About Coffee - Processing

     All of the coffee we roast here at Late for the Train comes from the Coffea Arabica plant which is originally indigenous to Yemen, Ethiopia, and Sudan. The plant has beautiful star shaped white blossoms which bloom at the base of their broad leaves. The fruit that grows on this plant is the real treasure. Underneath many layers of skin and pulp lies the coffee bean! Coffea Arabica plants require specific geographical and meteorological conditions to flourish. They generally need frost-free conditions, without high-temperature extremes, plentiful water in a well-drained environment, and plenty of shade! The plants are commonly planted below taller shade trees to provide around two hours of direct sunlight a day. Altitude is also an important contributing factor to a flavorful bean. Coffee grown at higher altitude is generally denser and slower growing which creates a more complex and "specialty" cup.

     Coffee is traded worldwide as one of the most popular beverages. Small farms run by peasant farmers, medium farms (often referred to as "estates"), and co-operative relationships between the two help provide the framework for the specialty coffee industry. Our single-origin coffee is noted with its representative regional/estate/co-operative label so you can tie that unbelievable cup back to the skills of the farmers. Many of our coffees come with certifications that boast the environmental commitment of the growers. These certifications require the involvement of a third-party certifier which can come at a large expense to the farmer. A lot of the specialty coffee you drink, especially those from Ethiopia and smaller islands in Indonesia, are likely grown and processed without chemical fertilizers but the certifications are too much to afford.

Organic Coffees:

Grown, transported, stored, and roasted without the use of synthetic chemicals

Fair Trade Coffees:

Grown by farms and cooperatives whose members are guaranteed a "fair" price for their coffee

Rainforest Coffees (Eco-OK):

Grown in a manner that agrees with a wide variety of social and environmental concerns such as limited chemicals, wildlife diversity, pollution control, and responsible economic means