....from Mike

Molly Dougherty goes for the (black) gold

Congratulations to DeMun barista Molly Dougherty for becoming the first official Kaldi's Apprentice Barista. She was the first to finish the first level of certification in our new training program. I'm glad to report that she's already well on her way to becoming a "Certified" barista and moving from black apron to brown. Bonsai lovers beware.

Way to go, Molly!

Ethical Food Panel Podcast featuring Kaldi's Coffee

Check out this podcast of a recent Washington University Ethical Food Panel. The Panel featured Kaldi's own Andrew Timko and Mike Marquard talking about the importance of sustainable farming and its link to quality coffee preparation.

from Alex

Boquete
Panama


Barista Jam: Panama!
Boquete is tucked in a scenic valley in western Panama.

Last stop: Panama. Boquete is a beautiful region in the western mountains of Panama. They don't produce a lot of coffee, relative to other Central American countries, but what they do produce is delicious.

Coincidentally, I arrived just in time for the first ever Barista Jam in Panama! Fellow Barista Guild members Brent Fortune of Crema cafe in Portland and Matt from the Albina Press cafe in Portland were in town to lead Panama's first barista training event. The goal is to prepare Panama for it's first National Barista Competition next year!
Matt (far left) and Brent (far right) intstruct Panamanian baristas on the art of espresso.

Matt and Brent did a great job teaching barista skills. I was happy to snap a few photos and help out!
Myself, Matt, and Brent at the barista jam.


Hacienda Esmerelda is perhaps the most famous coffee farm in the world. This year their prized "geisha" coffee sold for over $100 dollars a pound in the Best of Panama auction. No, that's not a typo!

It was great to get a quick tour of the famous farm. Unfortunately, the tour did not include tasting the coffee!

Hacienda La Esmerelda.

The coffee mill and drying patio at Hacienda La Esmerelda.
The Geisha is a unique varietal of coffee tree which originiated in Africa. In low alitudes (read: warm temperatures) it produces mediocre coffee. In higher altitudes, it produces spectacular coffee.
Indigenous Panamanians are are largely responsible for picking Panama's coffee beans.

From Alex

Nicaragua
Nueva Segovia

The Andelmo Diaz Galiano Cooperative

In March, we had a visit from some farmers from the Andelmo Diaz Galiano coop located in Northern Nicaragua. They are a supplier to Prodecoop, the large Fair Trade Certified Cooperative which is the source of our delicious Nicaraguan coffee. We enjoyed meeting them and hearing about their experience growing coffee, and they were curious to see first-hand what happens to their coffee once it leaves their farm.

The Andelmo Diaz Galiano coop is located near the Honduran border
in the stunning Nicaraguan highlands.

Last week, I was able to return the visit. I spent a few days with Lino Galiano and his family, who help run the cooperative. They live in Plan Grande 2, a rural community of a few hundred people, most of whom work with the coop.

Lino discusses the daily work on the farm.

Lino uses his (huge) machete to clean the ground of brush and weeds, which would steal nutrients from newly planted coffee trees.

Fair Trade Certification has helped, but harvest time still brings a mix of hope and uncertainty. Lino and I discussed recent developments in the coffee market, and how the coop might be able to develop in the future. A quick stop for a drink after a morning hiking the farm.

A family from the community Plan Grande 2.

A butterfly perched near some green, unripe coffee cherries.

These red cherries are ripe and ready for harvest!


I hope our friends from the Galiano Cooperative can return for another visit in the spring....more photos and info to come in December!

from Steve...


Better late than never -

Our new Columbia Missouri store opened October 8th.

There are now 79 coffee shops in a two mile radius of the 9th and Cherry intersection!

A few tweaks on our store design give it a fresh new look.

More importantly we have a beatuful new La Marzocco FB80 front and center in the Kaldi's Coffee Cockpit®

Decades in the making, and finally a reality, Howard Lerner's Coffee Cockpit® concept brings the Barista front and center to display their underappreciated craft.



Interesting Columbia Tribune tidbits:

http://http://columbiatribune.com/2007/Oct/20071013Busi009.asp

This is store number 5...were fast approching SBUX goal of 40,000 stores!

http://archive.columbiatribune.com/2007/sep/20070929busi008.asp

look at that machine!

new awnings comming soon

from Steve...

Our new cupping room is under way (through the window by the ladder).

We will have picturesque views looking out to the roasting area and no VOC paints to interfere with the senses!

from Andrew...

If you are AT ALL interested in competing in the Mid West Barista Competition for Kaldi's next week we are starting prep sessions. Friday November 16th from 1p.m. to ? will be our first session to cover Rules and Regulations and the Judges forms. Again if you have any interest whatsoever, please attend this session. The Rules and Regs along with the Judges score sheets will give you a good impression of what to expect, how to prepare and some of the strategy involed in competing. Below are the forms please print them out and read them if possible before Friday 16 November.

http://www.scaa.org/pdfs/news/2007_NWRBC_Competitor_Rules_And_Regulations.pdf

http://www.scaa.org/pdfs/news/2007_NWRBC_Technical_Score_Sheet.pdf

http://www.scaa.org/pdfs/news/2007_NWRBC_Sensory_Score_Sheet.pdf

from Alex....

Nicaragua
Nueva Segovia


Every year Kaldi's roasts coffee from a large cooperative called Prodecoop, located near Palacaguina in Northern Nicaragua. Prodecoop is Fair Trade certified by Transfair, and receives coffee from 39 smaller cooperatives scattered throughout the northern highlands.

Prodecoop's office in Esteli.

Manuel works at Prodecoop's main office in Esteli and visits their partner coops often. We agreed to meet at 8am and head north. Our first destination was the Luis Alberto Vasquez Cooperative, a supplier coop to Prodecoop located a few miles from the Honduran border.

It is a steep, windy ride up the muddy road leading to the Cooperative, which sits above 4000 feet.

There is something satisfying about going somewhere which
can only be reached by 4 wheel drive.


I was especially eager to visit the farmers at Luis Alberto Vasquez because this year Kaldi's is the fortunate recipient of two bags of coffee from the small lot they submitted in the Cup of Excellence auction! Their coffee placed in the top 20 out of more than 500 of the best microlots that Nicaragua produced last year; if you've had the chance to taste this coffee, you know it is special.

View from Luis Alberto Vasquez Cooperative.
Reyno, myself, and Marcos on the farm.

Mario, Marcos, and Reyno enjoy farming coffee and were happy to show their farm. Success from the Cup of Excellence auction has helped provide better healthcare for members of the community, equipment for the coop, and more. Of course, they hope to participate in future COE auctions.
Mario is holding a small coffee tree which sprouted from a fallen seed.
Because of it's two oval shaped leaves, they call such trees cafe mariposa, or "butterfly coffee".

Our next stop was Palacaguina to see Prodecoop, the mother ship. Prodecoop is a huge facility, receiving over 4 million pounds of coffee a year. Their staff of 4 cuppers keeps quite busy, to say the least! They are constantly working with their suppliers to develope more microlots and improve quality. We always look forward to the arrival of our delicious coffee from Prodecoop.
The cupping room at Prodecoop.
The first coffee harvested this year. Soon, these patios will be
flooded with coffee beans.

The Cup of Excellence coffee from the Luis Alberto Vasquez Coop will be available soon in Kaldi's Coffeehouses. Don't miss it!