Caffeine Chronicles: A Java Journey with Lisa Tate

In this installment of Farm Talk, join Paul as he visits Rancho Filoso near Santa Paula, California, to meet Lisa Tate, the visionary behind the California Coffee Collective. Lisa was recently featured on the Ventura County Star newspaper's front page. To celebrate her even more, join us for this captivating episode.

Situated amidst the picturesque landscapes, this collective stands as one of the pioneering five farms cultivating coffee in California. Remarkably, their venture into commercial production commenced just last year! While Lisa is relatively new to coffee cultivation, her family boasts a farming legacy dating back to the 1800s.

In an engaging conversation spanning under 30 minutes, Lisa delves into her journey from avocado cultivation to the exciting realm of coffee farming. Listeners will be captivated by the unique methods employed by her all-women crew and volunteers during the harvesting process. One innovative technique involves painting the women's nails in the exact shade of ripe coffee cherries, ensuring only the perfectly ripened ones are picked—an indispensable step in the coffee production cycle. For the intriguing fate of coffee bush leaves, you'll have to tune in to the complete episode!

Through their efforts, Lisa and the Coffee Collective have not only demonstrated that coffee can thrive in Ventura County but have also brewed a genuinely exceptional cup of joe. (Spoiler alert: it's truly outstanding!)

 

Watch the full episode on Paul’s YouTube Channel

 

0:00 Intro Music

0:06 Paul welcomes Lisa Tate from the California Coffee Collective to the show

0:33 What is the California Coffee Collective?

1:38 Lisa describes why it’s called a “Collective” 

2:03 The farm is in avocado and lemon country, how did Lisa think of growing coffee?

3:13 Two varieties of coffee grown 

4:29 Lisa shares the beginnings when they first started planting and harvesting AND her passion for women in agriculture

5:34 Harvesting parties!

6:51 Having volunteers freed up monies for experimenting with coffees

8:31 Find out if they are in the “roasting game,” too

9:37 Their website for purchasing: www.californiacoffee.com

9:49 Lisa comes from a long line of farmers and she is the first to break into coffee

10:47 Rancho Filoso

11:04 How volunteers are taught to harvest and how nail polish is involved

11:58 Scoring coffee? Learn more here!

14:17 What makes Southern California and the coast good for coffee farming

14:59 Equipment needed to grow and what about water/irrigation?

16:22 Just how big do the bushes grow?

16:43 ALL parts of the plant are being used

17:43 Does the region produce a certain flavor of coffee?

18:37 How Lisa got into the “Coffee Game”

22:11 The name of the coffee: “Filoso”

21:49 Lisa tells us how we drink a special coffee

23:27 A bean grown in a different region- what happens to it?

24:18 How the Thomas Fire of 2017 effected the ranch

25:10 Thank you to our Sponsor: Opus Escrow

 

Find Lisa Tate’s article in the Ventura County Star at: www.vcstar.com

 

Related Episodes:

Bonito Coffee: Ojai’s Farm to Cup Coffee

Organic & Sustainable Hop Farming in Fillmore, CA with Mollie Engelhart

Grains of Wisdom: A Conversation with Andrea Crawford of Roan Mills Bakery

 

Have ideas for future episodes? We'd love to answer your questions - leave a comment! For any home buying or home selling needs in the Ventura County area of California, please reach out to Paul@HomeAndRanchTeam.com or visit www.HomeAndRanchTeam.com