as our Gold Cup coffee this month. Brazil Bob-O-Link is available for a limited time only in our online store, at Fazenda Café, and in other select locations. We can’t wait for you to try it.
CoolCoffee ... so gut schmeckt kalter Kaffee
May 20, 2015
Kalt extrahierter Kaffee gibt dem Begriff "kalter Kaffee" ein ganz neue Dimension. Nahezu säurefrei, wenig Koffein, ungewohnt rund und samtig weich. Die Leute sind begeistert, mochten doch die wenigsten bisher kalten Kaffee.
Man erfährt ganz neue Aromen und schmeckt ein erfrischend- belebendes Getränk, welches man nicht sofort mit Kaffee assoziiert. Besonders für warme Tage oder abends. Probiert es aus!
50- 60g frisch gemahlenen Kaffee mit ca. 1 Liter kaltem Wasser aufgießen und umrühren.
Abgedeckt 8- 10 Std. ziehen lassen.
Abgießen oder filtern.
Fertig!
Gekühlt 2- 3 Tage haltbar.
Melbourne - Australia
March 26, 2015
Farmers struggle with the implications of the bobolink’s listing
Like its territorial song in early summer, the bobolink's recent listing as a threatened species under Ontario's Endangered Species Act 2007 (ESA) is bubbling on the back burner while government officials and stakeholders, including farmers, struggle with the implications.
The designation came as a surprise to many farmers. Bobolink are still quite common in parts of the province, the males distinctive in their breeding plumage⎯light-coloured on the back and black beneath, with a patch of yellow on the back of the head. Current population estimates peg the Ontario population at 300,000 – 400,000 breeding pairs.
We usually think of species at risk as ones that are rarely seen and whose populations have declined to small numbers. By that time, though, it's almost too late for their continued survival.
Ontario's ESA aims to change all that. Its approach is to act sooner than later when there is evidence of a species under threat or in decline. The Act provides for a Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO) that reports to government and considers such species and recommends them for protection, where warranted.
In the bobolink's case, populations have declined over 50% in the last ten years, prompting COSSARO's recommendation for listing. COSSARO’s recommendations are based on the best available scientific, community and aboriginal traditional knowledge. While the Committee does not consider social and economic consequences in their assessment, the Act does provide for socio-economic considerations.
The bobolink designation has potential impact on normal farming practices. The ESA prohibits killing or harming an endangered or threatened species, or damaging or destroying its habitat. Bobolink nest in hayfields. Timing of haying coincides directly with the peak nesting season for bobolink. This puts farmers in potential contravention of the Act.
A host of agricultural and conservation interest groups, including Ontario Cattleman's Association, Ontario Sheep, Dairy Farmers of Ontario, Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Ontario Nature, Carolinian Canada and Bird Studies Canada among others are involved in ongoing discussions to find workable solutions.
Delayed hay harvest until mid-July is not the answer. Recent research has shown that delaying the timing, and changing the frequency, of hay harvest can significantly increase reproduction of grassland birds by avoiding disturbance during their nesting season. However, there are factors of nutritional quality, yield and palatability of forage crops from the farming perspective that cannot be ignored.
Current haying practice aims for higher quality nutrition for greater livestock productivity and that requires earlier cutting. Fields of primarily alfalfa are not as attractive to bobolink for nesting due to their higher density and limited diversity; therefore the practice of earlier cutting in such fields is not a significant issue.
For farmers relying on grass hay, however, delaying harvest until mid-July, the end of the bobolink nesting season, is not a viable option on a large scale. Grass hay, especially that in longer established hayfields, is precisely where bobolink prefer to nest.
Bobolink declines are also linked to habitat loss. Fewer small herds of cattle on pasture due to recent difficulties in the beef industry, and abandonment of farms in some cases, are resulting in former hayfields and pastures reverting to shrub-land and forest.
Here's a twist though. According to breeding bird surveys, the highest densities of bobolink occur in a broad band across southern Ontario from Huron County in the west, through the Dufferin Highlands and on into Renfrew County in the east. Interestingly, this coincides with the beef industry's cow-calf belt.
Beef producer, and avid birder, Gerald Rollins of Renfrew County notes, “Ontario's cow-calf producers must be doing something right when it comes to providing nesting habitat for bobolink. As an unintended consequence of typical grassland management practices, it appears we are providing a last refuge for these grassland birds.”
Jack Kyle, OMAFRA Pasture Specialist, adds, “The best scenario for bobolink may lie in modifications to rotational grazing practices. Managing rotations for blocks of ungrazed pasture at a suitable stage of growth during the bobolink breeding season could provide additional nesting habitat.”
