More Pickin’

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More Pickin’ was Originally Posted on November 14, 2013 by

The pickers showed up at 7:30 while I was out with the dogs. I got them started and ran into town to get more burlap bags and plastic Grainpro bags (to store unroasted coffee).

I went as fast as I could but decided to stop by Jack In The Box for a quick sandwich. before I was finished the pickers called. They were done and I am 25 minutes away. I wish they would call 25 minutes BEFORE they are done, especially when I am in town.

I got home, grabbed the electronic scale and header up the farm. They picked 127 pounds of cherry which will normally reduce down to 25 pound of parchment. I paid them and one of them is expecting to come back at 7:30am tomorrow to weed whack. I have a farm inspection but that is not why I am cleaning u[p, I’m just trying to get ahead for a change.

I have my work cut out for myself today and tomorrow. I had the pickers pick all ripe and over-ripe cherry. I will spend the next couple days manually picking out the good beans from the bad. Hopefully now the trees are cleared of all ripe and above and the next picking should only be ripe and I can just pulp it.

One day I hope to be ready to give tours. I think I will offer some jeans and an apron and let visitors pulp the coffee while I take their photo. I can slap that photo on a bag of coffee faster than they can say “What will it cost me?”. Then I can also stockpile some picking baskets and hold a “contest” amongst the visitors with the price being, you guessed it, their photo on a bag of coffee.

My original idea was to have a webcam set up at a table and a VOIP phone so they can call their friends. “Hey Maybel, go to ItsKona.Com and you will see me in Hawaii at this coffee estate. What they won’t see is the same page their friend sees. That page has a big header over the cam picture that says “Remind your friend to bring some coffee back for you as a gift”.

I am so devious :-)