Volcanica Coffee Announces the Start of their 2006 Gourmet Coffee Harvest
Volcanica Coffee has announced the kick off of the 2006 gourmet coffee harvest in Costa Rica. The gourmet coffee farms that supply Volcanica Coffee have started the laborious process of the annual harvest.

The harvest is taking place in the Tarrazú region of Costa Rica which is located in the high mountains. The high altitude of 1.500 metre (5,000) feet above sea level is a main contributor to the elegant flavor in the Costa Rican Tarrazú coffee but the steep sloping volcanic mountains make it very difficult to farm.

Coffee plants must be picked by hand then carried long distances to the closest road for pick up. The other challenges facing farmers in this region is the scarcity of workers to pick the harvest.

“We are very excited that another harvest is upon us which literally brings us the fruits of our labor over the past year” says Jorge Umana the manager of the Don Evelio Coffee Estate which is a major supplier to Volcanica Coffee.

“The first cupping from the harvest indicates that we have another great gourmet coffee crop for 2006” said Umana. The Don Evelio Coffee Estate does not use pesticides or fertilizer which allows them to qualify as organic coffee though it has not been certified due to the high cost.

The coffee plants are also shade grown thanks the natural tropical rain forest that surrounds the area. Their concern for the environment is evident by a 247 acre reserve that they maintain to preserve local plants and animals and paid for by the coffee harvest.

After the red coffee cherries are picked they are washed with water to remove the outer fruit to leave the green inner bean. They are then laid out to dry on tarps. The coffee beans are sorted to remove any defective beans or foreign objects. The final step occurs when the green beans are roasted just before purchasing by the consumer.

The harvest is expected to continue until early late February and will involve many long hours.

Volcanica Coffee is a specialty importer and retailer of exotic single origin gourmet coffee beans. The Company is committed to offering only the finest quality coffee from volcanic regions around the world that is wonderfully exotic and remarkable in taste.