INTERVIEW: JAY RUSKEY, FRINJ COFFEE
Jay Ruskey is a farmer. He is also a founder, CEO, educator and an innovator. I’m guessing there are quite a few other descriptors that could be added to that list, but my takeaway is that he is a farmer first. The other stuff comes from constantly pushing to push the envelope, to find a new market, to diversify and to satisfy some intrinsic need he cannot ignore.
Frinj Coffee isn’t a coffee roastery. At least, it isn’t only a coffee roastery. It is also the corporate coffee extension of Jay’s farm, Good Land Organics. Frinj’s focus is specifically on coffee. They grow coffee plants, and then sell them to other aspiring coffee farmers to create a network of farms from Solvang down the California coast to North County San Diego. Once the farms are established, Frinj then provides support in the form of operations, tech upgrades, and creating a marketplace for the coffee being grown. There is a lot more that goes into which Jay describes on the show.
The do actually roast coffee too. You can find their coffees on FrinjCoffee.com along with coffees grown on their network of farms. Which is pretty wild, because when you think of coffee growing regions; Southern California isn’t the first place that might come to mind. SoCal isn’t even in the Coffee Belt which is the term for the stretch of land between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn wrapping around the earth where the climate and soil is considered most conducive to growing coffee.
And yet…here Jay is giving it a shot anyway. On this week show, Jay and I delve into the motivations behind this endeavor, the challenges that come with growing coffee in California and the ones come with trying to create a new marketplace.
For me, I left the conversation with Jay wondering if locally grown coffee will always be a premium product offered at premium prices along with a premium experiences, or if their will be further innovations or even climate changes that throw the whole coffee economy off it’s axis.
For more on the history of coffee and its impact on culture, economies and even the border lines of countries around the world, I strongly recommend the book, Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World, by Mark Pendergrast. This link goes to Amazon, but see if your local library or book shop carries it first.
I read this book a few years ago, and came away with a whole new appreciation for how coffee has helped shaped the world economy and connected human beings around the world. As Chris O’Brien explained in season one of the Roast! West Coast podcast, coffee is a unifying drink that can be found in nearly every country in the world.
COFFEE VOCABULARY
Today’s coffee vocabulary terms were inspired by today’s episode.
Cultivar: I found a bunch of definitions but this is the one that made the most sense: “Cultivars are, simply put, types of plants that have been cultivated and bred by humans. Cultivars are created when people take species of plants and breed them for specific traits, such as taste, color, or resistance to pests. The plant is bred purposefully until the desired trait becomes very strong and noticeable.” - From Study.com
Naked Coffee: Any cup of coffee that does not include any additives like milk or mocha or honey. An alternative way to ask for a black coffee. For example, “I’d like that Columbian pour-over naked.”
INDUSTRY LEGACY PARTNERS UPDATE
• Steady State Roasting has expanded outdoor seating on the weekends. Check it out, get a coffee and enjoy it in a well-ventilated atmosphere. It’s all about that ventilation.
• Leap Coffee is having an open house to celebrate their birthday and new roastery in Escondido. Check the flyer for all the details. For a limited time, use code “HAPPYBDAY” to get 20% off all online coffee purchases!
The Roast! podcast is supported by some local coffee industry (or industry adjacent) partners. These companies not only support Roast! efforts to share more coffee content they are the foundation I lean on when I need some coffee expertise.
Click the link to learn more about or buy coffee from one of our Industry Partners:
Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Leap Coffee • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Importers • Marea Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee
IN CLOSING
Need to get caught up? Don’t forget to listen to last week’s Coffee Smarter session all about espresso technology. And you can find all of the episodes from Season 1 here.
Listen to the show on these platforms!
APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS
TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • YOUTUBE • STITCHER
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Roast! - Jay Ruskey, Frinj Coffee