Photo by Carla Shryock
Frinj Coffee
Jay Ruskey leads a coffee farm tour in 2018.
Frinj Coffee, the Southern California operation that proved quality coffee could be grown on the US mainland, is entering into land-use partnerships to investigate whether the coffee plant can be a regenerative crop.
Frinj, which sprouted from Jay Ruskey’s Good Land Organics farm in Santa Barbara County, has grown in recent years to provide regional coffee breeding and production services, in addition to growing its own trees. Coffee farmers throughout Southern California partner with Frinj.
Now the company is working with two environmental nonprofits to investigate whether regenerative farming practices can increase production and quality.
The Gaviota Coast Conservancy is funding a three-year study on improving water management, soil health, and ecosystem resiliency, according to published reports. In this study, about 1,800 new coffee trees, primarily Geisha, will be planted on the Good Land Organics farm in the hills above the Pacific coastline.
Frinj will also be working with White Buffalo Land Trust to create sustainable food systems using regenerative farming practices. About 300 additional coffee trees will be planted on a 12-acre test farm and then managed under a plan that includes site and irrigation design principles, ground cover maintenance, nutrient cycling, plant health, and organic production.
For more on Frinj Coffee, visit the company’s website.
See a 2018 Stir coffee and tea magazine article about Frinj Coffee.