Behind Our Latest Single Origin From Los Vascos

Helping our partner during harvest through COVID-19

When we announced cafe reopenings in May, we did so with the knowledge our teams had the equipment, training, and confidence to protect one another and our guests. Meanwhile, coffee farmers across Central America and East Africa faced an impending harvest season without the same freedoms to delay returning to work. No matter government restrictions on movement and economic activity, those who could be in the fields faced inordinate pressure to salvage coffee cherry rather than risk pests, disease, and severe revenue losses. 

In June, Blue Bottle donated 9,750 protective masks to the Los Vascos producer community in Colombia to cover pickers during peak harvest on the 39 farms that have consistently sourced coffee for Blue Bottle since 2017. Los Vascos is a group of smallholder farmers whose certified organic coffees hold a special place on our menu, from the Colombian component of our house Hayes Valley Espresso to our new line of single-origin Cold Brew cans. The farms of Los Vascos are located in the Bilbao township of Colombia, one of the first nations to enter harvest during Covid-19. 

Colombia’s extreme terrain, with three branches of the Andes Mountains converging within its borders, renders mechanized picking nearly impossible. The Los Vascos community is located on the Western slopes of the Andes, at the end of a winding dirt road two hours from the nearest urban center. While manual picking might be preferred under ordinary circumstances, the reliance on seasonal workers poses challenges in the context of the novel coronavirus, with travel restrictions and social distancing. 

Besides risking close proximity in the fields, seasonal pickers in Colombia run the risk of contracting the virus through shared lodging. For Los Vascos, normally 40 percent of pickers during peak harvest are seasonal, traveling to Bilbao from other municipalities. When the government restricted public transport, this added another layer of complexity.

Coming into the current harvest, Colombian farmers already were managing a delayed rainy season that threatened pests and disease, risking as much as 15 percent of their yields. Many farmers further stood to rebound from five-year lows in the market price for Colombian coffee. 

Yet the Los Vascos community proved resilient. To solve the inbound labor shortage, farmers worked with the community to find pickers and implement “mingas.” A minga is a community arrangement in which members take turns working on each other’s farms. In practice, this looks like picking for a neighbor today and having that neighbor pick coffee on your farm tomorrow. As of mid-June, more than 85 percent of farmers reported being able to pick coffee under "normal" circumstances, thanks to the assistance from the entire community.

Pele Aveau, our coffee sourcing team member who focuses on Colombia, visited Los Vascos in 2019. "Los Vascos stands out for its ability to produce consistent quality at high volumes," Aveau said. "Year after year we see clean, delicious coffees that continue to match the familiar taste and profile our guests come to expect." Aveau highlighted this release as an opportunity to recognize a community whose coffee many Blue Bottle guests experience but may not otherwise know by name.

To celebrate this partnership, we are releasing a select Los Vascos single origin from among the 39 farms in Bilbao that consistently deliver us delicious coffee. This coffee will be available for a limited time as whole bean on our online shop or in US cafes as a pour over or espresso.