Lot GEMS171: Native Essence (Caramel, black grapes, plum, dried yellow fruit, apricot)

Thirupathi Rao, a third-generation farmer, has been part of SAMTFMACS – Araku’s farmer cooperative since 2010. Decades ago, recalls Rao, coffee bushes were towering over 10 feet tall, requiring his father & grandfather to use a rope to harvest.

He has seen it all - meagre returns of his ancestor’s hard work and depleting soil quality due to the use of chemicals to a drastic transformation in the quality of coffee produced, resultant income earned, and return of nutrients in the soil enabled by regenerative practices.

Rao highlights the importance of regular pruning as a key difference in producing quality coffee. By removing excess branches to control plant growth, coffee bushes are able to produce nutrient-rich beans. In addition to making harvest easier, pruning and other farm management practices have become a vital practice in their pursuit of high-quality coffee. There are no shortcuts to producing quality coffee. Gems171 is Rao’s contribution this year with notes of caramel, black grapes and plum.