California Could Be Seeing the Rise of a New Cash Crop

When it comes to coffee farming, countries like Brazil, Columbia, and Vietnam likely come to mind first. While it may seem to be an unlikely development, the state of California may find itself joining the ranks of significant coffee producing regions such as these. Read on to learn how the Golden state has become a rising star in the coffee farming industry.

“Shady” Opportunities

It turns out that California’s growing coffee production trend is in fact a solution to another problem. More than twenty farms between San Diego and Santa Barbara have been successfully growing coffee plants in the shade of their aging avocado trees.

The age of the trees reduces the quantity of fruit produced by them, but the trees are able to serve dual purpose by providing an ideal climate for high-quality shade-grown coffee.

A recent article from the New York Times stated that this may very well be “the first serious effort in the United States to commercialize coffee grown outside of Hawaii.”

CA: An Emerging Industry for Coffee Connoisseurs

Much like the coveted wines coming out of California’s Napa Valley, the coffee beans grown in California are already finding a niche market in the cups of serious coffee aficionados who are willing to pay a premium price for a premium bean.

Although high production costs have caused prices for California-grown coffee to average $8-$12 per cup, high-end coffee lovers are expected to continue supporting the fledgling market.

A Celebrity Arrival in Golden State-Grown Coffee

The coffee growing trend in California has even captured the attention of Grammy-winning singer songwriter Jason Mraz, who recently planted roughly 2,500 coffee bushes among the avocado groves on his 1,700 acre farm near San Diego. The New York Times quoted him as saying, “I started my career in a coffee house, and I love the coffee culture. I knew right away that California coffee could be special.”

California-Grown: A Rare Delicacy for Coffee Drinkers

A consumer coffee journal has awarded a California-grown coffee variety an astounding 91 out of 100 points, proving beyond any shadow of a doubt that terrific coffee can be grown in California. Keep your eyes out for California-grown coffee on store shelves near you!