In early 2008 I visited India for the first time to get some first hand experience with coffee production here, and to get a sense of what level of quality is possible. I wrote quite a bit about it here, this confusing and ambivalent reaction to the coffee culture. Yes, of course it’s just the view of an outsider, and ignorant for sure. But traditions in India, in the culture of how coffee business is done, can be confusing. It’s both incredibly enterprising, and arcane too. Anyway my rambling thoughts led me to these concluding paragraphs, which is perhaps why they never tried to sell me coffee after the trip :
I am afraid that my hosts on this trip will be a bit “appalled and delighted” too when they read my mix of comments. But as Guru from Rasthemane estate told me, “be honest with us … tell us what you like and do not like.” I like any coffee farmer that says that, because we can’t have a real relationship, farmer and buyer, unless we’re honest. Nobody on either end of a relationship can simplyu wave a wand and fix some deeply entrenched problems. I can’t wave a wand and fix the reputation India robusta has in the United States, for example. But each party can say what they truly think, and have mutual respect. I think Indian specialty coffee has a long way to go, and the way they want to get there isn’t a path I would recommend. Not this coffee buyer at least.
I was a bit confused when I received the invitation for this trip, partly because I am not used to growers paying my airfare (!) and because I didn’t understand the organization of the company, Karnataka Coffee Plantations, but had bought some coffee from them. Basically, they feel it’s better to invite a handful of customers-roasters over to meet suppliers-growers, rather than invest in magazine ads. That makes sense, and I think they get genuine feedback from roasters, and grower get to learn more about where their coffees are going. This group of growers does indeed own shares in the company selling it in the US, as do the Ranade family. But the growers are united because they are all subscribers to the Ranade micronutrient fertilizer program. It feels like a weird scheme, and has more to do with fertilizer than coffee. Until the day I drink fertilizer though, not coffee, I think the focus is a bit off.
the advantage of these new on demand video systems, you can track that extra half hour of senseless zig-zagging you do while waiting for the ok to land. India 
bean bags was writ all over this neighborhood. i really don’t get it, but it would make a great tag. India 
not just special but really special. do you want your life to be special, really special? do you now? India 
the ubiquitous ambassador taxi cab, a fiat copy it seems, this one ironically called “speed” India 
DIY is redifined here in Mumbai … maybe not such a good thing. If there is an Indian OSHA, or buliding codes, I doubt they share much in common with US code, nor does the enforcement. India 
ubiquitous, the atlas bike. are those “leading link shocks”? bolt on an engine and you have the motorcycle circa 1910. India 
Bajaj and such. Very few seen a true piaggio-vespa (they have probably all been exported back to Europe or the West, just as the Vietnamese treasure trove of old Lambrettas and Vespas was. Many bike pictures to come. India 
apparently, you do whatever the heck it says here and not only are you a super stud, and no longer a cripple, but you can wear tighter briefs too. India 
they pop up here and there, under an old ficus tree, sacred ground, packed in on all sides by ___ India 
i went back to my modest hotel room after the walk and realized I was a millionaire in a golden tower. there’s a very different scale to things here. India 
The early morning walk in Mumbai (Bombay) yields a few rat sightings. Big suckers … not quite possum size but getting there. India 
now what if someone in the US did this to a Hummer? these are water delivery trucks. i guess water is not free. The “lorries” here are beautiful. I could have taken hundreds of images of just them. India 
I won’t… this is an “auto rickshaw”, made either by the Italian company Piaggio (Vespa) or the Indian company Bajaj. India 
sacredness everywhere India 
somehow, it reminds me of duran duran (no not from barbarella) India 
the one-dog, bred for survival. oddly, I think our dog francy would fit in perfectly here. Many illustrations of the Indian street mutt will follow in my pictures since I am such a sucker for dogs. India 
curled up faithfully at owner’s feet at the mumbai sidewalk hotel India 
on a 3 wheel taxi. India 
their motto is “a lot can happen over coffee…” I guess they mean good things, because it could also be that your boss finds out you are at Cafe Coffee Day, and not at your desk, and could fire you. India 
personality development that is. I guess this is where you get your fake name for use in your job providing tech support to grumpy americans. India 
… and a good place to crash for the night. India 
i am not too proud to drink powdered coffee in the morning. the problem is that another person poured the water in and a roach floated to the top. mmm… India 
… a new highrise project, with a noticable absence of any sort of equipment at all – to crane, no winch, just lots and lots of employed people. India 
it’s the India way, strangely excessive. India 
At first the signs painted on the backs of all the vehicles (“Horn OK Please” and “Stop Light”) seemed like oddly popular adornment, but I guess it’s law. They sure make the danger skulls look cute with that smile. India 
This area featured fun (?) themed trash cans that not everyone chose you use. India 
