Seed to Cup Barista Origin Adventure

29 Sep 2009

Seed to Cup: Day Four

Challenge Six - Turning Compost:
Selva Negra farm, site of the Seed to Cup Challenge, uses organic compost made from farm waste to fertilize coffee plants.  The compost needs turning, and who better to do that then two teams of champion baristas?  Each team was given five minutes to see who could shovel the most, and they dug into the challenge with enthusiasm.  Once again, Team Ripe Cherries were the victors.  No doubt they developed and perfectly executed a complex and carefully coordinated shoveling strategy.  Or something.

Challenge Seven - Roasting:
For the next to last challenge, each team chose a color target for their roast.  The teams were each given three tries to roast a batch of coffee beans as close to the selected color as possible, but the challenge ended in a draw.  Now Team Cappuccino only has to win the single remaining challenge five times to win Seed to Cup!  Good luck with those odds, Team Cappuccino.  Of course, it all depends on how heavily the judges weight that final pull of espresso… 

The Final Challenge:
Thursday marks the beginning of Let’s Talk Coffee, Sustainable Harvest’s yearly conference on sustainability in the coffee supply chain.  A rough edit of the Seed to Cup video will be shown at the conference to set the stage for the final challenge, when the baristas compete to pull the best shot of espresso and make the best cappuccino using beans from Selva Negra farm.  New media will be added throughout the week, and tune in Sunday to read the final results and see photos from the last challenge!

28 Sep 2009

Seed to Cup Challenge: Day Three

28 Sep 2009

Seed to Cup: Day Three

Day three of the Seed to Cup Challenge.  Every member of the film crew and support staff, staying at the nearby eco-resort and eating at the resort restaurant, was sick this morning.  None of the baristas, staying at the seasonal laborers’ quarters and eating with the farmworkers, were sick.  Go figure.  As the wan crew set up for the shoot, hurrying to the bathroom in turns, the baristas were excitedly preparing for the day’s first challenge. 

Challenge Four - Algae Harvesting:
Selva Negra farm, site of the Seed to Cup Challenge, harvests algae from farm ponds to apply to coffee plant fertilizer.  The barista teams were tasked with collecting the most algae possible from boat and shore in five minutes or less.  As the clock ticked down, the frantic baristas in the boat hurled clumps of algae to (and onto) their teammates onshore.  Soaking wet, covered in slime, Team Cappuccino celebrated an overwhelming victory and claimed the prize - a hot shower.  The consolation prize for the runners-up?  A cold bucket of water.   

Challenge Five - Coffee Sorting:
The baristas then traveled to Soppexcca Mill to sort dried coffee beans for size and quality.  As farm workers played baseball outside with homemade bats, the baristas carefully separated beans by hand.  At the end of the challenge, the team with the least number of defective beans remaining was named the victor.  Once again, it was Team Ripe Cherries.  The standing?  Ripe Cherries, 4-1.  Tomorrow, the roasting begins.

27 Sep 2009

Seed to Cup Challenge: Day Two

27 Sep 2009

Seed to Cup: Day Two

Coffee Washing and Sorting:
Yesterday was a busy day for the competing baristas.  Picking coffee cherries.  Transporting coffee seedlings.  Falling over one another in panicked flight from the farm’s guard dog.  Today they rose for the next set of challenges slightly the worse for wear, but still enthusiastic, a clear sign that nobody has leaked the plans for tomorrow’s challenges. 

The morning began with the baristas washing and sorting the pulped coffee they had picked yesterday.  Mike Yung, 2009 Canada Champion, immediately slipped on a pair of latex gloves he had brought and helpfully offered some of his remaining 99 pairs to teammates.  You might think he’s merely committed to hygienic coffee, but it was revealed that he’s actually allergic to coffee.  Good luck with that, teammates.

Challenge Three - Fungus Harvesting:
After washing and sorting the pulped beans, it was time to set out into the forest above the farm.  At Selva Negra, location of the Seed to Cup Challenge, workers harvest and culture bacteria from forest fungi to be added to organic compost and fertilizer.  For the third challenge of Seed to Cup, the two teams of baristas were sent into the forest for 45 minutes to see who could collect the largest amount of the correct type of fungus for the farm’s laboratory.  

Thanks to the amazing fungus-sensing abilities of Attila Molnar, 2009 Hungary Champion, Team Ripe Cherries (formerly Team One) won again, continuing their streak for a second day.  Team Cappuccino (formerly Team Two) still has two days of challenges left, though, along with the final pull of espresso made from their own beans.  Tomorrow the action continues.  Hopefully the guard dog will have learned to recognize the baristas by then.