A Working Group chaired by Jon McCracken of Bird Studies Canada is already developing a Bobolink Recovery Strategy as required by the ESA. McCracken emphasizes, “The future of bobolink depends on agriculture's hayfields and pastures. Working with farmers and understanding their needs is crucial for bobolink survival.”
With cow-calf producers in the best position to provide bobolink-friendly nesting habitat, but also with their own industry struggles, it becomes a case of save the farmer, save the bird.
COSSARO is considering other grassland species for designation, as well, suggesting the need for an approach that deals with not just bobolink, but with protection of grassland habitat in general.
Working together, agriculture and conservation groups have recently developed a concept for protecting Ontario's bobolink habitat, as part of a larger grassland recovery effort. This concept involves a call to government for a temporary three-year exemption for farmers as allowed under the ESA, matched with encouragement for incentive and research programs for grasslands stewardship.
The exemption would allow farmers to continue current agricultural practices without fear of liability. In the meantime, research projects and stewardship initiatives would investigate best management practices for both profitable grassland production and enhanced understanding of grassland conservation issues.
There's no question that private land stewardship is key to maintaining habitat for Ontario's wildlife, whether at risk or not. Cost-share programs in recent years, such as the Canada-Ontario Farm Stewardship Program (COFSP) and the Species at Risk Farm Incentive Program (SARFIP) both delivered by OSCIA, have encouraged stewardship and provided financial incentives and offset associated costs. Continued incentive programs are essential.
Farmers aren't the only ones who can help. Encouraging non-farm rural landowners to leave suitable areas in grassland rather than allowing conversion to forest is another avenue. Public lands, such as Conservation areas, parks and open space, also hold potential for creating grassland habitat.
In the end though, farm businesses hold the key for ensuring the continued presence of bobolink and other grassland species. The challenge is in finding ways of sharing common ground.
Lucas Roasting, USA
December 18, 2014
Cafeicinho the Untold Stories of the Pão de Queijo: In the Brazilian Nature (1/2)
October 29, 2014
Arriving to FAF... it seems like we have always been there!
The first of the visits we did, was just next to Sao Paulo (where we arrived), we visited our friends from FAF, who are located in Mococa (3 hours and a half drive from Sao Paulo) and that you might certainly know better, for their Bob-o-link coffee.
It is always a pleasure, to meet with the Croces. Their good vibes and enthusiasm, can be easily transmitted by spending a minutes with them.
We were received by Marcos and his sons, Felipe & Daniel, and headed with them to FAF (Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza). What Marcos has done in his region, and with all of his producing partners, is admirable & respectable.
The Bob-o-link story
Arrive to FAF and visit the different farms working with them, is something, if we can say so, that offers a very different image in what concerns Brazilian coffee production. Driving over mountains, under shade farms, organic farming, honey production… you know somehow, that you're getting into something.
When Marcos & his wife, Sylvia, moved from the States after she heritate the farm, they didn't know much about farming, but they were happy with the change, and above all, had strong life convictions that wanted to adapt to their farm.
They didn't want to continue working the farm the way it was.
First, 50 families living there, they didn't want employees, they wanted partners involved on their project. They propose much more, starting from education, demanding just their engagement. As he says, some wanted, some others didn't.
Then, the production system. They were convinced about organic farming, even tough, unknown at the time at Brazil. Production, as now they know, went down (they are producing now, around 10% of what the farm used to produce.
Let's give it a name. Fazenda Fortaleza, was re baptized, as Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza.
How can I improve my quality? Marcos traveled to Central America, to see how production was in other countries, there he saw something that wanted to apply for sure, shaded coffee farms. And here, I would say, the person that helped him the most, was Felipe, his son. Formed by an American roaster, he knew a lot about coffee, and felt that his parents were into something, and that he could still help them much more. Daniel, his brother, followed the path too. An expert with the spoon, the other with the calculator. FAF had it all, to start the path to become a farm model system.
To be complete, and reach the sustainability, they started with some other productions. Wood (used for everything, from the African beds that they use to drying the coffee, until tables in the house), bees and their honey (a perfect indicator of biodiversity), water preservation, vegetables production, milk & cheese, rural tourism (they receive visitors during the whole year).
The project was working, despite the fact that volumes of coffee were decreasing. And neighbor farms started to get interested. And that's when the Bob-o-link project started.