This was the most popular design, still a bit odd, especially given the trash all around. India 
It’s a toilet as we know it, rather than the typical configuration for india – which amounts to a whole in the ground and a hose (or bucket) nearby. India 
I bought the “American Dream” at a rest stop on the road to Pune. It cost about $1.50, and let me tell you, it was a real pick me up. I was really uplifted by the “american dream.” i rattled my mouth off in the car for a while, but then it all fell apart and now i am just tired and have a headache. I’m not sayin’ nothing, just stating the facts. India 
I wasn’t the most popular person at the rest stop, taking pictures in the men’s room and all, but the signs were too amusing. India 
Thatsa lotta bikes…. India 
As with many things (good, bad or neither) I could see shades of earlier times in the US. I remember throwing nice sharp darts at balloons and I imagine some readers remember shooting some BBs at them like this. Now, doubt you wouldn’t see either at a street fair. India 
The Pune street fair had the same goofy trash cans. This was definitely the dirtiest one. India 
Next day we hit the road for a 1.5 hour drive to Pune, where the technical arm of the growers group is headquartered. It was festival Sunday there. India 
A mini ferris wheel, hand powered. India 
Ouch, I lost my mind. India 
New storefronts below with aging, tilty, wooden houses above. India 
This little guy wanted his picture taken. At first he was too shy to even look at the resulting image. Later he wouldn’t leave me alone. India 
A more “indian” style ride, also turned by the operator. Whee! India 
This led to the nearby teens wanting to see their pictures on my camera… India 
Which led to more street portraits, more posed, more super-modelish… India 
Typical array of scooters, new and old. On the left is a typical Bajaj Chetak (I like the 12 v, which might be wrongly interpretaed as 12 valves. That would be a helluva feat since it’s a 2 stroke scooter). The other is a “Priya”. India 
Which led to demands for more … which led me to wave, turn, and walk away quickly before I got permanantly assigned the role of Pune Street Fair Free Photographer. India 
Bajaj in a color that is vespa-inluenced. India 
The big bike in India is the Bullet 350. Basically, the British company started an India branch way back, then it folded … but the Indian Royal Enfield continued with the same design. I saw a couple 500s too, but that is like a super bike here. Most are 135cc and less. India 
Ultra furry comfort. I think this owner might have killed a Sleestak to make this. India 
A typical 3 wheeler, 2 stroke type India 
This was to be the only actual Vespa I saw on the whole trip. Or was it a Bajaj with a Vespa logo? I am not expert enough to know. Looks vespa to me, like a small 90 or 125. India 
Then the big fellas wanted a picture. I noticed they were all a bit crimson in the eye … India 
With the balconies, it reminded me just a bit of New Orleans. India 
English-speaking democracy festival. Seriously, some limited time here makes one think this place might benefit from a small revolution, even if it’s just in the culture sphere. The media is palp, so any alternative is probably good. India 
Cotton Candy, the international classic. Pink, delicious, totally un-nutricious. That’s what fun is made of. India 
Better start numbering the dog photos. The fact is, this one has the exact body of our dog Francy, but it makes francy look fat. Long neck, pointy nose for rooting in trash, whip-like tail, short coarse hair. India 
A quiet moment with balloons. India 
Another big chain besides Cafe Coffee Day is Barista Coffee. Their “Guilty Pleasures sign seems oddly out of place to an out-of-towner like me when there are homeless sleeping in every nook, and within 50 feet of the sign. It’s probably something you don’t notice after a while. India 
Across from the hotel we stayed at was Loot Mart. I guess Loot means something other than a. stole merchandise b. other ill-gotten gains or c. to smash a store windows and empty out all the contents! India 
Sure, adults use children to beg, but it’s not like she rakes it in, taking her loot back to a nice home (or any home at all). And yes, this was less than 500 feet from the Guilty Pleasures sign. India 
The first act I caught was this guy, who I am sure would have had all the girls swooning except for the fact that there was roughly 3 girls in the whole crowd. I think this was happening after the “girl curfew hour”. India 
The evening culminated in karaoke spectacular. I saw this from where we were eating in the hotel, and had to go down to check out the talent. India 
Next up was this joyless wonder. Seriously, he made the first guy look like Justin Timberlake. He didn’t move, at all, not a bit. It was like he was reading a term paper. In the foreground is the screen he was reading his thesis from . India 
The happy skull, not very intimidating. India 
It made it even more odd that she simply danced, and was kinda shakin’ her groove thing with not another woman in sight … when out of nowhere … India 
This woman who was 70 (or so she said after) jumps on stage for a spontaneous get-down. People went wild. But I must say, I think it was all planned by these two as part of their shtick. Anyway, they pulled the plug because it was 9:30 … it was enough for me though. India 
The next morning I awoke ridiculously early again, 4:30, and walked the streets taking pictures until breakfast would be served. It’s so quiet in town, but surprising too how many little things are already going on. I photographed the classic Indian bike, the Atlas. India 
