The Harvest

HARVEST IS THE PINNACLE OF A FARMING YEAR. WE'VE CARED FOR AND TENDED TO OUR TREES ALL YEAR, NAVIGATING THE INEVITABLE CHALLENGES EACH SEASON BRINGS. THIS YEAR, WE FACED OUR FAIR SHARE. AS WE APPROACH HARVEST, THE FOCUS NARROWS - ALL EFFORTS UP TO NOW ARE TO BE CAREFULLY REALISED, AS WE DON'T WANT TO BUNGLE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE. IT REQUIRES ALL HANDS ON DECK AND SOME ADDED SEASONAL SUPPORT. THIS IS THE GRAND FINAL DAY IN FARMING.

THE KEY DECISION THAT SETS EVERYTHING IN MOTION IS WHEN TO START. FOR 2024, WE ONCE AGAIN RELY ON OUR FARMER AND AGRONOMIST, THE FATHER AND SON DUO OF PLUM AND JACK. THEY HAVE INSPECTED EVERY TREE BY TRACTOR AND FOOT ALL YEAR ROUND. THIS UNDERSTANDING IS VALIDATED AGAINST BASIC SUGAR READINGS AND COLOUR COMPOSITION MEASURES. THE COLLECTION OF ANNUAL DATA BUILDS UPON OUR HISTORICAL RECORDS AND UNDERSTANDING. WHILE WE HOPE 2024 WILL BE OUR DECISION ALONE, THE REALITY IS THAT WE CAN BE AT THE MERCY OF THE ELEMENTS AND THE LOGISTICS OF PREPARING A HARVEST. DESPITE OUR BEST PREPARATIONS, IT IS ALWAYS FILLED WITH UNCERTAINTY.

AS THE COFFEE CHERRIES APPROACH MATURITY, SIGNIFICANT CHANGES OCCUR WITHIN THE FRUIT. SUGARS ACCUMULATE, AND ACIDS BALANCE OUT, DEVELOPING THE DESIRED FLAVOURS. THE CHERRIES' COLOUR DEEPENS, AND THE BEANS INSIDE BEGIN TO HARDEN, SIGNALING THEIR READINESS FOR HARVESTING. THESE PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES ARE KEY INDICATORS GUIDING THE DECISION ON THE BEST TIME TO HARVEST.

WHILE THE DECISION TO START IS BEING CONSIDERED, LAST-MINUTE PREPARATIONS CONTINUE IN FULL SWING. ON TOP OF THE USUAL PUSH, WE HAVE FERMENTATION TANKS TO WELD, DRYING BEDS TO MANUFACTURE, AND NEW EQUIPMENT TO CALIBRATE. OUR HARVEST PROGRAM IS ALSO EXPANDING AND FOR THE FIRST TIME WE AIM TO PRODUCE COFFEES ACROSS THE THREE PRIMARY PROCESSING METHODS. PLANNING FOR THIS STARTED MONTHS AGO - WE'VE DEVELOPED DETAILED PROTOCOLS AND DONE THE CALCULATIONS - ALL THAT IS NOW NEEDED IS THE FRUIT. MORE ON THOSE PROCESSING METHODS LATER.

WHEN THE DECISION TO HARVEST HAS BEEN MADE, IT’S OVER TO THE TEAM TO GET THE FRUIT PICKED AND PROCESSED. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE HERE—WHEN THE CROP IS READY, IT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT IN AT THE FASTEST RATE WITHIN THE CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS OF THE FARM. OUR TEAM COMPRISES A FIELD CREW AND A SHED CREW. THE FIELD CREW WILL MAN OUR TWO HARVESTERS SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH AN ACCOMPANYING HAULER. THE HARVESTERS STRADDLE THE TREES, BRUSHING THEM (SIMILAR TO METHODS USED IN OLIVES AND GRAPES) TO REMOVE THE FRUIT OR CHERRIES. DEPENDING ON THE HARVEST WINDOW, THE INTENSITY OF THE BRUSHING AND VIBRATION WILL BE ADJUSTED. THIS METHOD, KNOWN AS MECHANICAL HARVESTING, IS MORE PREVALENT IN INDUSTRIALISED COFFEE REGIONS WHERE THE SCALE AND ECONOMICS OF HANDPICKING JUST DON’T WORK.