The Bob-o-link is a migratory bird that travels all over America, which is very touched by mono intensive agriculture, and the Croces used to live on Bob-o-link road. Everything was given, to have a name.
As he says, first thing he did was to empty the fridges of farmers wanting to join his project. You are what you eat, he says, how could he change the philosophy of someone that drinks coke instead of a juice made out of the fruits of his garden.
To become a bob-o-link farmer, they ask them to:
Start planting trees for shade, and all over the farm.
Do barriers, to preserve water.
Start decreasing the use of fertilizers & pesticides.
Install African beds & pre-sorting machines on the farms (with their financing help).
Selective harvest. Being mountain & small farms, harvest is done by hand.
They help them, to change their food habits.
Interest in coffee cupping & recognition.
Have some alternative productions. It is quite common to see lots of animals on the farms, such as cows for milk products & meet, and vegetables production.
With all these, birds & bees would come. For the first, they ask respect, from the seconds, to get into honey production.
Every step is very important, Marcos says, but if there's not quality, nobody would be willing to pay more for what they do. And there's where them in a strong relation with them, work in order to improve the quality.
They form the farmers, in a way that they can improve each step of the production. And for the post-harvest selection, Felipe is the man behind, cupping every batch to know where is it going to go.
A bob-o-link coffee, needs to score 84-86, according to the SCAA scale. If it's lower, they won't consider it worthy to put the name on. If they find any outstanding "microlots", they would separate them, and sell them separately as their "special reservas".
Cupping some sweet fresh beans with Felipe
What started as a single farm project, has now over 50 farmers involved, from which (according to Marcos), 28 are completely converted into the bob-o-link philosophy.
Changing and getting so many farmers adepts, took them 10 years. Now, their wish, is to be a model of sustainable production for the country.
What we also liked about them, is something Marcos said, he liked to form every farmer as much as they can. Otherwise it would be but a man project, and you know what happens when that man is missing.
Marcos "El Cacique" of Mococa, and his dog lupa!
Before leaving, I said to Marcos what I like to say to lot of farmers we work with: we always like to work with people that are like salmons, those that always go against the flow, those that always follow the hardest path. Where would be the fun otherwise?
We are very happy to announce you, that besides continue our natural bob-o-link coffee, we would increase what we are doing! Two new bob-o-links are flying to Europe this harvest, the pulped natural bob-o-link & the yellow bob-o-link (made out exclusively from yellow varietals).
Fazenda Bela Vista
Stay tuned with us for the second part of our Brazilian chronicle: "The untold stories of the pan do queijo: you need to drive at 160 km/h through the Cerrado highways… that's what the PGI specifies!"
Cloud Picker Coffee - Ireland
October 2014
Single Origin Coffee
Bob-O-Link (Honeyed) - Brazil From Eur8.00
Bob-O-Link (Natural) - Brazil From Eur8.00
Decaf - Mexico From Eur8.00
Dom Jimenez - Dominican Republic From Eur8.00
Shara - Rwanda From Eur8.00 Shop
Belco Coffees at The 2014 Scae in Rimini, Italy
June 17, 2014
Première Torréfaction et Premières Livraisons
March 27, 2014
par Vincenzo Ruggiero
Le samedi 15 mars 2014 est à marquer d'une pierre blanche pour Javry, ou plutôt d'un grain brun ;) Après une nuit quasi blanche nous avons effectué la première torréfaction. Le premier café que nous allions bientôt proposer à nos clients. Un moment stressant mais très excitant pour notre petite entreprise.
9h00 du matin, en route pour Bièvre dans les Ardennes. 1 heure de route et beaucoup de questions et d'interrogations sur le trajet: "Et si nous nous étions trompé de café ?", "Et si ce n'était finalement pas un bon choix ?", "Et si le torréfacteur brûle notre café ?", "Et si nous n'arrivons pas à emballer le café dans nos emballage spéciaux ?", Et si, et si ... Bref, beaucoup de questions et d'interrogations. Mais bon, ça doit être assez normal pour une première.
Première découverte en arrivant dans l'atelier: le sac contenant le café (nous n'avions pas encore vu les sacs). Un Bob O Link du Brésil. Bob O Link est le joli nom d'un oiseau du Brésil, le Goglu commun. On retrouve donc cet oiseau sur le sac en toile de jute:
A l'ouverture, le café vert dégage une merveilleuse odeur d'herbe fraîche:
Pas le temps de trop réfléchir, Miguel le torréfacteur prend les choses en main. Il envoie 36 Kg de café vert dans un gros aspirateur qui envoie le tout dans le torréfacteur. Les grains y sont torréfiés pendant +/- 15 minutes. Nous avons réalisé une petite vidéo des derniers instants de la torréfaction, lorsque Miguel choisi le moment idéal pour stopper la cuisson des grains:
Après cela, séance "pesage/emballage/mise sous vide" de tout ce café:
Nous avons ensuite passer plusieurs heures à coller des étiquettes. Sur les sacs de café, les adresses sur les enveloppes, ...
