Organic Screech Owl Coffee Profile

Certifications: OCIA Certified Organic, Direct Trade, Carbon Neutral

Growing Regions: Cajamarca, Peru

Process: fully washed

Altitude: 1900-2100 MASL

Roast Level: dark roast

On the high-altitude farms of Peru (such as those in the Andes), coffee cherries grow and mature more slowly, gaining greater depth and complexity as the sugars develop. This is even more noticeable on organic farms, where the distinctive flavour profiles are unaltered by synthetic pesticides. Specialty coffee enthusiasts seek out organic Peruvian coffee for its gentle acidity, velvety body, and sweet, nutty flavours.

Fully Washed

Coffee that has been fully washed has had its outer flesh (the fruit of the cherry) removed after harvesting and before fermentation. This exposes the seed of the coffee within, which is what we call the bean. The seeds are fermented in water for 24-48 hours to break down any remaining fruit pulp, then thoroughly washed in fresh water and dried under the sun or in mechanical dryers. This technique produces coffee with consistently clean and well-defined flavour profiles, which is why it’s a favourite among specialty coffee lovers.

We roast all our coffees in our carbon-neutral facility here on the west coast of BC. Our Screech Owl Coffee is a dark roast, which means we roast the beans just past the point of second crack, when they emit a series of popping sounds for the second time as carbon dioxide escapes the cell walls. This allows the natural sugars to caramelize just enough without burning. Then we release the beans from the roaster into the cooling tray, where the caramelization halts and the degassing begins; the carbon dioxide still trapped within the bean slowly escapes, taking the freshness with it, so we bag and seal the beans as soon as they’re cool to lock in the flavour.

OCIA International, or the Organic Crop Improvement Association International, stands as a globally renowned non-profit entity devoted to certifying and endorsing organic agricultural practices. Dedicated to sustainable farming and environmental stewardship, OCIA International plays a pivotal role in upholding the authenticity and integrity of organic products worldwide. Through its rigorous certification processes and support for organic farmers, OCIA International remains at the forefront of the organic industry, fostering consumer confidence and facilitating the expansion of organic agriculture on a global scale.

Each year Farm & Forest collaborates with Synergy Enterprises, a local organization specialized in mapping and adjusting processes, to reduce our net global greenhouse gas output. We take our environmental responsibility seriously, and Synergy helps us maintain carbon neutrality by comprehensively measuring our total emissions (including shipping and green coffee imports) and energy consumption (usage at our facility as well as fuel for delivery vehicles). With the right numbers in hand, we offset our emissions by purchasing verified Carbon Credits.

While a direct trade certification does not yet exist, we feel so strongly about our commitment to working closely with our producing partners that we’ve included it here and on each bag of Organic Screech Owl Coffee.

Direct trade coffee offers numerous advantages that make it a better choice for consumers, farmers, and the environment. Direct trade practices ensure that coffee farmers receive fair compensation for their hard work and dedication by eliminating the middleman, empowering farmers to earn a decent income, and providing them with better living conditions.

For every pound of Screech Owl Coffee sold, we donate 15 cents to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, which has helped conserve 14 million hectares of critical habitat since 1962.

• Pour over dripper (ideally ceramic)
• Paper filter
• Kettle (gooseneck, if possible, for precision)
• Grinder (burr, if possible)
• Scale (digital, in grams, if possible)

• Timer
• Serving vessel
• 25g Screech Owl whole bean coffee
• 400g water (195-200°F) plus extra for preheating

Step 1
Bring the water to a boil. Place the filter inside the dripper and wet it with some of the water from the kettle. Add more water to the serving vessel to preheat it. If you can, set the temperature on your kettle to hold at 195-200°F.

Step 2
Grind the coffee on a medium setting so the particles resemble sand. Discard the hot water from the vessel, place it on the scale, and set the filter-lined dripper on top.

Step 3
Add the ground coffee to the filter and tare the scale to zero. Start the timer and pour 50g of hot water over the grounds in a circular motion, ensuring all the grounds are saturated.

Step 4
Allow the coffee to bloom (swell like a mushroom cloud as the carbon dioxide escapes) for 30 seconds.

Step 5
Begin pouring the water again in a circular motion, starting in the middle and working your way outward until the dripper is half-full. Pause to allow the water to pass through, then continue adding water slowly in the same fashion until the scale reads 400g. The total brew time should be around 2:45 to 3:00 minutes.

Step 6
Once all the water has passed through the grounds, remove the dripper and compost the coffee-filled filter. Gently swirl the finished brew in the serving vessel and enjoy when it cools to your desired drinking temperature.