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Support the show on Patreon to help us keep making new episodes. In this fifth episode, we give you a practical guide to pricing your coffee to ensure your farm is economically sustainable in the long term. We start by showing you how the “C” price is actually set, and why it is not what your coffee is worth. Next, we show you how to calculate your cost of production and the common challenges producers will face doing this for the first time. We then look at how high above your cost of production. We cover where to find what coffees like yours are really selling for: asking other producers, asking roasters for their spot price lists, V-Hub and the Specialty Coffee Transaction Guide. We also explain why spot prices are only a starting point, and how producers add a 15 to 20% premium by offering consistency, trust and a relationship. And we finish with negotiation. We explain why many roasters would pay more but have never been asked, and how cultural values of humility and harmony can hold you back. We show you a tool for communicating with buyers from different cultures, what to ask for when a buyer won't move on price, and how to charge for investments a buyer asks you to make. The Coffee Producer Toolkit is the podcast that helps you run a more profitable coffee farm. Hosted by coffee journalist James Harper (Filter Stories podcast) and fermentation specialist Lucia Solis (Making Coffee with Lucia Solis podcast), it's built for farmers who want to run their farm like the business it is. Over two years we interviewed 50+ producers and experts across 20 countries. Each episode takes one part of the business — agronomy, processing, fermentation, storage, quality, sales — and lays out what the best farms are doing. Related podcast episodes: Lucia:  #64: "What Kind of Coffee Lover am I? How Much am I Willing to Pay for a Cup of Coffee?" James:  Filter Stories: The Hard Business of Selling Beautiful Coffee Follow us through our newsletters and Social media: Lucia’s Newsletter James’s Newsletter Lucia Instagram James’ Filter Stories Instagram People mentioned in the episode: Karla Boza — Jacinta Y Su Cafe, San Benito, El SalvadorJulia Ortega, Finca Los Pinos, Puebla MexicoEdilberto Tovar — Finca La Esmeralda, Huila, ColombiaMelissa de Gasperín — Rancho San Felipe, Veracruz, MexicoDiego Robelo — Aquiares Estate, Turrialba, Costa RicaCristian Reyes — Finca El Rodeo, Santander, ColombiaCésar Marín — Chacra D'D**o, Peru Gilberto Baraona — Los Pirineos, Usulutan, El SalvadorLalo Perez, Biofilia ASOPEP, Planadas, Tolima, ColombiaPiedras Azules cooperative, El SalvadorAgnes Thieleke, InterAmerican Coffee EuropeResources:  Record keeping and profitability analysisV-Hub (formerly Cropster Hub)Coffee Yield CalculatorCost-of-production calculatorFairtrade Verified Living Income reference pricesSpecialty Coffee Transaction GuideChad Trewick interview on Bellwether podcastHeifer / ASOPEP / Fairtrade Tolima living income studyBook: The Culture Map by Erin Meyer Cover Art: Nick Hafner The Coffee Producer Toolkit is made possible by these leading coffee organisations: The Coffee Quest | BWT | Descamex | InterAmerican | Pinhalense | Novonesis | GrainPro Support the show Support the show

Support the show on Patreon In this fourth episode, we give you a practical guide to finding buyers and selling your coffee into the specialty market. And we finish with the sales conversation itself: the questions to ask in your first five minutes with a buyer, and how to handle the rejection that's coming, because it is coming. The Coffee Producer Toolkit is the podcast that helps you run a more profitable coffee farm. Hosted by coffee journalist James Harper (Filter Stories podcast) and fermentation specialist Lucia Solis (Making Coffee with Lucia Solis podcast), it's built for farmers who want to run their farm like the business it is. Related podcast episodes: Lucia: #54: Visiting Producers, Advanced Tourism & The Coffee Hunter (farm visits, the buyer relationship)#56: Pranoy Thipaia (finding export markets, expo advice)#65: To Blend or Not to Blend? Wine Vintages, and Harvest Update (sales strategy, consistency over novelty)Cabal Cafe Podcast en EspanolJames: Filter Stories: The Hard Business of Selling Beautiful CoffeeFollow us through our newsletters and Social media: Lucia’s Newsletter James’s Newsletter Lucia Instagram James’ Filter Stories Instagram People mentioned in the episode: Diego Robelo — Aquiares Estate, Turrialba, Costa RicaCristian Reyes — Finca El Rodeo, Santander, ColombiaCristian Reyes — Personal InstagramCatherine Bedoya — Eje Cafetero, ColombiaHamsini Appadurai — Sangameshwar Coffee Estates, Chikmagalur, IndiaMelissa de Gasperín — Rancho San Felipe, Veracruz, MexicoEdilberto Tovar — Finca La Esmeralda, Huila, ColombiaDesnudo Coffee (Austin) — Austin, Texas, USAAlejandro Rodríguez Delgado — Hacienda San Pedrito, Puerto RicoCésar Marín — Chacra D'D**o, PeruResources:  Algrano — Producer Sign UpThe list of 144 international trade showsClases Gratis de Inglés en linea - USA LearnsClases Gratis de Inglés en linea - Voa NewsEnglish Accent TrainingThe SCA Coffee Value Assessment, Extrinsic Criteria ListPDFs of CVA Form in 7 languagesCover Art: Nick Hafner The Coffee Producer Toolkit is made possible by these leading coffee organisations: The Coffee Quest | BWT | Descamex | InterAmerican | Pinhalense | Novonesis | GrainPro Support the show Support the show