Le résultat, nos premiers colis sont prêts à être livrés
La Boheme Cafe
March 24, 2014
Původní název Bob-o-link pochází od názvu migrujících pěvců (bobolink kanadský (Dolichonyx oryzivoru)), kteří létají ze Severní Ameriky do Jížní Ameriky (až na jih Argentiny!). Biodiverzita je pro zpracovatele FAF, jichž součástí je i farma Ambiental Fortaleza velmi důležitá. FAF vytváří pro tyto ptáky místa, na kterých se během své cesty mohou zastavit na rozdíl od farem vytvářející ohromná pole monokultur, která napomáhají jejich vyhubení.
Plná a komplexní chuť s minimální kyselostí a dlouhotrvající intenzivní dochutí. Káva ideální pro jednodruhové espresso.
Lískové ořechy, burské ořechy a sušené ovoce.
Augies Coffee
March 18, 2014
Welcoming Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza
March 17, 2014
It´s still winter here in Boston, a fact that I try to ignore during my daily bicycle commute to the Fazenda Roastery. In spite of the weather here, I find myself thinking warmer thoughts in anticipation of the coming coffee harvest. You see, in the Southern Hemisphere it´s more like fall than winter or for that matter, spring -it´s harvest time. When I opened the door at the Roastery this Monday, I was surprised to find that the first of a series of new coffees had arrived. There it was, in all its glory, a fresh pallet of a new Brazilian coffee.
What a great way to start the week. Today I will begin the long process of perfecting a roast profile for our new Brazilian, an organically grown coffee from a community of smallholder Brazilian farmers dedicated to best practices in sustainable agriculture. Some very special coffees are being produced there at the Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza (FAF), a project which also serves as a platform for community development and empowerment. I couldn´t be more excited to have discovered this farm and this coffee...
What I have in stock from them currently is the FAF Bob-O-Link coffee, a natural process arabica featuring Catui and Mundo Novo beans which I cupped last week (for the curious, here´s a good overview of arabica varietals). We discovered this coffee through a partnership with Sofa Café, a Brazilian style café opening this year on Newbury Street that has a lot of style and that is coming to Boston straight from Sao Paulo, Brazil, where there are three other locations. They´ve asked us here at Fazenda to roast this coffee for their location, and after cupping the coffee, we couldn´t possibly be more excited to do it for them.
The Bob-O-Link is exceptionally smooth, with a creamy body and flavors reminiscent of fine chocolate. At a lighter roast profile, it has bright and vibrant characteristics that are the perfect counterpoint to its depth. The Bob-O-Link is advertised with a cupping score of 85 but I would score it slightly higher. Some other microlots from FAF were cupping as high as 88 and I fully concur after trying both the FAF 349 and FAF 322. Great coffee! And there won´t be any surprises on my end if this year´s harvest is even better, given the depth of care that goes into the use of agroecological farming methods at the Fazenda Ambienta Fortaleza.
An additional challenge for this coffee: I´m attempting to match the roast profile of Sofas´ Sao Paulo Roasters, but on different equipment and in a completely different climate. I have my work cut out for me. Surprised, though, to find that this profile is very similar to the one I use for our Colombia Full City roast at our café location, my standby morning cup of coffee. Time to get started! Look for Bob-O-Link exclusively at Sofa when it opens in a few weeks!
Son nom est tiré de l'oiseau migrateur volant depuis l'Amérique du Nord jusqu'au Sud de l'Argentine. Le blend Bob-o-Link est un café brésilien de haute altitude. La plantation Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza a été créée par la famille Baretto en 1850, qui dirige toujours aujourd'hui la ferme du terroir de Mococa.
Les caféiers sont cultivés entre 1000 et 1400 mètres d´altitude au coeur des montagnes Mogiana dans le Sud du Brésil puis les grains sont cueillis, triés à la main et séchés naturellement.
Les variétés de cet arabica donnent à ce mélange des notes subtiles de chocolat, d'amande et de praline.
