Java Mountain Women’s Cooperative

I got to spend Tuesday with my daughter’s class at the UC Davis Raptor Center.  They heard an informative talk about the three different categories of raptors, and then they got to tour the facilities and meet the resident birds.  The focus at the raptor center is on rehabilitation and release of injured birds, but there are over thirty birds who aren’t able to leave (can no longer fly etc.).  We got to see golden eagles, barn owls, screech owls, hawks, falcons, and even a turkey vulture. 

The unusual muslin bag this coffee arrived in

It was a fascinating trip. I can remember going to the same place when I was a child, although my strongest memory is of dissecting owl pellets. I loved overhearing the kids discussing whether or not it was good to save these birds, since they now live in a cage. They decided it was good that the birds were there to educate children, but that it must be hard to live caged. I was proud of their critical thinking skills.

For the rest of the week I came down with a cold, and I’ve been moving slowly. My project list got moved to the back burner, but I got the daily things done. Today I’m playing catch-up–mostly making piles of things that can wait until next week. One thing that needs to happen today is this newsletter: we have a new coffee for you.

The full name of this coffee is Java Mountain Women’s Cooperative Pangalengan Ciwidey Grade 1 Fully Washed Grainpro. We’ve shortened it, but let me break down the name for you. The first part is the name of the cooperative of women who are growing this coffee: “Java Mountain.” Then the regions in West Java where the coffee is grown “Pangalengan” and “Ciwidey.” “Grade 1” is the highest grade of Javanese coffee. Then “Fully Washed” is the processing. Finally, “Grainpro” refers to the type of sealed bag the green coffee is packed in. Not the muslin outer bag that you see in the picture above, but the high-quality inner bag that seals the beans.

All of this information gives you an idea about the crop, but what we’re most excited to feature is the two lines you can read on the bag: “empowering rural women” and “handpicked by indigenous women.” We love to feature coffee that is produced by women in the developing world, because when you help women, you help those around them too. Studies by the World Bank show that women invest 90% of their earnings in their families. So supporting women in coffee also supports the communities around them.

This is the first time that we have featured this coffee, and it is the first time that it has been imported into the United States. You can read about the work that our broker did to import it here and here. This cooperative of 50 women was formed recently, in 2016, and now they are using the money earned from their coffee to “equip women producers with farm management and quality control training; certification assistance; and a nursery program where women will have access to seedlings of coffee, citrus, bananas, timber and rubber trees necessary for diversified farm renovation.” The proceeds of this coffee extend beyond the beans to the entire livelihood of these women.

In the cup, this is a beautiful coffee, of high quality. Instead of the earthy flavors that you get from so many Indonesian coffees, this Java Mountain has strong fruit flavors. It tastes of melon and honey with a lingering sweet finish. You can try a cup on us this week with the code women power*. If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, it’s the annual downtown Foothills Celebration, which is a food and wine tasting in the shops around town. It’s from 1 -4 tomorrow, March 4th. Whatever you decide to do this weekend, drink good coffee. Cheers!
–Holly Fike

*Code good for one free 12 ounce cup of Java Mountain Women’s Cooperative. Code expires on 3.9.17. Limit one free cup per customer please. Valid only at Carolines Coffee Roasters, 128 S. Auburn Street, Grass Valley, CA. Code/Offer has no cash value.