Just a nice store front for a bike shop. There’s lotsa business in bike and motorcycle repair. India 
In the city park, another lobotomized specimen. India 
You can see that the Hindu pallet is bright, very bright, even in the dark it lights up. India 
Well, fosilized park. This area had scentarios of plaster animals, supposedly all representing true local wildlife … but come on, those antlers must be exagerated. India 
This fellow was standing in the middle of the street for a long while, immovable, as cars and scooters zipped fast. These daredevil bovines crossed highways, but seemed to know instinctively how to negotiate the cars swerving around them. India 
In some way few people from the US would quickly understand, traffic can cross eachother in so many directions, like a pile of pick-up sticks in a chaotic pile. The bill boards often contrast the street life greatly. India 
As the sun started to paint the morning sky, wandering cattle cruised the street looking for edibles, with their bird friends mounted on their backs. Cattle often wander unattended through even a large city like Bangalore and Pune, and I guess their owners know where to find them. Being sacred and all, I guess nobody messes with them. India 
As a brand, it wouldn’t work so well in the USA India 
Paul (R) is GM of Ravens Brew in Washington, Miguel is the in Minnesota at Paradise, his family business, and Sherri Johns is a coffee consultant from Portland. India 
In the group were 7 of us of fairly different backgrounds. Brian (R) owns Milanos in Vancouver BC Canada, Mark owns Kaladis in Denver, Sean has Seattle Roaster Company India 
Now down to business – here’s the group I traveled with, and the reason for coming. Dr. Ranade heads the consulting company that supports coffee farmers (and other crops) who want to improve their crop. They make targeted, customized micro-nutrient fertilizer to improve plant health. Michael helps to market the coffee these farms in the “group” produce under the Karnataka Coffee Plantations name, and the Guru, well, he’s just the Guru! Everyone in India has a Guru. I was very interested in our hosts, their structure, their purpose … so through the course of these photos it will become clear. India 
Here’s a vintage Ambassador that was the father of Dr. Ranadey and is still a car he takes out for weekend drives. India 
One of the most important test instruments is the Gas Photospectrometer. This is needed to accurately analize chemical components in plant material. The principle of thie targeted fertilizng brings into play the conflict between the fertilizer and pesticide industries, whose interests can sometimes be at odds. Fert. is dominated by huge N-P-K (base fertilizer) makers that use petrolium-based processes. So Randade says they are quite different than this type of supplier. Micronutrients are trace elements the plant requires, minerals and some fertilizers, all in balance. India 
The lab in Pune seemed built for use, not loaded with equipment like the Coffee Board facility we saw later (they are flush with cash). It’s a simple and effective set-up designed for exactly the testing they need to do. The use UV photospecronomy a lot for alayzis. India 
So in Pune, the Ranade Group has a labratory where they make soil and leaf tests for coffee farmers, and provide approaches to improving the plants. India 
Karnataka has most of the key coffee growing areas of india in the Western Ghat mountains, while there is also a good amount of production from Coorg area. India 
This is the core of their program, that the approach to fertilization is wrong, that farmers dump too much of the most basic fertilizers (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium) and don’t feed plants a more restrained and balanced load of lesser compounds that coffee needs. So doing research on soild contents and leaf contents, and developing a specific forumla for each case means the plant gets what it truly needs without over-fertilization. I like this idea, and it is opposite to the massive doses of the 3 base fertilizers that are produced largely by artifical processes (petrolium based etc) adn lead to environment contamination. Fertilizers aren’t evil, but their misuse is, yet the relationship between production and cup quality is tricky in coffee, so I have some reservations. But Ranadey argues that this careful selections of mirconutrients are not heavy in Naptha and Petrolium based fertilizer (if they have any), and what it saves from improving plant health so the whole spectrum of pesticides do not have to be employed (which are truly nasty chemicals). India 
Cars and auto-rickshaws cram the street, oncoming trucks, and a family with a small infant – it’s typical and completely crazy. I noticed too that when there are helmets, the man is wearing it, not the wife, not the kids! India 
Bikes and motorccles and buses, it’s a crazy mix on all Indian roads, and you wonder how there cannot be more accidents. India 
It’s very odd to see the reverse “swastik” sign of the Hindu faith around India 
Again, the odd hindu swastik, but this time on the ads you see on motorcycles, a funny place to place an add for insurance and doctoring, but I suppose it’s appropriate placement in a way; As you sort throught the wreckage of an accident, you might need to call one or the other just at that time. India 
AT the Coffee Board of India, their bus has a funny ad for coffee painted on it… India 
I misread this as Irish Coffee and couldn’t figue why they were pushing Irish Coffee. Then I realized someone had misspelled Fresh. India 
Classic Poster ad for India coffee, and very effective I might say. India 
