We traveled to Indonesia and visited our coffee suppliers in Sumatra and Sulawesi.

Lake Toba, Sumatra - Coffee grows everywhere, including the front yard.

Lake Toba, Sumatra - This woman had laid out her coffee to dry in her front yard, a typical first stage of coffee processing in Indonesia.

Lake Toba, Sumatra - The same woman's house; her husband is visable in the doorway. In this culture (Batak Toba), we were told that the women do the work while the men stay inside drinking coffee.

Lingtong, Sumatra - A neatly planted field of young Arabica trees next to the farmer's house.

Tana Toraja, Sulawesi - A full shade, old growth mountainside field in a cloud forest setting. The woman who owned the property was proud to say that she never pruned the trees, some of which were 15 to 20 feet high.

Tana Toraja, Sulawesi - Over the course of the harvest, the tall trees are climbed five or six times in order to pick the ripe, red cherries. We found this man ten feet up in the tree, perched on its branches.

Tana Toraja, Sulawesi - On the same farm, the cherry is removed by a simple pulper.

Tana Toraja, Sulawesi - Or, if the farmer can't afford a pulper, the cherry is removed by hand.

Tana Toraja, Sulawesi - When the cherry has been removed, the coffee, still with a musilage coating, is soaked overnight in pans like these. The mulsilage is then rubbed off by hand.

Tana Toraja, Sulawesi - The coffee is then in 'wet parchment' form and is laid out on the side of the road or in the yard to dry in the sun for one day, until it is about 30-40% moisture.

Lingtong, Sumatra - The coffee, still in wet parchment, is brought to the traditional markets in nearby towns where it is offered to gators who consolidate small lots...

Lingtong, Sumatra - The coffee, still in wet parchment, is brought to the traditional markets in nearby towns where it is offered to gators who consolidate small lots...

Lingtong, Sumatra - The coffee, still in wet parchment, is brought to the traditional markets in nearby towns where it is offered to gators who consolidate small lots...

Tana Toraja, Sulawesi - ...or directly to the co-ops' purchasing terminal.

Tana Toraja, Sulawesi - The coffee is then weighed and graded and farmers and gators are paid.

Tana Toraja, Sulawesi - The coffee is then milled to remove the parchment coating from the green coffee beans.

Tana Toraja, Sulawesi - The green coffee is then laid out on tarps and patios to dry...

Tana Toraja, Sulawesi - ...raked several times a day...

Siborong Borong, Sumatra - ...and covered and uncovered as rain clouds pass throughout the day.

Tana Toraja, Sulawesi - After 4 days or so the green coffee is about 13% moisture and is ready for further processing.

Tana Toraja, Sulawesi - The coffee is sized...

Tana Toraja, Sulawesi - ...hand-picked for defects...

Medan, Sumatra - ...and given a slower second pick to insure the quality of the green coffee.

Medan, Sumatra - The coffee is then cupped for quality...

Rantepao, Sulawesi - Of course some ends up being roasted (a tad dark, I'd say) for the local market.

Tana Toraja, Sulawesi - The processing plant in Toraja was situated in an incredibly beautiful area.