ONCE THE HAULER FILLS THEIR TRAILER, THEY HEAD TO THE SHED TO UNLOAD THE FRUIT WHERE THE SHED TEAM WILL COMMENCE PROCESSING. THE FRUIT WILL BE SORTED AND SEPARATED ACCORDING TO TWO LAYERS OF OPTICAL COLOUR SORTING BEFORE THE CHERRY IS CHANNELED INTO ONE OF THE PROCESSING STREAMS: WASHED, NATURAL, OR HONEY. THE TEAM WILL ALSO LOG AND DETAIL ALL THE PARTICULARS RELATING TO THE DELIVERED FRUIT, PROVIDING COMPLETE TRACEABILITY AND COLLECTING VALUABLE DATA TO ASSIST WITH THE APPRAISAL OF QUALITY THAT FOLLOWS THE CONCLUSION OF THE HARVEST. THIS YEAR, WE ARE ROLLING OUT A COMPLETE FARM MANAGEMENT AND PROCESSING APPLICATION, MOVING AWAY FROM SPREADSHEETS. THE RATES OF PICKING AND PROCESSING WILL BE CALIBRATED DAY TO DAY TO MANAGE THE RISKS OF SPOILAGE AND ENSURE EFFICIENT USE OF EQUIPMENT.

IN THE WASHED PROCESS, CHERRIES UNDERGO FERMENTATION BEFORE PULPING, WITH FERMENTATION TIMES VARYING DEPENDING ON THE BATCH. THIS STEP BREAKS DOWN THE MUCILAGE SURROUNDING THE BEAN, ENHANCING THE COFFEE’S CLARITY AND BRIGHTNESS. AFTER PULPING, WHICH REMOVES THE OUTER SKIN, THE BEANS ARE LEFT WITH A LAYER OF MUCILAGE. WE CAN'T GIVE EVERYTHING AWAY, BUT EXPECT SOME INNOVATIVE USE OF INOCULANTS AND CAREFULLY CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS TO DEVELOP COMPLEX FLAVOURS. THE BEANS ARE THEN THOROUGHLY WASHED TO REMOVE ALL MUCILAGE. FINALLY, THE BEANS ARE DRIED TO THE IDEAL MOISTURE CONTENT.

IN THE HONEYS PROCESS, COFFEE CHERRIES UNDERGO PRE-PULPING FERMENTATION SIMILAR TO THE WASHED PROCESS. AFTER PULPING, SOME MUCILAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT ON THE BEANS. THIS ADDS SWEETNESS AND COMPLEXITY TO THE FLAVOUR PROFILE. THE BEANS ARE THEN DRIED, WITH THE REMAINING MUCILAGE IMPARTING A DISTINCTIVE SWEETNESS AND BODY TO THE COFFEE.

IN THE NATURALS PROCESS, FERMENTATION BEGINS IMMEDIATELY WITH THE FRUIT INTACT AND CONTINUES UNTIL THE BEAN IS FULLY DRIED. THE CHERRIES ARE SPREAD OUT UNDER THE SUN, AND THIS DRYING METHOD CAN TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS. DURING THIS TIME, THE BEANS ABSORB RICH, FRUITY FLAVOURS FROM THE SURROUNDING FRUIT, RESULTING IN A UNIQUE FLAVOUR PROFILE.

THE HARVEST WINDOW IS PERFORMED AGAINST A BACKDROP OF EASING TEMPERATURES AS WE EXPERIENCE THE REPRIEVE OF A TROPICAL WINTER. THIS TIME OF THE YEAR IS THE DRY SEASON, PROVIDING THE PERFECT CONDITIONS FOR A HARVEST. COOL MORNING TEMPERATURES AND WARM DAYS CREATE FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS FOR COFFEE. AFTER DRYING, THE BEANS ARE RESTED TO CURE AND DEVELOP THEIR FLAVOURS FURTHER. THEY ARE THEN HULLED TO REMOVE THE OUTER LAYER, SORTED TO REMOVE DEFECTIVE BEANS, AND FINALLY BAGGED FOR STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION. ANOTHER YEAR DONE AND DUSTED.

WE ARE EXCITED TO BRING YOU FRESH AND VARIED BATCHES OF COFFEE THAT SHOWCASE WHAT IT MEANS TO PRODUCE EXCEPTIONAL AUSTRALIAN COFFEE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING OUR DISCOVERIES AND THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOUR WITH YOU THIS SPRING. SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER TO GET EARLY ACCESS.

HARVEST STARTS TOMORROW - MONDAY 24 JUNE 2024.