It All Begins with an Idea: Our Coffee Journey From Concept to Reality
Introduction:
Growing coffee indoors is a bold endeavor, blending passion with innovation. This post takes you through the genesis of my coffee-growing journey, exploring the initial concept, the challenges I anticipated, and the motivations that fueled my commitment to this unique project.
Plants struggling in their native habitat along with one solution: grow a species that thrives indoors while keeping great flavor.
Main Content:
Inspiration Behind the Journey:
The concept of growing coffee in a greenhouse emerged around 2017/2018, sparked by my interest in climate change mitigation. Articles about the impact of climate change on coffee plants caught my attention, especially since coffee has always been a personal passion. While various methods were being explored to protect coffee crops—like genetic modifications and cross-breeding—I was particularly intrigued by the challenge of growing high-quality coffee in a controlled indoor environment. Despite the hurdles mentioned in the literature, I saw potential in optimizing a greenhouse-grown coffee plant, a niche area where I felt I could contribute meaningfully
While the other approaches made sense, I couldn’t contribute much in those areas; however, optimizing greenhouse-grown coffee was something I could test and enjoy. Just as with climate change as a whole, saving the coffee plant for human consumption will take many approaches, with some becoming more popular than others. My approach is just one path, and if successful, it will contribute to the broader effort.
But it became more than just ‘saving’ the coffee plant. As the idea coalesced in my mind, other aspects became appealing:
Having a Northern California coffee grown locally
Learning about roasting and tailoring the method to the beans
Incorporating passive solar design into the greenhouse
Using sensors and newer technology to aid in learning and growing the coffee
Early Research and Planning:
With the idea in mind, I dove into learning about coffee cultivation, greenhouse design, and soil science. Much of the existing research is based on traditional farming, so adapting this knowledge to an indoor setting required extra effort. For example, converting rainfall data into irrigation metrics was one of many steps I took to tailor agricultural practices to a greenhouse environment.
Overcoming Initial Hurdles:
Starting this journey wasn’t without its obstacles. From designing an appropriate space to selecting the right varietals, this part of the blog will highlight the main challenges I faced and how I approached them.
Conclusion:
My coffee-growing journey is ongoing, with each step bringing new insights and challenges. I invite you to follow along as I continue to explore the art and science of cultivating coffee indoors.