‘From Our Farm to Your Cup’

The Diversity in the coffee industry begins with the many varieties of Arabica grown at origins across the coffee belt. Here on Back Bay Estate in Simalungun, I have developed a collection of Bourbons and Typicas. Each variety grown here was selected for microclimate compatibility, potential cup quality and their potential yields.

Select Varieties | Propagated from Cherry

• Abyssinia   3rd and 7th generation varietals | Origin Ethiopia
• Catimor / Typica – cultivar | known locally as ‘Sigarar Utang’ | Origin Indonesia
• Catuai a cultivar of Mundo Novo x Caturra known as GARNICA | Origin Brazil
• Red Bourbon natural cross with Typica known as MUNDO NOVO | Origin Brazil
• Red CATURRA – Varietal a natural mutation of the bourbon variety | Origin Brazil
• Sumatra Typica Heirloom – varietal | known locally as ‘Lasuna’ Origin Ethiopia
• Yellow Bourbon – Varietal a natural mutation of the bourbon variety | Origin Brazil
• Red Bourbon – Varietal a natural bourbon mutation known locally as ‘Onan Ganjang’ | Origin Indonesia

Biodynamic, Organic, Sustainable Farming & Business Practices

What does all that mean? let’s break it down:

• Biodynamic is all about what you are doing to develop a self sustaining ecosystem for plants, animals and people to thrive in while creating carbon storage in the soil. Included is recycle, reduce, reuse of any farm by-products and planting for pollinators among many.
• Organic is all about what you are NOT doing, like NO herbicides, pesticides or chemical inputs or additives to plants or during fermentation.
• Sustainable is the product life cycle and how the carbon footprint is measured from growing, processing, roasting, shipping the arabica or other agricultural products produced on Back Bay Estate.

Part of the long term business plan to become a self sustaining business was to open a boutique roastery and offer the coffee grown on Back Bay Estate as roasted to order. Back Bay Roastery began in 2016. In 2020, our son Wade in the USA, opened Merantau Coffee Roasters; he roasts to order all of the same selections as Back Bay.

Siamang Forest Project

Back Bay Estate is a 26 hectare farm and forested land with a natural water source. This tropical forest is home to many species of wildlife. We have begun the process to have the forest certified wildlife habitat to protect it for future generations. A lengthy process to be sure. First audit has been done and we received a green light for certification. Until that becomes official, we rely heavily on our customers to help us maintain a sustainable business that allows us to protect the forest from development. Each time you purchase a product or a service from Back Bay Estate, you are making a difference. Thank you!!

Organically Grown & Mindfully Made

Climate Change | How we can make a difference

To do our part here in Simalungun, we decided to protect the fragmented forest that surrounds our coffee farm. This small forest is home to at least 5 species of monkeys and one family of apes, the black gibbon or ‘siamang’. The numerous species of birds, the bees and other ground animals who live here are also protected. Other indigenous animals find their way to our little forest and make their home here. Some of our personal choices:

• We chose to have shade grown coffee, and replant many of the indigenous trees that had been stripped from the forest when we bought the land. Shade tree plantlets are given to farmers in our collective and to any farmer who requests these shade tree plants.
• We make our own organic compost from by products of pulping and hulling coffee, also from the farm hygiene practices of raking leaves and cut grasses within the coffee gardens.
• We do not use pesticide or herbicide.
• Our home and facilities are run on solar power. Our coffee production equipment runs on a generator.
• Rain water is cycled through for basic wash functions.

You can make a contribution to maintaining the biodiversity of this small forest and protecting the habitat of the animals (and people) who call it home. Each purchase of roasted coffee you make helps make us a sustainable business. We can’t maintain this forest without your support.

Perubahan Iklim | Bagaimana kita bisa membuat perbedaan

Untuk melakukan bagian kami di Simalungun, kami memutuskan untuk melindungi hutan terfragmentasi yang mengelilingi kebun kopi kami. Hutan kecil ini adalah rumah bagi setidaknya 5 spesies monyet dan satu keluarga kera, siamang hitam atau siamang. Banyak spesies burung, lebah, dan hewan darat lainnya yang tinggal di sini juga dilindungi. Hewan asli lainnya menemukan jalan ke hutan kecil kami dan membuat rumah mereka di sini. Beberapa pilihan pribadi kita:

• Kami memilih untuk menanam kopi di bawah naungan, dan menanam kembali banyak pohon asli yang telah dilucuti dari hutan ketika kami membeli tanah. Planlet pohon naungan diberikan kepada petani di kolektif kami.
• Kami membuat kompos organik kami sendiri dari produk sampingan kopi pengupas dan penggiling.
• Kami tidak menggunakan pestisida atau herbisida.
• Rumah dan fasilitas kami menggunakan tenaga surya. Peralatan produksi kopi kami menggunakan generator.
• Air hujan didaur ulang untuk fungsi pencucian dasar.

Anda dapat berkontribusi untuk menjaga keanekaragaman hayati hutan kecil ini dan melindungi habitat hewan (dan manusia) yang menyebutnya rumah. Setiap pembelian kopi panggang yang Anda buat membantu menjadikan kami bisnis yang berkelanjutan. Kami tidak dapat mempertahankan hutan ini tanpa dukungan Anda