Coffee anyone? First-ever festival appeals to patrons' palate

Karen Sudu, Gleaner Writer

LINSTEAD, St Catherine:

PATRONS OF the first coffee festival hosted by the Central St Catherine Coffee Co-operative Society Limited were exposed to various coffee products and by-products.

"Is the first I know that coffee can make ice cream, and I sampled it and it is very good," Dorothy Parker of York Street, a community near Linstead, said.

"Coffee is very resourceful! We have hot beverage, we also have cold drink, coffee liquor," Carline Wint-Mattison, administrative assistant, Advisory Services Unit, Coffee Industry Board (CIB), explained.

"We also have accessories, earrings, chains, bracelets that are made from coffee. First time, we used to do art and craft at school, now we are showing how you can also use the roasted coffee beans to make trinkets. We also have the coffee candle," she said, while placing a bracelet on secretary, Mountain Pass Women's Group, Ivyrena Dawkins', hand.

"This is beautiful!" Dawkins, a farmer remarked.

Promote local consumption

Besides engaging in conversations detailing his life as a coffee farmer since 1955, and showing off a few ska and quadrille moves, 79-year-old Ulen Francis of Palm, Treadways, took time out to enjoy coffee cookies and mochachino.

"We use concentrated coffee brew as the base and then we added chocolate to it. We also added other spices such as nutmeg, of course the milk and cinnamon in some cases," Tracey-Ann Francis, quality-assurance officer at CIB explained.

"It tastes good!" Ulen, a member of the Central St Catherine Coffee Growers' Society Limited, attests.

He lauded the festival, held on the grounds of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) in Linstead to promote local consumption of coffee, improve production, as well as increase farmers' awareness of entities that can assist in enhancing their welfare.

"The festival is a good ting, man," he said laughing. "Coffee fi develop because a it grow me and a it me grow and send my children to school. Mi grow other crops, too," he said proudly, pointing out that in addition to his three adult children, two now attend York Street Primary, while two now are students at St Jago High School.

Others gave the coffee biscuit and coconut coffee smoothie high marks. But, flavoured coffee was Gabrielle Bryan's favourite.

"It's nice! Delicious!" Gabrielle, daughter of Gerald Bryan, CIB and assistant project coordinator, Competitive Coffee Enterprise Project, operated between Guatemala and Jamaica, told The Gleaner.

Though a little disappointed with the turnout of the farmers, Bryan hailed the event, one of the activities of a three-year Competitive Coffee Enterprise Project, funded by the Common Fund for Commodity and the International Coffee Organi-sation, a success.

"We had 10 participants in terms of displays. The three co-operatives involved in the project were all here highlighting their products. We would look at the fest as a success. It's on our budget for next year, so hopefully, we can look at some of our downfalls and prepare for a better event for the next time," he told The Gleaner.

rural@gleanerjm.com