Tim Wendelboe — Soil biology
All CoLab: Paris 'coffeetalks' - by speakers such as Klaus Thomsen, Katie Carguilo and Morten Münchow - were produced by our content partner Tamper Tantrum. We'll be releasing the videos of these talks over the next months so we keep fuelling discussion and building an inventory of knowledge. Don't hesitate to share your comments, thoughts or any additional reading links.
Our next CoLab: Paris coffeetalk is again by someone not really needing much of an introduction. Tim Wendelboe has gained industry-wide recognition as the owner of his namesake coffee bar, training centre, and micro-roastery in Oslo. Being crowned World Barista Champion of 2004 and World Cup Tasters Champion of 2005, Tim has constantly pushed the bar for better quality throughout the coffee chain, both through his importing and roasting operations, his cafe praised for its customers service standards, his work with renowned chefs, as well as his endeavours at origin, working closely with farmers. He has published two books, "Coffee with Tim Wendelboe" in 2009 and "Finca Tamana" in 2013, about his ongoing work and relationshiop with the coffee producer Elias Roa and his farm Finca Tamana.
Tim's talk in Paris focuses on this last topic: the work at coffee farms and what he's doing to help improve quality and the livelihood of the farmer. Tim recently bought a piece of land off Elias in Colombia, named it Finca El Suelo, with the purpose of personally experimenting on coffee production. As the name of the farm suggests, his focus lies on the composition and quality of the soil. During his talk, he shares his approach understanding and applying Dr. Elaine Ingham’s concepts of soil biology, biological farming, and thermal composting, to his farm project. He doesn't yet have the answers, but we agree with Tamper Tantrum that "it is inspiring to see a barista accepting responsibility in creating a plausible future for quality coffee." It looks like there's more people in agreement: Tim and Elias recently won a Sprudgie award for Notable Producer.
Enjoy watching, and scroll down for further reading links!
Further reading and watching
Benefits and Challenges of Organic Coffee Farming, Felipe Croce, Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza, Nordic Barista Cup, 2013.
The Soil Food Web with Jeff Lowenfells, co-author of the book "Teaming with microbes. The organic gardener’s guide to the soil food web", The Permaculture Podcast Episode 1213, 2012.
Tim Wendelboe’s Own Coffee Farm: Finca El Suelo, Chris Kolbu, Nordic Coffee Culture Blog, 2015.
Tim Wendelboe Bought A Coffee Farm, Jordan Michelman, Sprudge, 2015.
Why Did World Barista Champ Tim Wendelboe Buy a Coffee Farm in Colombia?, Leif Haven, Eater.com, 2015.
Finca El Suelo, Tim Wendelboe, Vimeo, 2015.