The director of the India Coffee Board, GV Krishna Rau, a very personable guy. We had a time slot scheduled for a half hour meeting with him,a nd it was more like 1 and a half hours. He was very generous with his time. India 
Ujwala is, along with Michael, a key part of the sales of Karnataka coffee, and had animated exchanges with the Boad president. And frankly so did I. Our point was to ask how the board supports farmers, markets coffee, and (my point to him) advocates for cup quality in research and farm practice. I asked what the Board does to track quality initiatives in other countries. The answer was basically zilch. India 
Our meeting was held in a mini UN type conference room with and arc of seats surrounding the VIPs seating, and we were served coffee (frish coffee I suppose) and cookies by this gentleman in his fancy duds. India 
The group of roasters and the India Board president. India 
In the lab, quite a lot of sample roasting capacity. They also have 2 air roasters, which I found interesting, in addition to the standard Proabt sample roasters. These are 2 barrel roasters in 2 banks of 6. You are looking at about $120,000 of coffee roasting equipment here India 
They have some odd tables with funny dental-office like spit fountains. They have a lot of espresso equipment too, which is nice to see. India 
Fresh Honest Alive, Institutional Pure Coffee Powder. Sounds pretty good eh? India 
I found something very funny about the proportions here. This is where we stayed in the town of Hassan (which is a major coffee town). India 
We were stuck in traffic for hours leaving Banagalore. At least I got some pictures of the funky trucks out of it. India 
Agriculture coming to town, the old way… India 
India 
Stand up fun in Hassan India India 
Pepper is incropped with Coffee on many farms. Pepper is a vine that grown up the mature shade trees. I have never tasted fresh pepper and it is fantasitic! India 
Our first stop on a day filled with farm visits was the Dewan Estate. This is owned by Mr. Busavanna. Hey Scott – look at that hat! India 
This was the first time we got to see the 2 to 3 tiered shade used in India estate coffees. It’s really impressive, creatling a thick shading that helps the coffee in many ways: regulating evaporation of water India 
There is a labor shortage and some parts of the farm were not fully harvested, although later all this will be picked to control pests and to prepare the plant for next season. I hate to think where this kind of coffee goes. India 
SLN 795 is by far the most popular selection in India. It produces well, and has good rust-leaf disease resistent. The cup is okay, nothing neccesarily outstanding contributed to cup flavor by this cultivar. There is another, SLN 9 that has some more Ethiopia inputs, as well as being a son of 795, and another called Selection 4 that has even great Ethiopian inputs, but nobody will plat it due to poor yield. Sad. India 
The plant are in plastic linders to they can be easiluy reomoved the the field. The farm also has Robusta which is Selection 274 type India 
The nursery grown plants for 1 year to about 18″, a bit taller than I have seen at other nurseries on other countries. India 
Our next farm was Mallige Estate, which is nmed for the jasmine flower. They grow both arabica (SLN 9) and robusta as wel as some old Kents varietal plants India 
They are managing the shade trees at this point, which means climbing awfully high and using a machete to rip off excessive branches. India 
This is not something you see often, but I saw it on both arabica and robusta (pictured here) plants on this trip. Coffee normally produces on lateral branches, often on the ends known as the Herbaceous growth. Here you see coffee production on old woody growth. India 
it’s like a hive of coffee cherry. it’s like the borg of coffee cherry. actually, it’s a much more beautiful plant than arabica, period. India 
The charactersitic rippled surface of the Robusta leaf can be seen, the tightly clustered flowers which will result in tightly clustered cherries, and the hige leaf size. India 
Old first tier shade trees are anywhere from 50-80 years old, here on Mallige Estate, but on all farms we visited. Shade on all levels must be managed given the weather, so you will see workers trimming shade tree branches to let in more light, of the coffee needs it. India 
These woman were harvesting wood and were kind enough to let us take their picture. India 
Robusta like this is vintage, not a new selection, and is often called Peredino type. Basically it’s genetics are unkown. India 
Dewan has it’s own coffee mill. They use a forced demuscillage process and this is the parchment that results. India 
All the coffee seems to be sun-dried. I did not see any sign of a mechanical dryer anywhere. The patios are made of brick, as they are in El Salvador, which helps to absorb excess moisture from the coffee. India 
Some of the coffee was in a raised bed, but I think this was just preliminary to putting it out on the patio, bit a place to fully dry it. India 
This was my first time to see the “raking” method for coffee on the patio. Coffee must be turned as it lays out, to dry eveny. Usually a big wood rake is used. At huge farms I have even see a mini tractor used! Here it is done with the feet, dragging them along to turn the coffee. India 
Egad, this was frightening. But there was some other coffee wood carvings (made from the huge old Robusta trungs) that was amazing and beautiful. India 
Mmmm … along the way, the option of Powder or Beans. India 
This is one of many examples of how they approach big jobs. Machines are expensive, people are cheap. Get up there ang start sawing, man! India 