Support the show on Patreon In this third episode, we give you a practical manual to take control of your fermentations and improve your farm's profitability.  We start with the basics — what is actually happening inside your tank, where the microbes come from, and why your coffee is going to ferment whether you want it to or not.  Then we go through five ways commercial microbes can make you money: consistency batch to batch, long fermentations you can run safely, lifting the score of your worst cherries rather than your best, clearing bottlenecks in your wet mill, and extending your coffee's shelf life.  We cover what a well-run fermentation actually looks like — the cleaning, the monitoring, the record-keeping — with a step-by-step blue-barrel protocol for smaller farms and guidance on when to move to tanks. We also look at the investment sums needed for commercial yeasts and how to justify them.  And we finish with the difficult questions — the environmental worries, whether using a starter culture is the same as adulterating your coffee, and how to talk about all of this with buyers who may view commercial microbes with suspicion. Related podcast episodes: Lucia:  #72: Planning Your First Coffee Fermentation Trials? Start Here. #76: How Commercial Microbes Threaten The Coffee Industry#80: How Microbiology Can Explain Beginner's LuckJames: Filter Stories - Coffee Quality, Part 1: The birth of specialty coffee flavoursFollow us through our newsletters and Social media: Lucia’s Newsletter James’s Newsletter Lucia Instagram James’ Filter Stories Instagram People mentioned in the episode: Lester Lerner, Old Willow Coffee, Colombia Victor Chala, Palma Rosa, Colombia Fridolin Stocker— Mount Sunzu, ZambiaShyira washing station, RwandaEvangelos Filippatos, La CabraLa Cabra, CopenhagenHelen Riley — NovonesisGunne Øregaard — NovonesisFranz Zeimetz — Lost Origin Coffee Labs, PanamaAlejandra Rodríguez Delgado — Hacienda San Pedrito, Puerto RicoGustavo Arroyo — Rancho Contento, Puerto RicoResources:  pH meter & bufferThermometerNovonesis Pichia yeastNovonesis Lactobacillus bacteriaPressure washerFermentation Log SheetYeast’s impact on the environment in research on vineyardsSprudge Best Of Panama coverageLucia’s Fermentation Training CampCoffee Wet Mill SanitizeOpciones para la desinfección del beneficioCabal Cafe Podcast en Espanol Lucia's Favorite Tools: Temperature GunAmbient Temperature SensorTemperature ProbepH meter & buffer solution  Cover Art: Nick Hafner The Coffee Producer Toolkit is made possible by these leading coffee organisations: The Coffee Quest | BWT | Descamex | InterAmerican | Pinhalense | Novonesis | GrainPro Support the show

