Oaxaca has become a destination for not only tourists, but also for quality coffee roasters seeking heirloom coffee varieties.
Pictured here is local art which we found on a door near our hotel. It's by local artist @r.valerdi
The Zapotec ruins of Monte Alban (500 BC – 750 AD) stand on a hilltop above the valley of Oaxaca.
Below Monte Alban lies the city of Oaxaca, founded in the early sixteenth century.
The city of Oaxaca. A large percentage of Oaxaca state’s population is indigenous. It is a place where the ancient world meets the modern.
Oaxaca city has exploded as a culinary, cultural, artistic,
and political center of Mexico. Art is everywhere.
The central park in the city center is lined with outdoor bistros, musicians and colorful bric-a-brac.
The central plaza is a gathering place for events, festivities and political demonstrations.
Change has come quickly to Oaxaca in the last two decades. This is a street corner ten years ago, already with many tourists, mostly Mexican.
The same corner is now occupied by the powerful presence
of these life-size sculptures.
More sculptures.
Local street art representing the National Campaign for Legal Abortion and the defense of one's body territory.
Another mural in Oaxaca. This is by artist @bouleroaxaca and it celebrates the Mexican tradition of The Day of the Dead.
Cafe Brujula Oaxaca City.
Jennifer and I loved the Oaxacan coffee!
A plate of the different tomatoes grown in Oaxaca.
We arrived at Red Fox, in Oaxaca City.
Our Yosotatu and Miramar Oaxacan coffees come to us via Red Fox Coffee, a green coffee importing Firm, deeply committed to quality. We were there to meet Red Fox’s representative in Mexico: Adam McClellan.
This drawing, prominently visible, as Jenny and I enter the Red Fox office, was done by Adam’s eight
year old son.
Adam McClellan
Maria Flores Is a key coffee cupper for Red Fox in Peru as well as Mexico. She assesses every lot of coffee being considered for purchase.
Fabian Viveros is the key spokesperson for the Red Fox team. He will join us on our visit to the farms we buy from in Mexico.
Trinidad Vasquez (Miramar farmer) & Diego Zarate, Red Fox agronomist
Nearing our destination…..
Arrived at Yosotatu Association.
A small group of 20 – 30 farmers, mostly women, led by Madelina Lopez, organized to improve the quality of their coffee, in exchange for higher premiums. They await discussions to begin with Red
Fox concerning the new harvest, farmer concerns, and prices.
Jennifer with Madelina’s daughter, Citlali. Madelina, shown on left, could not attend; dealing with medical issues, since resolved.
The patio, used for drying coffee beans after washing, and serving as the forum for the discussion
about to begin.
Amado Castro speaks for the Yosotatu farmers. He says that Red Fox has been the highest payer for their coffee for a few years now. They have come again to buy coffee. He reports that Red Fox says their coffee is among the best in Mexico. This should raise their spirits. They have to work, as before, with effort to produce high quality.
Amado explains to us that not every farmer could join the discussion. The sky unleashed heavy rains on lower areas. Farmers rushed to pick coffee cherries before they were ruined.
Fabian Viveros (Red Fox) replies to farmers regarding the demonstrated solidity of their commitment, and
continuing improvement of payment procedures, as their new relationship finds its footing in working within the complexities of Mexican laws.
After the meeting, we see how they process their harvest. The cherries are depulped by hand. The depulper is to the left of processor’s arm. The spent dark “cherries” (mostly
skins) are piled on the ground. They will be used for compost. The beans, still covered with sticky mucilage, are in the white bag.
The beans are ready to be fermented, which will allow washing off the sticky mucilage that surrounds the beans. Fermenting coffee is not the same as for wine
or bread. It is simply the process used to rot the fruit until turbulent water will wash it all away, all
without damaging the beans’ flavors.
The cherries are allowed to ferment in these tubs for about 36 hours. Coffee fermentation Is not like wine or bread. It is simply a process to rot the fruit without damaging the
beans’ Flavors. Turbulent clean water will then remove all the clinging fruit. And the beans
will be put out on raised beds to dry for over a week.
Back on the road to Guadalupe
Miramar.
Entering the town of Guadalupe Miramar.
Looking towards the Pacific Ocean.
Gathering of Miramar farmers to speak with Red Fox.
Roberto Perez Vasquez, one of several farmers,speaking to Red Fox. Issues are the same
as at Yosotatu: a key concern is the rising prices they experience for labor and other inputs.
Adam McClellan, with team, responds, acknowledging the issues coffee farmers face and recommitting to support their efforts with pricing reflecting their quality. He then introduces Jennifer and me as avid buyers of their coffee.
I then spoke briefly to thank them &
emphasize that George Howell Coffee will never blend their coffee. It is always sold as Guadalupe Miramar, giving full credit to their efforts.
First, the coffee tree nursery. netting overhead protects the
seedlings from the full force of the sun.
Traditional coffee trees under tall
trees, similar to Arabica’s original environment in Ethiopia. Low productivity, but healthy plants. Almost no use of chemicals.
Perfectly ripe cherries. Not all branches are consistently red-ripe. Pickers need to exert great care in selecting uniformly ripe fruit.
One fruit = 2 beans.
Quality = Selective Picking!
After depulping and fermenting, the
“beans,” still covered by outer
protective envelopes, called parchment, dry for up to 20 days.
Drying parchment coffee. When moisture drops from about 60% to 10.5%, ideally, the coffee is ready for dry milling: sorting by size, density and defect. Only then is it ready to ship to us.