SBC, naturally, pays a little more, for a higher grade of coffee, but it s a complicated situation. A great many farmers are so dependent on quick, high yielding coffee plants, that they ve degraded the soil, over fertilized, and often produce less than the best coffee so they can survive another year. For many farmers, it s more about volume than quality. Stewart works with farmers, encouraging them to take the harder road, grow better coffee. The best coffee, like the best lumber, the good, rich, dense stuff, grows at higher elevations.
Old plants are better than hybrids for flavor.
A little shade is good, it not only likens original growing conditions, it also provides habitat for wild birds. SBC is the leading member of the Northwest Shade-Grown Coffee Alliance, which promotes bird friendly coffee. What Stewart is looking for these days, is shade-grown, old strain plants. Stewart s gone organic, not really for any politically correct reasons, so much as organic, by it s very nature, typically yields better tasting coffees. Coffee is made up of different strains of plants, like apples, but instead of Goldens and Granny Smiths, you ve got Arabica and Robusta.