The Vournas Coffee Blog

This month instead of doing my Part II of my recent Guatemala trip, I decided instead to pay tribute to one of the greats that I have lost in my life and someone who contributed so much to the coffee world, my brother, Mike. Brother, Friend and Partner September 12…

Recently I had the pleasure to take a Guatemala farm tour. Having not been there for six or so years I was excited to see how it changed. My first trip to Guatemala was back in 1990 when dictators ruled the city and rebels the countryside. I had only been…

Okay, I admit it. I drank the Kool-Aid. I believed the coffee market would hit $2.50. Now of course since the coffee market has gone south we are sitting at $1.65 we are a bit far away. What has changed since we hit a high of $2.19? Well to be…

Reported by the Los Angeles Times, June 7, 2014 AP - Fraijanes, Guatemala For years, Hernan Argue-ta’s small plot of coffee plants seemed immune to the fungus spreading elsewhere in Central America. The airborne disease that strikes coffee plants, flecking their leaves with spots and causing them to wither and…

Prices Are Down 14% From April's Peak, but Tighter Supplies Could Mean More Price Spikes Later Wall Street Journal | May 14, 2014 By Leslie Josephs Surging coffee prices have spurred Brazilian growers and dealers to export more beans. The increase in shipments has helped bring prices down 14% from…

Two weeks ago I traveled to Seattle for this years SCAA Convention, which was a major milestone for me. It was my 25th consecutive SCAA Show and perhaps the most well attended in history. A Little Bit Of History Indeed in looking back my first SCAA was in Oakland, California…

These three words, “Coffee Market Soars” are what we hate to hear. There is no rational reason the market should be this high which to date is $1.93. This is very significant because $2.00 is a magic number in the coffee market. Turning A Corner At $1.60 It is worth…

Wall Street Journal | February 4, 2014 By Leslie Josephs and Alexandra Wexler Coffee futures staged their biggest rally in eight years Monday amid worries that abnormally dry weather in Brazil would hurt the country's crop. The dry spell in Brazil, the world's biggest producer of coffee, has forced many…

This time of year I like to take a step back and be thankful. First I would like to thank our 200 plus roasters. We never take you for granted. Your loyalty, friendship and your dedication to bringing our green coffees to life is appreciated. This magical process of roasting…

This last May I was very lucky to be able to see the impact of Growers First in Honduras. My trip consisted of a combination of education, philanthropy and visits to farms and mills. The programs implemented by Growers First are making a huge impact at the farmer’s level as…