Our next stop was Chowki Estate, another beautiful farm India 
These heavily forested coffees where amazing, and I knew our hosts wanted us to take note of this. It was everywhere, and there are places where I saw a farm surrounded by denuded land; in other words the coffee farm was preserving the forest. India 
Chowki is at 3100 feet and has 2/3 Robusta, 1/3 Arabica. Ever farm had a different mix of the two, except that Sethraman is all Robusta. India 
Like some sychronized dance, it seemed quite meditative. I saw workers changing positions so as not do the same task all day. I heard this was reserved for older workers since it is an easier job. India 
Turning from red to a chocolate brown, this is coffee cherry in the midst of the “dry-process.” India 
Another view of some fairly fresh, just-picked cherry on the patio. India 
Here is the fresh coffee cherry laid out on the pato for drying … i.e. the first step of dry-processed coffee. India 
One of the greatest perks to these travels is to be so graciously invited in the farm house, and served amazing home cooked food. On this entire trip, we ate so much I gained weight, and the food was ridiculously good. India 
You take a small about of the calcium, spread it on the leaf, put in some Betel Nut mixed with spices, and cher for around 15 minutes (don’t swallow! I dond’t notice what it did, but it was a nice flavor. India 
This is the Betelnut, a digestive stimulant than has always been popular in India. It comes from the palm family, is diced and served with a mix of spices on a “Betel Leaf” from an unrelated plant India 
Representing the 4 different farms, all related! India 
This farm was especially beautiful, with older trees and very healthy plants. This is an arabica, type unknow, although they had an odd old type, round-leaf plant that looked like Kents. India 
The Rasthemane Farm was next, and features an area that is sacred to a particular Hindu sect. Adjacent to the platform, they perform a fire rite every so often … i.e. they walk across hot coals. India 
Sherri and Brian listen to Mr. Ashok, they agronomist, as he expounds on plant health, root systems, leaf morphology and what have you! India 
The arabica here had wonderful yields, and the cup is supposed to be quite good. India 
Patterns made in raking the coffee. Usually the direction of the raking follows the sun, to cast as little shade as possible India 
Underripe coffee is separated and dried. Everything is sold somewhere … just frightnening to think this could make palatable coffee in any universe. Traditionally Russia has been the biggest customer for Indian coffee. India 
I can’t rememebr exactly what we were talking about, just that we were into it. India 
Here are some small screens for drying in the African tradtion of “raised beds”. This way the air circulates all around the coffee and sometimes this dries faster than the patio. I believe the top grade parchment coffee is dried on screens here. India 
Pickers wait to unload the coffee cherry from the truck. India 
The coffee is laid out to be hand sorted. India 
It’s all-women pickers here, and they each get their bag of coffee they harvested. They wear aprons of plastic bag or cloth to keep from getting wet … also the apron can be used as a “pocket for the coffee” as they pick it. India 
Dumping the bags of Cherry India 
Sorting out the Unrpe cherries. India 
While it’s important to make sure green coffee cherry doesn’t make it into the top coffee lots, this dude seemed like kinda a jerk. India 
Unfortunately, there was a language barrier with the pickers since none spoke English. The name of the state Karnataka, derives from the local South India language Kannada. India 
Leaves and underripes must be removed before patio-drying. It is critical to coffee quality. India 
Every estate has a swimming pool, but I guess they don’t use them too often. No, this is where the dirty water from the mill is naturally filtered so the ferment fruit-tainted water is not returned to the streams. India 
The farm has a new micro-mill, very impressive setup that seems to use little water for a traditional wet-process system. India 
At this stage, just after pulping, the de-skinned seed has a layer of fruity mucilage or fruit that clings to it tenaciously. If it was dried right now, it would be a “pulp natural” but wet-process coffee must be fermeted for 18 hours (time varies) to break down the fruity layer. Then it is cleaned off, and the parchment coffee (the seed inside the white parchment shell) is ready for drying. India 
Freshly pulped (de-skinned) parchment coffee flows into the fermentation tank, lined with tile for cleanliness. India 
Red cherry is prescreened just before it enters the pulper. India 
Used for making compost, the skins are deposited into a waiting cart to be hauled off. India 
Dr Tamgale is an agriculturist, but he spent much of the trip with video camera in hand. India 
This system actually separates the 19+ seeds which will be sold as Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold grade at a premium. India 
After a long day, coffee pickers who have finished sorting their cherry head home. India 
I can’t deny, the robusta plant is beautiful, old, and growns much more as an orchard, whereas arabica is a little shubby thing. India 
Under the Robusta, I met this little frield. It’s the typical brown color of most street dogs. India 
Yet another truck of these beautiful Kannadiga women. They are very shy and were asked politely if we could take their picture India 
