This is part 2 of a discussion with Brandon Bir, who is the director of sustainability at Crimson Cup coffee in Columbus Ohio. In this episode we focus on sustainability in coffee production.

We talk a lot about sustainable farming of coffee cherry and get into many topics like certifications and the complications associated with those efforts as well as the challenges with traceability. We also discuss the affects to the farming community when sustainability is not a priority.

We also tell the story of how Crimson Cup worked with a group of farmers in Uganda to provide them the ability to roast coffee for the first time and make a difference in the process.

Brandon grew up in rural Indiana and has a passion for farming and sustainability. He brings that passion to the work he does at Crimson Cup. After studying the culinary arts Brandon became a barrista and then a coffee roaster and educator. Brandon works to develop a network of farmers and producers for Crimson Cup that promotes high quality coffee and fair trade. Brandon is also an active collaborater with researchers at the Ohio State University.

Menu

Brandon's Recipe for coffee

2 glass servers, 26 grams of medium ground coffee, a kettle of 200 degrees fahrenheit water, a Hario v60 with a white/bleached paper filter, a spoon or stir stick, a gram scale.

Dump your ground coffee into one of the glass servers. Place on the scale and tare. Add 400 grams of hot water (start a timer). At 1:45, stir 10 times to make sure the extraction is even. At 2:15, dump the solution through the filter/V60 over your second glass server. Allow the liquid to drip through and serve immediately.

Resources

To learn more about how Crimson Cup approaches sustainability and to learn more about The Chain Collaborative check out these resources.

Crimson Cup Helps Coffee Farmers in Uganada

Crimson Cup - Why Coffee Lovers Care About Sustainable Sourcing

The Chain Collaborative

To learn more about sustainability initiatives and help support specialty coffee shops check out these links below.

Specialty Coffee Association - The Coffee Price Crisis

TEDx Talks - Brewing a solution to climate change

How Sustainable Coffee Farms Could Save This African Forest

How to find sustainable specialty coffee shops and roasters