I began drinking coffee as a toddler (mostly with milk, says my mother).
I ordered my first cup in a café at age 10 (where the owner insisted I bring in a note of permission from my mother).
Coffee began as a hobby in high school and, in college, it became the subject of all “open” class assignments.
I then moved to Hawai‘i to study coffee professionally. I focused my graduate studies on coffee science (largely, but not solely, horticulture, biochemistry, and sensory science).
After finishing school, my life in coffee really began.
Some highlights of my career:
When necessary, I draw upon the talents and expertise of other people; the world of coffee is too large and complicated for just one person to master.
In Hawai‘i, there is a law that regulates the blending and labeling of coffees. If a company wants to blend a local coffee and name the origin on the package, then the package must contain at least 10% of that named origin and it must be labeled a certain way. Many people dislike that the …
Continue reading “Coffee labeling in Hawai‘i – the 10% blend”
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Finally, the Coffea Consulting website is getting a long overdue overhaul! The old site was stale, details were out of date, and many of the links were broken. It is now functional, attractive, and current! Coffea Consulting is going through a refreshing moment. There is renewed attention being paid to the business, its offerings, and …
Continue reading “A fresh cup”
Read More...The Department of Agriculture began supporting the nascent specialty coffee industry in Puerto Rico. I hosted a large delegation of government officials and farmers in Hawai‘i for a week. I offered several seminars and toured them around the Hawaii coffee industry, including visitations to farms and mills. In connection with that visit, I toured Puerto Rico’s coffee industry for a week to assess its status and to offer suggestions for further developing and supporting their specialty coffee industry. The report became the basis of the Department’s plan for the following 5 years.
