Ciao, Puerto Rico: Barista & Farmer Project Comes to a Close

Editor’s note: Barista Magazine is excited to be sponsoring the  Barista & Farmer Coffee Reality TV  project happening right now in Puerto Rico. Publisher Ken Olson is in Puerto Rico with the group for the second half of the event, which brings 15 Italian baristas together at Hacienda San Pedro to work the farm, learn from agronomists, and participate in challenges, and Ken will write about it here on the blog and in the December+January issue of Barista Magazine.  

The wonderful journalist  Davide Agazzi  has once again written an account of the most recent activities at the Barista & Farmer project.  Here is his sixth installment. (To read his first report, go  HERE. To read the second report, go  HERE. And go  HERE  for his third report. Find his fourth story  HERE. The fifth post can be accessed  HERE. And HERE is the link to the sixth post.) And be sure to check out the  video, too!

 

November 9, 2013
Jayuya, Puerto Rico

This was the last day of hard work for the baristas in the Barista & Farmer Project taking place at Hacienda San Pedro: after breakfast, the group of 15 baristas were driven to the hills for a final picking session. It was again Serena Bernardini and Angelo Segoni who battled it out for the top spot: this time it was the Lucca native who gained the first position with 25.5 kilos of coffee, only one more then the Pescara born. Third place went to Pierangelo Chiarelli, who picked 23.5 kilos.

The baristas have formed friendships that will truly last a lifetime.
The baristas have formed friendships that will truly last a lifetime.

The total amount of coffee collected by the 15 baristas for this first edition of Barista & Farmer is fantastic: 1167.5 kilos! Payment for all of the coffee picking will go to the Puerto Rican pickers, who taught the barista competitors everything they know.

In the afternoon, Josè Arreola was again teaching in the academy of the Hacienda: the WBC judge spent some time with the contestants offering an overview of the rules of competition and sharing some secrets to becoming a champion barista.

The Italian baristas battled some talent from Puerto Rico in a latte art throw down.
The Italian baristas battled some talent from Puerto Rico in a latte art throw down.

When the lesson was offer, it was time for the much anticipated latte art battle, with Josè Arreola as the judge. The Italian team of baristas challenged a group of Puerto Rican colleagues, who won the competition with a result of 127-107. Later, the baristas with the best individual scores competed against each other: this time it was the Italian Chiara Bergonzi who came out on top, defeating Alberto Baez.

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