We delighted to report that work at the education center in Otampa is progressing well! The beginning of 2012 will see a large wall built around the complex to ensure the safety of students and staff. The wall will also provide protection to the property and additional projects, essential for the center’s future sustainability, such as the community garden.

The cassava crop (pictured being processed below) from the community garden has flourished since the installation of the well in 2011. These crops provide food to the local community as well as a viable source of income through sales of surplus crop on the market.

Processing the Cassava Crop like nobody's business

Maybe the best part about being involved in the specialty coffee industry is working together with other passionate people and uncovering something new at seemingly every turn. Simply put, coffee has a way of teaching you things. Moreover specialty grade coffee, being particularly difficult to produce, demands constant attention and care from everyone along the chain of production. These truths became very relevant to me on my first trip to origin, visiting both Marcala and Santa Barbara in Honduras and crystallizing what I have come to love about coffee.

Rob at 1,700 meters near El Cedral, Santa Barbara.

We have been sourcing quality high grown coffees from these areas for about as long as we’ve been roasting but the entire team has been eager to build a true “relationship” coffee line that we can be proud of. I flew into Tegucigalpa with hopes that I could get to meet some of the producers and learn more about the ways that they ensure cup quality year over year. If all went to plan, I was hoping to cup some of the best coffees Honduras had to offer and maybe begin a long-term relationship with a farmer that would grow over time.

Don Mario Perez Manuelez schooling us at his farm "Las Cascabeles" in Marcala.

Suffice it to say that the trip exceeded my wildest expectations. Anyone who has been to Central America can tell you how beautiful the landscape is (though I would argue that it doesn’t get much more breathtaking than the view from the coffee farms in Santa Barbara, over a mile high and framed by a picturesque lake.) But what really made the trip worthwhile was how welcoming the producers were and how willing to answer questions about their craft. Even better, they really seem to grasp the importance of their role in cup quality. Their commitment to improving every year is evident, from the pickers to the sorters to the workers at the wet and dry mills all the way to the exporter.

The view from Finca La Galera in Santa Barbara, 1,600 meters up.

So much effort is put into each precious burlap sack that we can’t help but show the coffee the same respect that the producers have. I am very excited to say that in a matter of weeks we will be roasting a very special Micro Lot from Gerrado Penalba’s “Finca Las Flores”, our first true relationship coffee. We can’t wait to hear your reviews and even better, to be able to tell him how much you enjoyed his hard work when we see him again.

Those of you who didn’t think the idea of pairing coffee and cheese together was a particularly good one obviously missed the highly anticipated event with our good friends (Rebecca, Lisa and Kirk) at Wedge and Fig in Old City last week.
Woody and Rob prepared 3 unique and special coffees (our micro-lot Costa Rica, natural-processed Bali and Nordico Espresso) in 3 different brewing methods (Chemex, French press, and espresso) and paired them with 3 very flavorful and nuanced cheeses and desserts.
The results were dramatic. Not, “Oh God what if Shelley wears the same dress as me to the semi-formal? I’ll just die!” dramatic. But “I had no idea these two things I love so much could complement each other so well!” dramatic. Which, happily, is the type of drama we prefer at OVC; the kind we take part in all the time.
In fact, it was such a hit that there’s already talk of a repeat performance on the horizon. We’ll expect to see you at the next one. Just don’t be mad if we’re wearing the same outfit as you. Shelley told us you wouldn’t mind.

This final quarter of 2011 we will be supporting work on a sustainable community center model in Otampa, Nigeria. The Intercontinental Education Community Center aims to tackle adult illiteracy rates, low income levels and lack of house hold power through a series of projects including:

• Education to children grades K-12
• Adult training seminars (including entrepreneurship, malnutrition, gardening and composting)
• Solar energy-driven power installation
• Community garden projects
• Cassava crop production and preparation

Much progress has already been made. Dr. Emenike and Dr. Chidi Ukazim recently provided training and consultancy to assist workers with a 700 ft well for drnking and irrigation during the 6 month-long dry spell.  Speaking to OVC staff at a recent visit, Emenike and Chidi communicated the importance of supporting projects that create lasting change and fosters economic independence in the village. We are excited to be connected to this innovative project and will bring you updates as we offer continued support in 2012.

700ft well to meet drinking and irrigation needs during the dry season