(6 Jul 2015) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus034177
IT'S HARVEST TIME ON THIS COFFEE FARM.
nats coffee picking
BRIGHT RED CHERRIES THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME A FANCY POUR OVER CUP BY YOUR LOCAL BARISTA.
BUT THESE ARE NOT THE TROPICAL MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL OR SOUTH AMERICA...OR ANYWHERE ELSE YOU'D EXPECT COFFEE TO COME FROM.
IT'S A FIVE-ACRE HILLSIDE NEAR SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA.
ONCE THOUGHT IMPOSSIBLE TO GROW THIS FAR FROM THE EQUATOR, GOOD LAND ORGANICS WAS THE FIRST TO FIGURE OUT THAT COFFEE TREES CAN ACTUALLY THRIVE ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COASTLINE.
SOUNDBITE Jay Ruskey, Owner - Good Land Organics:
"It's a very unique growing condition because of the Pacific Ocean, the colder climate coming into the desert so we have a lot of fog that comes in."
BUT THE CRITICAL QUESTION...HOW DOES IT TASTE?
EXCELLENT...ACCORDING TO SEVERAL TRADE ASSOCIATION RATINGS AND REVIEWS...AND THESE VISITORS WHO CAME TO THE FARM FOR A TASTING AND TOUR.
SOUNDBITE Matt Delarosa - San Diego Coffee Shop Owner:
"It tastes very well. It tastes very similar to the Central Americans I've tasted. It totally blew my mind because all I knew of coffee was that it grew on the equatorial belt belt of the world."
SINCE THEY'RE NOT MASS PRODUCED, THE BEANS ARE EXPENSIVE...MORE THAN 60 BUCKS A POUND.
BUT THAT HASN'T STOPPED THE FARM FROM SELLING THE BEANS AS QUICKLY AS THEY CAN PROCESS THEM TO COFFEE CONNOISSEURS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
SOUNDBITE Jay Ruskey, Owner - Good Land Organics:
"I think the coffee industry is evolving. I feel like we're in the wine industry in the 80's."
BUT GROWING COFFEE IN CALIFORNIA ISN'T EASY. IT TOOK ABOUT A DECADE TO GET THE PROCESS JUST RIGHT.
UNLIKE TRADITIONAL COFFEE GROWN IN RAINFORESTS, THIS FARM HAS TO STRATEGICALLY IRRIGATE TO DEAL WITH THE DROUGHT.
THE OWNER IS PARTNERING WITH OTHER COASTAL CALIFORNIA FARMS WITH SIMILAR CONDITIONS TO EXPAND PRODUCTION.
SOUNDBITE Jay Ruskey, Owner - Good Land Organics:
"We're really trying to start an industry here. We hope this will be a premium, well recognized growing region in the next decade or do."
WHICH COULD REALLY GET CALIFORNIA COFFEE OFF THE GROUND.
HAVEN DALEY, ASSOCIATED PRESS, GOLETA, CALIFORNIA.
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