#41: The Challenges of Being a Biological Coffee Farmer | Tim Wendelboe | CoLab: Bucharest

Summary: Today’s episode was recorded live at CoLab: Bucharest in 2018. Co:Lab is as Barista Guild event dedicated to connecting a local barista community with the international barista scene that includes lectures, workshops, and activities. Tim Wendelboe joins us as he explores the challenges of being a biological coffee farmer. Today’s talk is actually a follow up to his CoLab: Paris talk in 2015, where he first introduced Finca El Suelo and the work they were just beginning, using soil biology to grow coffee free from pesticides and mineral fertilizers. Tim explains the challenges the team faced and the lessons they’ve learned since they first started farming at Finca El Suelo. Related Links - Read the full transcript on SCA News: https://scanews.coffee/podcast/41/the-challenges-of-being-a-biological-coffee-farmer-tim-wendelboe-colab-bucharest/ - Listen to other episodes of the SCA Podcast: https://scanews.coffee/category/podcasts/sca-lectures-podcast/ - Learn more about the upcoming CoLab: Milan, May 7-9: https://www.colab.baristaguild.coffee/ Subscribe to this podcast on your favorite app: - iTunes: www.apple.co/2sXdmSj - Stitcher: www.bit.ly/2JBJOk8 - Pocket Casts: www.bit.ly/2JBowTT - RadioPublic: www.bit.ly/2JCfeGY Table of Contents 0:00 Podcast introduction 1:00 Introduction 6:00 The farm had little microbiological activity prior to planting coffee 9:45 Tim began planting trees and realised the soil wasn’t giving the trees enough nutrients, so he began finding ways of creating better compost. 13:45 Tim then found he needed to stop pests and needed even more high quality compost, more shade trees, better mulch, better weed management, introducing row crops along with better timing. 24:30 Reasons why Tim’s farm isn’t producing more coffee and why he’s doing this in the first place. Q&A with Stuart Ritson - 29:00 How different is Tim’s farming practices compared to his neighbours? 31:30 Why didn’t Tim consider starting a farm in a forest? 33:00 How much coffee do you expect to harvest when farming coffee organically? 34:30 Tips for making better compost 37:15 What institutions offer classes for farmers to learn more about soil biology? And in farming communities, is there long term awareness for how to compost better? 40:30 Outro