In this second episode, we show you how to stop losing coffee to a badly calibrated pulper, why chasing 100% ripe cherries is actually costing you money, the $480 fix that lets a small farm sort cherries perfectly well, how to keep your coffee under 40°C during drying without spending a fortune, why a mechanical dryer isn't the villain everyone says it is, the cheap instruments that will deliver consistent quality across harvests, and ways to treat your wastewater.  The Coffee Producer Toolkit is the podcast that helps you run a more profitable coffee farm.  Hosted by coffee journalist James Harper (Filter Stories podcast) and fermentation specialist Lucia Solis (Making Coffee with Lucia Solis podcast), it's built for farmers who want to run their farm like the business it is. Over two years we interviewed 50+ producers and experts across 20 countries. Each episode takes one part of the business — agronomy, processing, fermentation, storage, quality, sales — and lays out what the best farms are doing. Related podcast episodes: Lucia: Making Coffee with Lucia Solis — How to De-Funkify your Naturals Making Coffee with Lucia Solis — Germination: A Close Look at Coffee Drying James: Filter Stories: Why One Colombian Farmer Chose Specialty, and the Other Walked Away Follow us through our newsletters and Social media: Lucia’s Newsletter James’s Newsletter Lucia Instagram James’ Filter Stories Instagram People mentioned in the episode: Lester Lerner, Old Willow Coffee, Colombia Orlando Osorio, La Primavera, Colombia Astrid Medina, Tolima, Colombia David Velásquez, Los Naranjos, El Salvador Jesús Antonio Chala, Finca El Silencio, ColombiaVictor Chala, Palma Rosa, Colombia Melissa de Gasperín, Rancho San Felipe, Córdoba, Mexico Norberto Suárez, Boquete, Panama César Marín, Chacra D'D**o, Peru Manuel Matta, Santa Maria, Colombia  Resources:  Innovakit: canguaro (picking sleeves) Pinhalense Cherry Floater Pinhalense Vertical Pulper Pinhalense Mechanical Dryers Tolva — Plastic Vertical Hopper Moisture Meter (Mid Tier) Moisture Meter (High End) Cenicafé Low-Water Wet Milling (Ecomill-type systems) Flávio Borém Drying Research DIY Moisture Maths (weight + fixed volume)  Lucia's Favorite Tools: Temperature GunAmbient Temperature SensorTemperature ProbepH meter & buffer solution  Cover Art: Nick Hafner The Coffee Producer Toolkit is made possible by these leading coffee organisations: The Coffee Quest | BWT | Descamex | InterAmerican | Pinhalense | Novonesis | GrainPro Support the show

The Coffee Producer Toolkit is the podcast that can help you run a more profitable coffee farm.  Hosted by coffee journalist James Harper (Filter Stories podcast) and fermentation specialist Lucia Solis (Making Coffee with Lucia Solis podcast), it's built for farmers who want to run their farm like the business it is. Over two years we interviewed 50+ producers and experts across 20 countries. Each episode takes one part of the business — agronomy, processing, fermentation, storage, quality, sales — and lays out what the best farms are doing. In this first episode, we show you how you can benchmark your farm against the two numbers that matter, protect your flowering without paying for irrigation, avoid the exotic variety trap that's costing farmers their harvests, stop wasting money on fertilizer your soil doesn't need, and save weeks of labor a year with tools that cost less than $50. Follow us on Instagram - Lucia (@lluciasolis) - James (@filterstoriespodcast)  and tag us in an Instagram story.   Join our Patreon community to be a part of our live Office Hours sessions.   Stay up to date through our newsletter Discover how James produces Filter Stories episodes by subscribing to his Substack newsletter Cover Art Designed by Nick Hafner Related Podcasts: Lucia: #79: Farm First: Lalo Perez on Long-Term Coffee HealthJames: The Science of Coffee: The Magic of SoilsThe Science of Coffee: Plant GeneticsPeople mentioned in episode: Fernando Castillo GuatemalaPaulino Quintero, ColombiaOrlando Osoria, ColombiaJulia Ortega, MexicoSergio de la Vequia, MexicoHugo lopez, InnovakitAgronomists: Manuel Mata, ColombiaSam Knowlton, USALalo Perez, Mexico Resources Anacafe technical management Coffee Cascara Compost Guidelines (English) Compostaje de la pulpa/cáscara de café (Espanol)Netafim Drip Irrigation manualInnovakit: abonador (fertiliser applicator) Innovakit: aroplateo (tree guard for weed whacking) Innovakit: selector de arvenses (low-drift sprayer)Innovakit: canguaro (sleeves) World Coffee Research variety catalogueRecommended varieties: Centroamericano, H1, H16, Mundo MayaCoffee&Climate ToolboxAccess AgricultureWorld Coffee Research ResourcesBarista Hustle’s Coffee Farm Management seriesOur partner sponsors The Coffee Quest Descamex BWT InterAmerican Coffee Pinhalense Novonesis GrainPro Support the show

Check out our YouTube videos AI writing shape Support the show on Patreon  to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos. And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal Sign up for the newsletter to hear about the next episode, FTC dates, and coffee releases.    Support the show

