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Want to stay and visit Antigua Guatemala?

Posted by Pablo Castaneda on May 25, 2009 at 10:41am
Kafes Guatemala now has a house for visitors in Antigua Guatemala, if you don't want to spend to much money in hotels or you have a big family or group, we have a nice house in town. The house can hold 14 people. 10 minutes from the coffee plantation, for prices email me at pablo@kafesguatemala.com

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20th Anniversary Reflections: Dorie Hagler

Posted by Coffee Kids on July 17, 2008 at 7:17am
Photographer Dorie HaglerGallery26.JPG has done a number of projects for Coffee Kids. After returning from the Peace Corps in Guatemala in the 1995, the photographer got in touch with Bill Fishbein and Coffee Kids to inquire about creating photos at origin.

Coffee Kids began working with Hagler and she created an amazing body of work documenting the life of coffee-farming families, the conditions in which they live, and the joy that they carry with them.

Visit the Web site, Behind Every Cup, a photo-documentary of the coffee harvest and coffee-farming families. Hagler sells prints of the work and donates 10% of all proceeds to Coffee Kids. If interested, contact her at dorie@doriehagler.com or 505-770-7157

Below is an excerpt from a recent interview done for Coffee Kids 20th Anniversary:

"I took several trips for Coffee Kids and it was an amazing opportunity for a young photographer, that's why I call Bill (Fishbein) my fairy godfather. There are photographers salivating over an assignment like Coffee Kids, but he said yes to me.

"The reason I think he sent me was because he know about my experience in Peace Corps, he knew my relationship with women's groups in Guatemala and that I wasn't going to exploit anyone. Bill always wants to emphasize the strength and dignity of the people Coffee Kids works with and he didn't want some photographer who would jeopardize that.Gallery29.jpg

"I remember one assignment in Mexico where I was sent to photograph the harvest and I lived with a family for two weeks. But the harvest was delayed. We had made all of these arrangements and it didn't look like I would see any of the coffee harvest.

"So I'm waiting and waiting and I called a friend who said I should just keep shooting and I left my head and realized the gift I was given. I was able to live through what these people deal with every year. When is the harvest coming? Is it even coming? What if there is no harvest?

"But I saw the optimism, their confidence that every thing was going to work out and that you just live from day-to-day. I realized that that's how these people have lived all their lives, but through Coffee Kids work, it makes that waiting a little less stressful. Their entire income is not dependent on the coffee harvest.

"I treasure the pictures from that collection, from that town where I spent those two weeks waiting for the harvest."
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Central Sydney Coffee Scene

Posted by Alun Evans on September 8, 2008 at 12:30am
I measure coffee culture in the crema of my very short ristretto. This is nigh near impossible to do in Indonesia, where an espresso can come in cups as big as cappuccino mugs. Often the cafes of Indonesia make the mistake of changing the time honoured drink preparations to suit the perceptions of the coffee drinkers of that country, instead of educating them to what is a short black, a piccolo or a doppio. There is a tale, which may or may not be true, about the opening of the first Starbucks in Jakarta, Indonesia. A lady came in during the first week of trading, looked at the menu board for some minutes. She finally ordered an espresso. When she got her coffee she complained “Pelit banget lho!!” (Your very stingy) she said, as she looked at horror at the 30ml barely covering the bottom of her cup. That’s Indonesia…Sitting here in the musty, cool surrounds of the café in Victoria Street, Kings Cross, the owner explains to me that this lack of understanding too was the problem in Australia in the 1950’s and 1960’s. “they wanted milky drinks, big ones too. It was not the way we did it in the old country, so we went about teaching the Australians about good coffee”. Obviously Australia and New Zealand somewhat benefitted from the migrant wave from Italy, Yugoslavia and Greece after World War II. The Italians, in particular, arrived down under in force, bringing espresso based coffee culture with them. They arrived to find tea ruled the roost, second place taken by instant coffee and essence based coffee syrups such as Bushells.In June Starbucks Australia announced the closure of 2/3rds of its Australian stores. Was this a result of the economic circumstances in Australia, or testament to the fact that Aussies like the freshly roasted coffee culture that the independents have been bringing to this country for years?The Surry Hills area of Sydney is closely fenced in by the seedy red-light district of Oxford Street on the West and the railway line to the south. The suburb is fashionable, with old terrace houses being refurbished, apartments appearing in old warehouses and office blocks. This is the heartbeat of Sydney’s specialty coffee culture, with cafes of quality literally found every 200 metres. The great thing is there is not a Starbucks, Coffee Bean or Gloria Jeans in sight. Perhaps more telling; there is hardly a café selling the Italian stalwarts- Illy or Lavazza either. This is pure home grown, locally roasted coffee. There is Single Origin, Genovese, Campos found on these streets- being served from big cafes to hole in the wall joints. Across Oxford Street into Kings Cross, there is the Grandfather of them all- Hernandez Coffee.Juan Hernandez started his coffee roastery and café back in the 1970’s. At the time good coffee, roasted locally, was really hard to find. He had arrived from Spain and initially worked as a salesman for Nestle. When he decided to go it alone he was told by everyone that he would fail, as there was no market for locally roasted coffee. On the contrary he pioneered and created the market in Sydney- with customers including actors, models, businessmen and even a Prime minister or two! Today his café still is an epicentre of coffee for the city. At any hour of the day the small shop is crammed with customers after their caffeine fix.Over the other side of Surry Hills, Single Origin Café is buzzing. The cliental here are generally younger than those seen at Hernandez. Sydney’s young professionals enjoying quality espresso being churned out on Natascha, the espresso machine. The espresso is sweet and chocolaty, with a hint of capsicum and pine nuts. The place seems to always be crowded, even though it is only open 5 days a week. Inside space is tight, however there seems to be an endless supply of tables that can be whisked out and placed along the sidewalk. The hipness here is what is mirrored in Independents all over metropolitan Australia and New Zealand, the surrounds are not important, its what is in the cup that counts. The owners, the barista, the staff are all passionate and knowledgeable. This passion is seen in the faces of the customers.For sure the education provided to Australians by the wave of European immigrants is going to be difficult to replicate in Southeast Asia. Coffee is also not necessarily a part of the national cultures of the countries north of Australia’s shores. For this, the big chains will be glad of. The markets of China, Indonesia and India are potential gold mines for coffee. However the chains should be wary of the Independents. Other quality coffee merchants will eventually turn their passion and ideas to Asia. Hallelujah!
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"COFFEE WITH A KICK"

