Kennedy’s Letter

Posted by cultivacoffee on March 25, 2010 · 1 Comment 

Cultiva Coffee Roasting Company has hosted several baristi and coffee enthusiasts from around the United States within the last few years.  Most recently, I had the pleasure of hosting Kennedy Carda, who had worked for Fuel Coffee in Seattle, and shortly after his return home, joined Herkimer’s crew in Seattle, Washington.  

I am always thankful for the passion that is brought to Cultiva by visitors searching to build their skill set on either the bar or behind the roaster.  As usual, we leave the door wide open, use no Powerpoint or  lectures, and just focus on the real deal; cupping, roasting, barista training, and the daily grind.

These experiences are  never  a one way dialogue.  I’ve learned so much from every visitor, from improving my cupping protocol to helping expand Cultiva’s espresso blends for barista competitions.  To give a more personal viewpoint of a recent visitor, I asked Kennedy to write a short description of his experiences at Cultiva, in hopes of inspiring more people with a passion to make the journey to place primarily known for either corn, football, or, if we’re lucky, the Saddle Creek  connection.  

Anyone is welcome to email or call me directly to see if a visit is possible.  We usually like hosting for a week or two, and lodging and travel is always handled by the visitor, and never by Cultiva.   Chores are shared at Cultiva’s roasting facility.  There’s a reason it’s  free.  You work for it, and the work is pretty much what you make it.

Below is a letter from Kennedy, regarding his time spent at Cultiva earlier this year in January.

“My trip to Cultiva Coffee in Lincoln, NE was one of the most educational and insightful experiences that I have found about coffee in the first person.  Jon Ferguson is not only extremely passionate about coffee as most of us are in the coffee industry but he is equally knowledgeable and personable. Coffee is not exactly as appreciated by Lincoln in its entirety but there the select few who do are really interested in the endless pursuit of knowledge.

Jon showed me the ins and outs of working on a Diedrich roaster, as well as the roasting profiles he follows for the various beans in the Cultiva catalogue.

One of the most educational and enjoyable aspects of the apprenticeship was cupping coffee on a regular basis. When I had first come to Lincoln I had attended many public cuppings before, but the repetition of cupping coffees on a regular basis allows your tongue to build a familiarity with the various characteristics of good and bad coffee.

I also accompanied Jon on a training session for a new shop that would feature cultiva coffee. This gave me a glimpse of the low standards of quality of nebraksa and it was in informational in itself to accompany Jon as he tried reshaping the way espresso and drip coffee is perceived in Lincoln. The training sessions were very great to part take in especially if you know that you may be training employees in the future.

Lincoln itself is a pretty cool town. Although it is small there are a  number of restaurants that are really great. I recommend going in the spring summer or falls, so that you can walk around, after your done at the shop.

Cultiva is a very small operation run by Jon, and two part time employees who do all that they can to cater to a small portion of people in Lincoln. It is was interesting to watch Jon fill all the roles that are included in owning a roaster: cupping, roasting, packaging, preparing espresso and milk based espresso drinks.

I hope this has helped your decision to journey to Lincoln and expirence firsthand what it takes to roast coffee and run a coffee shop. The trip changed the way I think about coffee and I have never learned more about coffee in my life. I will cherish the trip as on of the most fun and educational ventures of my life” -Regards,  Kennedy Carda

Photo of Jon holding Kona roasted 20+ years ago. Kennedy had the opportunity to cup coffee older than himself! It was still sealed when we got it. "Stale" would be an understatement.

 

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