News

A blog about writing off coffee expenses? That can only mean one thing. It is tax season! That mysterious season where working-class Americans send their money to Washington DC and Rich Americans send their money to offshore accounts. I kid. That doesn’t happen, right? I am one of those who if my tax returns aren’t filed early in February, I get a little nervous (also known as a weirdo). I also try to be as honest as possible. I don’t want unnecessary scrutiny from the IRS and more importantly, I Read More…

Coffee Subscriptions changed your life? Really? Aren’t you being a little dramatic? Stay with me and I will explain that in fact, it is absolutely true. First…full disclosure. Greenwell Farms has a Coffee Club and a very active coffee subscription service that we are proud of — and we send coffee all over the world, every week.  However, it is not my purpose to promote the Greenwell Farms Coffee Club in today’s blog. Instead, I’m sharing with you why coffee subscriptions have exploded in every part of the world during Read More…

We are exploring some basics this year and on my list of top ten commonly asked questions is: How should I be storing my coffee? Storing coffee is simple if a few rules are followed. There are also a few myths to dispel, so let’s take a look at the most universal scenarios. Although most of what follows applies to pre-ground coffee as well, I will refer only to beans. Those that are truly seeking the most spectacular cup of coffee will need to buy whole beans as they store Read More…

When you deal with specialty coffee every day it is always a treat to learn who enjoys that coffee. That includes everyone from our daily loyal customers to celebrities, a president, politicians, sports stars, and famous chefs that enjoy Greenwell Farms 100% Kona Coffee. (Although it is company policy not to tell you who!!) So, in honor of the upcoming President’s Day, we thought we’d share with you some really intriguing coffee habits of our American Presidents. We know that Presidents are complex human beings and occupy the White House Read More…

Happy New Year! We raise our coffee mug to you and wish you health and joy in 2021 and hope your year is blessed.  I stopped making New Year’s resolutions long ago, but the end of the year is a great time to look back, reassess, evaluate, and see what went well and what needs modification. It’s also a great time to plan for the upcoming year and consider what things you’d like to see manifest in your life. When I was a teacher, I was involved primarily with alternative Read More…

On an almost daily basis, we are asked if it is better to buy coffee in the whole bean or in ground form.  Seemingly, it is a simple question but complexities do arise. Let’s take a quick look at some things to consider when choosing a whole bean or ground coffee and see if that helps with your decision. The Case for Ground Coffee over Whole Bean Unlike many “experts” out there I don’t universally assume that pre-ground coffee is stale or not worthy of your time and that whole Read More…

Christmas is my favorite Holiday hands down, and special dinners, drinks, decorations, and Holiday music take over my house for at least four weeks every year.  Today, I’d like to show you some unique holiday coffee drinks using our 100% Kona coffee espresso roast. Now that my kids are grown, and returning home for a brief period during the season, we want to savor that time even more and make as many special memories as possible. Sharing a holiday coffee drink is a positive step toward adulthood.  So today,  I Read More…

If you have ever driven through the Kona Coffee Belt between Halloween and New Year’s, there is a good chance your eyes were drawn to large bushes or even full-grown trees with bright red leaves and you may have thought, what are those?  Those are Poinsettias. This answer has surprised many tourists whose experience with the holiday flower has been little plants in gold tin foil covered pots that usually don’t make it past Valentine’s day. The noble Poinsettia is a staple on coffee farms in Kona and a harbinger of Read More…

Giving Thanks Giving thanks for the people and things in our lives is a noble and uplifting practice. As the Thanksgiving Holiday arrives this year, it is a chance for us as a culture and as individuals to look to those aspects of our lives that we feel truly thankful for. Even in the year 2020, with so much craziness from the pandemic, the economy, the natural disasters, and the election, it was still possible on a day-to-day basis to find something that we valued and appreciated. Whether a person’s Read More…

Amongst coffee facts, there many things that are common knowledge, and other things that are not so well known.  Today let’s look at some of the lesser-known.   As the holiday season is fast-approaching, it means the time for gatherings of family and friends is here. (Possibly. In 2020 who knows?) If your family is anything like mine, although we all have love and general respect for each other, vigorous debate, sharing of information and stimulating banter are all part of the holiday tradition. Today, my goal is to help you Read More…

As Halloween approaches and I enjoy the various decorations scattered throughout the neighborhoods on my drive home, I am struck by a giant inflatable black cat next to an inflatable green-faced witch displayed in front of a local coffee farm. Now as far as Halloween images go, I get the witch but why a black cat? Is it as simple as the seven years bad luck thing? Even knowing there are just as many cultures (England, Japan, Egypt) where black cats are a symbol of good luck, I assume it Read More…

The sun is setting earlier and rising later. The birds are starting to migrate to warmer climes.   Somehow the air feels different and the nights are getting a bit nippy. Acorns are falling and mushrooms are pushing their way up through the forest floor. The Maple leaves are just starting to change. Then your partner looks over lovingly and says, “Pumpkin Pie Spice Latte?”  Autumn has arrived. Honestly speaking, everything I just described above is from memory. Here in Kona, Hawaii, although there are subtle temperature variations, and the days Read More…

America celebrates National Coffee Day on Sept 29th and a couple days later the world celebrates International Coffee Day on October 1st. For most people, those two days go by unnoticed and without fanfare. For the coffee industry as a whole, these are very important days to bring awareness to the entire network of coffee industry professionals from the farmer to the barista and every step in between. It is also a time when issues facing the coffee industry can be examined, discussed, given priority and millions of minds can Read More…

Do you appreciate your wife?  Does your wife hear that you appreciate her often enough? You may ask why a “coffee-themed” blog is writing about Wife Appreciation Day. I hopefully have good reasons which will become clear as we move forward. First, know that my wife is an all-day coffee drinker. I guestimate about 3-4 cups on average. She can drink a cup at 10PM and sleep like a baby. I have always envied that about her as if I drink coffee at such a late hour, I am literally Read More…

Labor Day has me thinking about the great variety of workers that make this country run, and more specifically about the role of coffee in the workplace. In an earlier blog, we talked about how soldiers relied upon caffeine to power through their duties. Today though, is a tribute to the civilian soldiers, blue-collar, white-collar, academia, healthcare, government, service sector, the working men and women who wake up early every day, battle the traffic to get to the office and spend 8-10 hours, 50 weeks a year, moving society forward. Read More…