The Kannadiga women have a very distinct look, and the men are very small. Kannada is the 27th most spoken language in the world, so there are a lot of people in Karnataka state. India 
I would be scared of it … not sure about the birds. India 
somewhere a beautiful indian princes is missing something. India 
If I found it in a thrift store in the US, it would be MY bathroom decor, but as it stands, it’s in a coffee farmer’s bathroom in the western ghats, india. India 
I had to photograph the nic-nacs, namely because my house is filled with them too India 
It obvious that the planter’s houses are quite nice, and more than just the oderly layout of the farms was of British decent, but also the privelege of the owner. India 
These are some of the specialized coffee inputs, and a few pesitcides in there too! India 
We were all very tired, but were compelled to stop at a local fertilizer distributor. These are some of the core compunds, this one a plant food just for coffee. India 
Maybe coffee pests are not the only problem. Try “Ratol” India 
We had to stop to receive an honorary hat and garland of cardomom seeds and tufts of red carpet, awarded in the equally awkward setting of a fertilizer supply shop in the small town of Hassan, a few hours from Bangalore. It’s just one of those times you gotta take it on the chin … India 
The next morning we were off to more farms, and to visit the Central Coffee Research Institute. On the way, we saw a bus run off the road. It’s the only hint of an accident I saw in India, which is shocking when you consider the roads. India 
I love being in rural country. Bangalore I can do without. Here, a massively loaded tractor pulling hay India 
Lasya Shree, maybe it’s a yoga technique. India 
Some of the trucks profess their faith right on the front, such as Krishna Hindu or Christian India 
Crammed between businesses, roadside Hindu temples are everywhere. India 
We were on our way to visit the Central Coffee Research Institute of India, something I was very interested in, specifically to see their coffee gardens India 
The facilities were amazing. Their library has tons of journals, many coffee books I have never heard of, and bound editions of all kinds of botanical journals going back to the early part of the centrury India 
The good doctor of the Central Coffee Research Institute was very hospitable and we discussed their mission. It seems focused on new cultivars for pest resistance, given the fact the stem borer (a beetle that kills coffee branches) is a big problem in India. Not much talk about cup quality. India 
I think Indian’s are obsessed with school uniforms. Maybe it’s a British thing. What seems out of place in thei photo. India 
They seemed to have a very complete collection of books on coffee. India 
The bound periodicals department for science journals. This is the kind of stuff universities now toss out regularily to make space. India 
I liked this, because it truly seemed to be a bit sneaky. India 
The Central Coffee Research Institute weren’t exactly what I expected. I thought we would see a graden of many types of cultivars, but they showed us blocks of their most recent hybrids only. I had wondered if they didn’t want photographs of all the other types, Ethiopia types and such. India 
A map showing the plots in one area. You can read a couple interesting ones. Cavery was a catimor type with a fairly poor cup that is still used in some areas. Cioccie is the one of particular interest India 
As opposed to the bronse tips of SLN 795, SLN 4 seems to have green tips (new leaves) India 
SLN 4 or Cioccie has more Ethiopian inputs in its genetics than other types, and was released quite some time ago by the coffee board. But farmers did not like it because of lower yields, even though the cup was supposedly good. India 
You can see timber bamboo here, which are masive clumping types of over 100 feet. India 
The 5 headed snake god Nagra had a little roadside temple, as we were leaving the India coffee research station India 
Next we had a visit to Badra Coffee Curing Works. What we call a “dry-mill”, where dried parchment coffee is removed from it’s shell, graded for size and density, and bagged, is called a Curing Works in India. This is the director, Mr Bopanna India 
Nishant of Sethuraman estate and bags of his coffee ready to be processed at the works India 
I just liked the colored lights. India 
It’s so simple. We get all our coffee from the GOOD coffee chute. India 
You can see this was a bulk lot of wet-processed robusta, 1500 kgs, 10.5 moisture. Garbling means the cleaning process, that means the screen separation and denisty sorting. India 
Workers cups and helmets and the curing works India 
A Godown is a warehouse. Don’t ask me why. India 
This area of the warehouse is where workers do visual hand sorting. They had just repainted it white to help with visibility. India 
The warehouse was empty and these ropes were hanging down. I thought I would try swinging from one, wondering if it would hold me… India 
The crazy Miguel Meza came along like a fellow with his pants ablaze, climbed up a good 15′ and made like a superhero! India 
They had a 3 barrel Pinhalense, just like my old one. India 
Outside the works, one of the nicest Royal Enfield Bullet 350’s I saw, vintage. India 
Paul thought this was funny becasue the Hebrew was upsidedown. India 
This chart shows the system of grading Indian coffee. Plantation is the name for wet-processed arabica coffee. Parchment is the name for wet-processed robusta (but in most countries parchment means any coffee still in the parchment shell, not yet dry-milled). Cherry is the name for robusta or arabica naturals (dry-processed, dried directly in the coffee cherry). India 
