Behind the Cup | June 24, 2013
Growing Coffee
Orchard Establishment – A coffee orchard requires three to four years of maintenance before a significant crop can be harvested. Growing Cycle – Coffee trees typically bloom in the late winter to early spring. Harvesting occurs in the fall through late winter. Mature coffee beans form into clusters of red berries, referred to as a coffee cherry. Harvesting is done by hand. A coffee picker can pick between 200 and 400 pounds of coffee cherry per day. The work is very hard and demanding.