Filipinos have long regarded the “ber” months as their favorite season. Christmastime falls between November and January, which is harvest season for coffee. The happiest time of the year and the season of giving!
Imagine how the coffee farmers feel when the coffees they have cultivated all year long start to ripen and are ready to be picked since harvest season only occurs once a year, from November to January. After working with partner growers throughout the harvest season, 2019 National Barista Champion and President and CEO of Henry & Sons Michael Harris Conlin discovered the most pleasurable and rewarding approach to indulge his passion for coffee.
This year, Conlin decided to bring his 10 year old son Dylan to learn more about coffee and help around the farm. Since Dylan was a toddler, he has always been fascinated with coffee. There were times when Dylan would take part in his father’s brewing routine. So this year, Conlin wanted to show him how coffee is picked and processed at its origin. He wanted him to appreciate the hard work of the coffee farmers and take part in giving Sitio Hartwell in Itogon Benguet’s 24 children and families, Henry & Sons long-time partner farmers food and treats for Christmas.
Being around the coffee farming community, one can feel the energy and excitement of the farmers. Harvest season is hard work. Farmers worked nonstop processing, cleaning the coffees ready for drying, receiving, grading, and pulping coffee cherries. Coffee on the drying bed must be rolled and moved every three hours to ensure it dries evenly.
Most of this year’s Sitio Hartwel harvest has been pre-booked and will be shipped to great coffee roasters in Australia, Canada, UAE, and the UK.
This year Henry & Sons focused on three post-harvest processing techniques: sashed process, the company’s signature CM natural process, and a new experimental process launching in April 2023.
Conlin shared, “We found that by creating customized processing methodologies for Sitio Hartwel, we can bring out the full potential of the coffees and give the coffee farmers more value for their coffees.”
In 2018, Henry and Sons adopted the former mining town of Sitio Hartwel in Itogon, Benguet. Five years later, the town has developed into a globally recognized, award-winning coffee farming community. There are more than sixty backyard farmers in the area, and they can produce about two tons of coffee cherries per year.
Visit www.thevault.ph and www.henryandsons for further details on these coffees.
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