Bob-O-Link and Silvia
November 15, 2013
Silvia releases a female Bobolink in the fields of Shelburne Farms, Vermont. The University of Vermont is tagging the Bobolinks to study their roots to South America.
Video Bobolink Avistar
Going the Extra Green Mile
November 13, 2013
When Melissa Floreani says her business is sustainable, she means it. "It's a principle that really goes through our whole business. It's not just about the type of coffee we purchase but the warehouse environment as well," she says.
Located in Melbourne's south-east, Melissa says that every decision at Espresso Syndicate is made with a consideration of sustainability. The doors are reused, the office space is made with recycled timber furnishings and eco-ply, and the walls are painted with low Volatile Organic Compounds.
From day one, when Melissa and environmentalist partner Ben Spruzen started Espresso Syndicate in 2009, they always had in mind the sustainable impact they wanted to achieve as a company. "My understanding of being sustainable in the coffee industry was to be much more in depth than simply buying organic or Fair Trade coffee," says Melissa. "There are lots of things you have to do behind the scenes as well to create a truly sustainable business, such as sourcing biodegradable cups, lids and packaging material."
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these broken wings and learn to fly All your life You were only waiting for this moment to arise"
The Beatles
It was more than a year ago that we were having a meeting with some Brazilian producers at Vienna's coffee show. Very particular guys. They were talking about specialty coffee, under shade production, drying on African beds and also… about a bird. About a bird called Bob-o-link. Their coffee's name, actually.
Intrigued, we were; coffee we cupped, and convinced we were for starting this adventure of making this coffee "fly" to France & Europe.
After a first year offering this coffee and, above all, after seeing how receptive roasters were to it, we are very happy to announce that the Bob-o-link is flying back again to Europe!
So stay tuned, we will let you know as soon as it lands!
Larrea 493 | 1708 | Moron, Buenos Aires, Argentina | Tel. (54) 11 4628 1681
Bobolinks
September 3, 2013
Scae Show - June 2013 - Belco Booth
June 28, 2013
Bobolinks Nesting
June 24, 2013
Here are a few of the bobolinks that are nesting on our next door island. They were good enough to investigate why I was in there field, letting me take some shots to send home to Brazil for you! I wonder where these particular birds go?
-Paul Gebhardt
L'exception Brésilienne Au Coeur De Votre Tasse...
May 22, 2013
La plantation Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza "FAF" a été créée en 1850 par la famille Baretto. La passion du café a su traverser les générations puisque la ferme est tenue aujourd'hui par la Silvia Baretto et son mari Marcos Croce, descendants directes des créateurs
ADDISON COUNTY — Spring has finally arrived, and across the region wildlife species are returning to their seasonal habitats, including flocks of migratory birds. But while there may seem to be an abundance of chirping birds returning to the area, the populations of Vermont's seven grassland songbird species have, in fact, plummeted in recent years.
This year, an innovative project at the University of Vermont aims to restore habitat for one of those specie: bobolinks.
It seems like Saint-Nicholas has been more than generous with us this year: we have just received some wonderful coffees from Brazil today!
Few months ago, we had the pleasure to meet Marcos, Felipe & Daniel Croce from FAF (Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza), and from that moment, we started to build the idea of bringing to Europe their wonderful coffee (or project, as it is much more than just coffee I need to precise).
What does FAF do and why are they so different to Brazilian coffees? Before the coffee culture, which is already very particular, being a Brazilian coffee: cultivated under shade, in altitude, handpicked, rise in African beds… they also created an environmental and social project, including their farm and those of their farmer's neighbors.
Don't hesitate in contacting us, if you might want to try this great coffee!
The Bob-o-Links are migratory birds, which fly every year from the Midwest of North America to the Southeast of South America… and which perhaps would rather stop doing it, due to current vast monoculture productions…
Review: Bob-O-Link Coffee
October 10, 2012
I first heard about Bob-o-link Coffee on a local birding listserv. My first thought was, "Why would anyone use a grassland bird species to represent coffee?" The answer is sort of a practical one: the owners have an Illinois home on Bob-o-link Road. This is the birthday that keeps on going. Jennica planned a brunch with family this morning which was great, and friends have now arrived for a surprise party I didn't know was happening.
This is the birthday that keeps on going. Jennica planned a brunch with family this morning which was great, and friends have now arrived for a surprise party I didn't know was happening. The most AMAZING part of the evening is the cake created by Custom Cakes by Sharon and completely honoring the direct-trade coffee relationship with our friends of the Brazil Bobolink project. I'm blown away!!! BLOWN AWAY!!!
