Today’s adventure took me from bold brews to juicy berries as we toured the Doka coffee plantation and a strawberry farm. These two places offered a good insight into how these flavors come to life. Starting off the day at the Doka coffee plantation, everything begins in a greenhouse, where baby coffee plants are nurtured until they are strong enough to survive on their own. After a year, they are planted outdoors and start producing beans around year three. For about the next seven years, these plants will give coffee cherries. Each of these cherries contains two sweet-smelling seeds. Fun fact, it takes 25 cherries (50 seeds) to make just one shot of espresso! I was truly surprised by how much time and effort go into every cup.

Technology and machinery also play a huge role when it comes to making coffee. Doka sources their machines from places like Germany, Italy, and England as they help sort the beans by quality. When looking at the quality of beans, you can mainly tell by the color. But you can also tell by whether the beans sink or float (the best beans sink while the bad ones float).

Moving on to the strawberry farm, this process is shorter but still very detailed. These plants come all the way from Chile and start producing fruit after about six months. Strawberries that grow in soil are technically not considered organic, but ones that grow in coconut fibers are. Each plant produces year-round for about two years, and then the entire field is cleared and refertilized. These were the best-tasting strawberries I have ever had! While the strawberry farm felt more straightforward and fast-paced, the coffee plantation was all about patience and precision. Both farms rely on a balance of nature and technology, and there’s always room for improvement. Perhaps more sustainable pest control for strawberries or refining rainwater management at the coffee farm.