Carefully selected grains of
Parchment coffee are planted
in desinfected soil.
“Little Soldier”
Two months later, small plants
called “Little Soldiers”
appear.
Butterfly
Two weeks later, a pair of
leaves appear called
Lettuce or Butterfly.
The Plant
At this point the plants are
transplanted into plastic
bags and placed in rows in
shaded nurseries.
Parrot Tails
A year later the grown plants,
now called “Parrot Tails”,
are transplanted into their final
place in the farm.
One year in the life of a coffee tree
Coffee trees bloom two weeks after the first rains
of the year, which in Antigua usually come at the end
of April. The jasmin-like aromatic bloom lasts about
three days.
After the bloom small green grains appear. Eight
months later the grains ripen into bright red
cherries.
The harvest in Antigua starts in December and
ends in March. Only the ripe grains are picked by
hand, leaving the green ones to ripen. There can be
up to three complete pickings before the crop
finishes. The picking is done mainly by women.
At the end of each day the harvested beans are taken
to the mill where the weight is recorded. The workers
receive their pay at the end of each week.