Nishant is the owner of this all-robusta farm. They had made necklaces of coffe cherry for us … very nice! Brian is in the background India 
Next up was Sethuraman Estate, and this gives you some sense of how large the Robusta leaf can be. India 
Next it was time for the picnic games, meaning we were going to pick coffee, meaning I had to put on the “skirt” that both keeps you from getting dirty and gives you a place to put all the cherries you pick. India 
Paul from Ravens Brew and one of the women that were already picking in the area. India 
Nonetheless, I went at it with a vengeance. The good thing is that Mohan showed me the trick – you put a tark down and pull all the cherry off onto it, and pick it all up later. India 
My bag was full – realy full. Those other wimps had nothing on me… India 
Sherri kept tossing her leaves and green coffee into my bag – total cheat. India 
Sherri Johns and I in an oddly parrallel posture. Someone’s biting my style. What’s with that? India 
It has quite a different appearance than arabica or robusta, and when you brewk them open the mucilage is very sticky and thick. India 
Along the farm road, the Liberica coffee is planted. This is the other species, not arabica, not robusta. It grows into a solid tree form, which is why planters used to use it to line the roads and mark off plots on the farm. India 
The Liberica leaf has a unique shape, and grows to be even larger than robusta. The leaf starts brown but unlike other types, has a period where it is both green and brown. India 
Next up, a visit to the Sethuraman Mill India 
I caught this little girl peeking at us, until she got scared and ran! India 
Natural robusta coffee drying on the patio India 
Workers raking the coffee on the patio. In the forground is the dark Cherry Robusta (dry process) and in the back is the wet-processed Parchment Robusta. India 
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This is hoe the robusta we buy is prepared, a pulp natural that is so sticky metal blade scrapers must be used to turn it on the drying screens India 
A close-up of the dry Pulp Natural Robusta parchment India 
At this farm, they move the coffee around to ensure even fermentation India 
It occured to me that (as a home beer brewer) I never really looked at the evidence of fermentation, that is the foamy head on the coffee. Or perhaps I never saw it as dense as this. India 
The fact is, fermenting coffee creates a very dense thick foamy head that smells like you would expect; slightly rotting fruit. India 
Everywhere in India they make simple brooms from dried grasses. They use the on the coffee patios to keep the stacks organized and clean. India 
This is a standard disc pulper, to remove the outer skin of the coffee cherry. India 
The housing looks decent and the buildings well cared-for. India 
Coffee flowers just getting ready to open. They stay open around 4 days and these will probably be open tomorrow. India 
Rohan is Ujwalas son, and my partner in crime. We were trying to take the grossest picture we could to show his mother. India 
The Rohan decided he wanted me to take pictures of him jumping. I don’t know why. India 
I just couldn’t help myslef, and filled my camera disc with photos of these remarkable plants. India 
Next we went to Jeelan Estate, which has quite a lot of Robusta and some Arabica. It was almost sunset, the coffee was in full bloom, the air filled with the unbelievable sweet scent of coffee flower. India 
Ripe cherry in the background, next years crop coming in the form of flower buds. This is a coffee farmers dream India 
Sherri was nice enough to take a picture of me. Jeelan was owned by the family, they lost it some time back, and now it’s back in the family once again now that Rohan and Sharon bought it. India 
A long mound of composted coffee skins waits to be blended and used. India 
The sunset was beautiful, and the coffee was beautiful. While the others had a talk about the farm, I snuck away to shoot photos India 
Robusta cherries in their typical cluster form, so artificial looking and uniformally ripe, they seem fake. India 
All things sacred, one thing American India 
I had some time to walk and shop in Chikmagalur, which is a rural center. I really like these kinds of towns India 
Great painting. The owner got a kick out of it when I asked him if I could take a picture of his sign. India 
I don’t think Chikmagalur has many beaches in the vicinity. Maybe I am wrong. India 
I like the customization of terms to fit local conditions. I doubt a California “Monsoon Sale” would be very believable. India 
Since Phenolic is a cup defect in coffee, maybe a dash of this would help? Phenolic Cleaner Latte? India 
Someone needs to work on presentation a little India 
Local coffee roasters in Chikmagalur. I don’t see their roasters … supposedly they hide them in the back, but I wonder if they really have them at all. In the front of the store they have a big indusrial grinder, and a galvanized steel bin of roasted coffee. India 
We woke up next evening at The Planter’s Club, Chikmagalur, an old British white’s-only club that kept on under India rule. India 
In the great hall, trophies of the hunt, and the smell of privelege. India 
Outside the office, the ubiquitous Atlas India 
… that wasn’t very sporting of you, now was it. India 
A drawing on the wall from 1909 India 
Wild Boar taxidermy, probably also from 1909 India 
The tiger skin and head was kind of shocking, because it was so beautiful, and so wrong. India 
A taxodermy tiger on the wall of the “coffee planter’s club” in chikmagalur, karnataka state, india. India 
