Pistachio + Toffee Apple
When Kalsada started purchasing green beans in 2014, Sitio Kisbong was already one of the communities they were working with. Located about 17 kilometers from the main mill in Sitio Belis, farmers in Kisbong used to pulp their backyard-grown cherries using hand-cranked pulpers, drying them on multiple “bilao” (winnower) on their roofs afterward. Despite growing it for decades, most farmers regarded coffee as a secondary crop to highland vegetables, and only applied traditional ways of processing. Back then, the quality was inconsistent and the production was so low that, on average, a farmer in Sitio Kisbong could only produce 35 to 50 kilograms of non-specialty coffee.
In 2019, Kalsada was able to establish a community washing station for 14 farmer-families in Sitio Kisbong through a partnership with Bo’s Coffee, a local coffee chain. Farmers began to focus on the natural process, bringing ripe cherries to the mill on a daily basis. Cherries were sun-dried on raised beds for three to four weeks, then agitated every hour until the moisture content reached 10 percent. When the ideal moisture content was reached, coffees were stored in hermetic bags where they were left to rest for eight to 10 weeks.
This year, with a dryer weather, Kalsada and the farmers decided to do naturals. Sitio Kisbong farmers were able to produce 1 ton of specialty coffee during the 2023/2024 harvest season.
COUNTRY: Philippines
SUB REGION, REGION: Atok, Benguet, Cordillera
FARM NAME / WET MILL: Sitio Kisbong
PROCESSING & FERMENTATION: Natural
MASL: 1100-1700