Posted by Matt Milletto on October 21, 2008 at 10:18am
Very cool! Way to go Martin Diedrich, a fellow bX member! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 21, 2008 CONTACT: Trevor Slavick, Founder Little Feet Coffee Company (949) 929-9133 Trevor737@gmail.com SOCCER CHARITY TEAMS UP WITH COFFEE PRODUCER TO OFFER NEW SPECIALTY BRAND UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES PREMIUM "COFFEE WITH A KICK" (NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.) Oct. 21, 2008 – Trevor Slavick (38), co-founder of the Southern California based soccer equipment charity Little Feet (LittleFeet.com), announced today his group has launched a coffee company (LittleFeetCoffee.com), to support a sustainable coffee growing village in Honduras, and expand its mission of supplying poor children with quality soccer equipment. Honduras is an up-and-coming producer in the premium coffee market, growing 100% Arabica beans in ideal conditions featuring high elevation, shade, rich volcanic soil, and tropical climate comparable to Colombia and Costa Rica. "Little Feet Coffee," now available in ground and whole bean 12-ounce packages, has the added appeal of being 100% Organic, Rainforest Alliance Certified and sold at fair trade prices, with a percentage of sales supporting the group's original goal; hence the slogan: "Coffee With A Kick!" It might also be called coffee with a conscience. Martin Diedrich, of Diedrich Coffee fame, is now expertly roasting Little Feet Coffee in small batches, and supports the group's cause. "This is something I can get behind, there are a lot of people growing coffee who have huge obstacles to overcome and I sympathize, I grew up in that part of the world," said Diedrich, who now runs Kean's Coffee in Newport Beach. "Little Feet Coffee has got a unique angle blending coffee with the world's most popular sport-- it connects." Slavick, an American Airlines pilot and soccer enthusiast explains, "we were delivering soccer balls to children in villages in western Honduras when I spotted some kids trying to play with a bundled up coffee sack." Slavick continues, "I gave them one of our balls and the villagers thanked us some of their delicious coffee. They proudly showed me their coffee cooperative where many of the villagers work. I later learned more than 300 million cups of coffee are consumed each day in the US (according to the 2008 Coffee Statistic Report). Of the average $2 per cup paid, less than a penny finds its way back to the farmer. We decided to start a company to sell farmer-direct coffee at fair trade pricing, to help not only the kids in these communities, but the entire village." Slavick is returning to Honduras this month to run a soccer camp for kids in the village of Las Capucas. The coffee cooperative's manager Omar Rodriguez (cafecapucas@yahoo.com) appreciates Little Feet's support, "when you purchase our high grown beans, you are supporting a culture of farming that respects the environment and a way of life that nurtures the health and happiness of our people," Rodriguez stated. Slavick plans to create similar partnerships with other coffee cooperatives in order to expand Little Feet Coffee's offerings and assistance to more communities and their children. Presently, Little Feet Coffee can be purchased through the group's website LittleFeetCoffee.com at a retail price of $11.95 for a 12-oz. package. Viktor Bene's Continental Bakery in Gelson's Supermarkets in Dana Point and Irvine, as well as all Southern California Mother's Market & Kitchen locations also now sell the coffee.
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