The next morning we stopped for breakfast and noticed the nearby Eucalyptus tree was loaded with bats! You can easily see the one in flight, but look at all of them hanging from the branches. India 
We waited at a rendevouz point for the others, but only cos came along. India 
The main field scientists for Ranade, Dr. Ashok and Dr. Biradar discuss their approach to assisting the estate. India 
Our next visit was to the vast Thogarihunkal Estate. It’s been in the family since 1850! L to R: Nandan, and the two brothers, Chenna and Mallanna. India 
The men have little fear of heights, as they climb trees to trim branches and manage the shade over the coffee. India 
The green dream bus passed us on the road with fine artwork. India 
I took off on a little walk, and saw some wild chickens in the brush, heard all the birds and monkeys, but had to settle on photographing this accessible yet colorful little guy. India 
It was the first place we saw the monkeys, who were eating native figs and other fruits on the farm. India 
This was one of my favorites from last year, because it is from a higher altitude part of the farm. It’s mostly 795 but in some parts of the farm there is still Cavery catimor and 10% San Ramon, a cultivar from Central America. India 
This is one of the higher farms in Chikmagalur area, and in fact coffee produces less as you go higher, so it’s not practical to plant to the top. That’s impossible too, since it is protected land! India 
Little frogs in the creek on my walk, indicating the good water quality. India 
This is a political ticket, but check the guy in the bucket hat and sunglasses … what’s with that? Is the mob after you? India 
As we departed, I noticed the coffee branch designs added to the truck that hauled us up and down the hill. India 
“The Crazy Giirl”, it reads. India 
On the back of an auto rickshaw, an odd message. Can anyone explain the ‘A’. Just weird. India 
The family of 4 commutes on the moped, and the guy wears the helmet. This is in Bangalore India 
Winding down our trip, we had some time to shop in Bangalore, where the Manequin are all very odd. India 
Typical “Yeah Dude” advertising, quite out of place over grimey streets India 
Next up, a cupping. We used some awkwardly large glasses, but things went pretty well. Maybe next time the “jury” should go over the protocols a little, for our own protection. I saw someone suck up a spoonful of grinds, but they pulled it off without gagging. pretty funny stuff India 
Take this fractured guy for example… India 
Motorcycle Parking Only India 
I am not sure about the cross … maybe to remind people of their faith to they won’t piss on the wall??? India 
Not sure what he is supposed to be, but he rocks India 
Much like the Piaggio Ape, very cool 3 wheel delivery rickshaws abound India 
Yet another motorcycle I have never heard of, the Yexdi RoadKing. India 
It’s a Vijai Super, Lambretta knock off 125 cc with those same long slender panels. I have a Servetta, which is basically another Lambretta copy from Spain, older than this one. India 
It seems like defacing your own house is not a great option to stop people from peeing on it India 
As far as I can tell they are putting every religious symbol they know to accompany the plea not to urinate on theuir wall, trying to appeal to man’s better part in order to overcome the desire to pee. If you didn’t see the earlier pictures, the Swastik is an old Hindu symbol. India 
He had everything, but no ground cinnamon. Drat. India 
With the crown of her hair ripped out, she was highly unappealing as a manequin… India 
The woman in white, unseen. India 
I get the one, but what’s with the bizarre puckering one – ugh! India 
A somewhat sullen manequin. Now that’s a new spin. Why shouldn’t all manequins look a little bored. India 
I liked this guy, again with the same build as our international mut, francy. India 
No further comments India 
A street vender cane press India 
Taxidermy Jaguar on the wall. Would you like this in YOUR house? India 
It was more of an educational session and a time to share comments. It went well, and there were some decent mild coffees presented. India 
Piaggio (Vespa) Ape cargo vehicle, awesome. India 
Why are these illgal in the US? What a great vehicle for slow roads (wouldn’t take it on the freeway, never!) India 
the group was tired, some a little more than others, but we successfully packed a lot into a fairly tight itinerary, and were actually looking forward to the sleep we might get on long flights home. For me, it was a fairly nasty, packed flight to Milan, then on the Amsterdam for cupping. It would have been very nice to be directly on my way home. But ah well, there were tickets awaiting to that big soccer football match, Ajax versus Feyenoord, and a lot of good coffee to cup. Farewell -Tom India 
Next we visited the mill for Thogorihunkel Estate, India, where coffee in various stages and different processes formed a neat tapestry. India 
this is the parchment form of this pulp natural coffee, the nirali lot we sell. all that red brown stuff on the parchment in the dried fruity mucilage. we did a cupping here and this was the hands-down favorite. the robustas are impressive – can drink them straight i.e. a french press. no burned rubber robusta taints. -tom India 
A personal favorite image of mine, the coffee pickers and their choices in socks. India 
Over by the raised beds, the gringo group where rare birds and many stopped to watch us. India 
I found this embroidered wall hanging in the shop area of Bangalore, Donald Duck-ish fella out to shoot some … er … squirrels? deer? or Ducks? Murderer! Ben is gonna love this in his room. India
