Coffee is a tropical evergreen shrub cultivated throughout the world between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer. Seeds are planted in nursery beds and transplanted after about twelve months. The first harvest can take place after two or three years, but a full yield will not be achieved for five years.  There are two main types of coffee — Arabica and Robusta. You’ve probably seen or heard ads touting Arabica beans, and with good reason: these are the premium coffee beans grown at high altitudes.

Coffee must be picked by hand, a skilled and labor-intensive process. The beans on each coffee bush don’t ripen all at once, so each plant must be revisited several times during the harvesting season.

Two beans are found inside each “cherry,” and these are harvested when the cherries turn bright red, indicating ripeness. The pulp, or skin of the cherry, is removed, and then the green beans are fermented, washed, and dried — not necessarily in that order, depending upon the particular local method. Green beans are packed in those familiar burlap bags, each weighing well over a hundred pounds, and shipped around the world. The U.S. is the largest coffee-importing country, accounting for more than 30% of coffee imports worldwide. (If you’re into more of these kinds of statistics, check out The Economics of Coffee at: http://www.firstscience.com/SITE/editor/022_ramblings_15082003.asp; it’s interesting to see where the U.S. falls in consumption per person — not near the top at all.)
Coffee has been roasted in a variety of ways over the centuries, most often over the hearth, and even today some folks like the “do-it-yourself” approach. If you’re into that, we’ll happily sell you green beans — just ask.

Coffee roasting is often described as both an art and a science, and professional artisan roasters, or “roastmasters,” have developed their skills over time.

Terra Nova Coffee is a microroaster, meaning that we roast by hand — not computer — in small batches only. All of our premium organic coffees are carefully roasted to develop their individual character and complex flavors. Skillful roasting involves the senses of sight, hearing, and smell, as well as focused attention on time and temperature. It also requires knowledge of the chemical reactions inside the coffee bean, and a practical understanding of roasting technology and equipment. The age and moisture content of the beans, their varietal characteristics, along with the temperature and level of humidity of the environment also affect the roasting process, and require the roaster to continuously monitor the roast making adjustments as needed.

Roasting levels vary from light to very dark. Many of our coffees are brought to a Full City Roast, a medium-dark level that develops the full flavor of the beans and preserves their unique varietal characteristics.
Interestingly, French Roast coffee delivers little to none of those varietal characteristics; the flavor is determined by the roast level, rather than by the type of beans used. French Roast also contains less caffeine than lighter roasts, as some of it is burned off by the higher roasting temperatures.