Buy Roasted Coffee Here. Check out our YouTube videos #63: Terroir for Busy People Dirty Jobs Hawaiian Coffee Clip Support the show on Patreon  to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos. And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal Sign up for the newsletter to hear about the next episode, FTC dates, and coffee releases.    Support the show

Lalo's substack page Ikaria Coffee (Lalo's farm + roasted coffee) Biofilia (agronomic consultancy) Support the show on Patreon  to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos. And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal Sign up for the newsletter to hear about the next episode, FTC dates, and coffee releases.   Support the show

If you would like to watch our YouTube video on "What is specialty coffee" You can watch that here. If you are a roaster and are interested in participating in the Fermentation Project with James Hoffmann, click here -> For Roasters: Buy Fermentation Kit Listers Movie (bird watching) it's beautiful, I highly recommend this. Email info.luxiacoffee@gmail if you would like to discuss Pluribus or Listers Movie in our Discord server. Support the show on Patreon  to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos. And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.  Support the show

Roasterkat IG Reel about rain. YouTube version of the Q&A portion James Hoffmann Healthy Coffee Video The 2025/2026 Harvest has not gone according to plan. Nick and I have found ourselves with some down time and therefore have put together this casual, end of year update on how the season is going so far. Spoiler alert: not well. I've combined a harvest update with listener questions about fermentation. Questions featured in this episode are: Are all coffees that are not anaerobic, aerobic?Am I aware of any efforts to design yeasts for Robusta?Do I think producers should create terms that further describe processing?How can you more precisely measure fermentation process with whole cherries?What's the most eco-friendly way to treat waste water and effluent? Email info.luxiacoffee@gmail if you would like to discuss Plur1bus. Support the show on Patreon  to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos. And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Intro song: Elijah Bisbee Support the showSupport the show

Sprudge Best Of Panama Article Remanence and survival of commercial yeast in different ecological niches of the vineyard Responses, Inquiries, & questions about coffee sales or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected] Support the show on Patreon  to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos. And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Intro song: Elijah Bisbee Support the show Support the show

Water massively impacts your coffee's flavours. But most of us struggle to fix our water because water science is confusing... Join me and James as we go step-by-step through: Why these concepts matter for coffee flavour and equipmentHow to test your water at homeHow to fix it, depending on what you're working withCheck James' website for all of the visuals mentioned in the episode. Resources:  #44: Are Wine Making Techniques the Future of Coffee? Responses, Inquiries, & questions about coffee sales or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected] Support the show on Patreon  to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos. And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Intro song: Elijah Bisbee Support the show

Resources: Responses, Inquiries, & questions about coffee sales or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected] Get a ticket to FTC-10 December 2025 Luke's Website: Pomelo Coffee Consulting Luke's Book: Pre-Order Pomelo book Support the show on Patreon  to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos. Office Hours with Luke: 9am (GMT-6) Friday July 18th 2025 Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures.   And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Intro song: Elijah Bisbee Support the show

This episode developed thanks to Nick, who thought it would be a good time to revisit a bit of my history in coffee to reconnect with long-time listeners, and to share a bit more about myself with new listeners. We started this podcast about 6 years ago, and if you've been through all 72 episodes, you probably have a good idea about my coffee philosophies.  But I also know that not everyone enjoys, or maybe even has the time to go back and start at the very beginning of a podcast. So we thought it would be a good opportunity to give you a bit of my coffee origin story, and a manifesto of sorts, all under one roof. Resources: Responses, Inquiries, & questions about coffee sales or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected] Support the show on Patreon  to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos. And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Intro song: Elijah Bisbee Support the show

Today's episode offers a behind the scenes view of how I approach a coffee producer's first time using yeast for their coffee fermentations. We run through all of the potential variables to pay attention to when designing your first trials with commercial microbes. From cost of production to work-flow and data collection. This conversation was recorded during a recent Office Hours session through our private Discord community. If you would like to be a part of this community, join Patreon and come participate in the discussion. View the decision flow-chart here Resources: Inquiries about coffee sales or future Fermentation Training Camps: [email protected] Support the show on Patreon  to join our live Discord hangouts, and get access to research papers, transcripts and videos. And if you don't want to commit, show your support here with a one time contribution: PayPal Sign up for the newsletter for behind the scenes pictures. Cover Art by: Nick Hafner Into song: Elijah Bisbee Support the show