Byron beans so far:

Picture a slightly bored professional, with a bit of spare time on his hands. His wife’s family are farmers in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia, surely one of Australia’s prettiest farming regions. Family visits are peaceful sojourns in green pastures. A desire for a simpler life and a wish to spend more time with his family gets him dreaming of possibilities. An article in a local newspaper about a farmer growing coffee fires his imagination, and with the support of his family the journey to coffee grower and roaster begins.

Mike King was that professional, and it took 12 months to sell up and find a suitable property in the Byron Bay hinterland. 60 acres of overgrown, run down macadamias and avocados! On it was a shack with bulging mouldy walls on the inside and flaking paint and rusty tin on the outside. But a great big shed and inspiring views of rolling hills and serene blue ocean. The farm was bought in February 1999. Research had revealed that this area was perfect for coffee. Rich volcanic soil, high rainfall and a mild sub tropical climate. Everything grows in this area, especially introduced weeds! Camphor laurel trees, lantana and privet to name a few. In the 6 years that the previous owner had left the farm unattended these weeds had made a concerted effort to wrest control from the productive orchard. A bulldozer was called for!

At the end of the first year 40 acres of land ideal for coffee cultivation had been reclaimed from the encroaching weeds. Highlights included numerous close encounters of the snake kind, ticks, continuous rain throughout the year and 7000 coffee bushes planted. Also a healthy tan, calluses, and a respect for the pioneers of the coffee industry in the area. John Nilon of Rosebank Gold in particular, developed as a mentor, and whose help was invaluable in all aspects of establishing the orchard.

Coffee is a vigorous plant and grows well in suitable soil and climate but nonetheless the next 4 years were a constant battle with weeds vying for supremacy, as the remainder of the farm was planted. Each tree had to be pruned several times to ensure only one stem, and it seemed weeds were replaced every few weeks. Neither the wish for a simpler life nor the spending of more time with the family had materialised. The day job continued to pay for the farming folly, and life was busier than ever. Mikes father and his wife had dropped in to help with the first few weeks, and ended up staying for 6 years. Their help was invaluable. But at the end of 2002 the King estate had its first harvest. Modest beginnings of a few tonnes, but the coffee was delicious and the promise of better things to come inspired the King crew. Already the smoothness of the coffee and the lovely earthy caramel flavours characteristic of this area were evident.

2003 to 2006 saw the gradual development of the harvesting and processing facilities on the farm. Initially the coffee was franticly carted off farm for processing and drying, whilst harvesting was contracted out. In 2003 an ecological processing unit from Columbia was bought, which used much less water in the processing than the currently available processors. Chaos reigned that first year as it rained continuously throughout harvest and the shed surrounds became a quagmire. Drainage was developed and more equipment bought including a coffee dryer. Coffee needs to be dried as parchment to about 11% moisture content to enable it to be stored without going mouldy and deteriorating. The dryer arrived from Colombia like a large flatpack purchase from Ikea. Mike never did work it out and it was dispatched to an engineering firm who after much head scratching decided to redrill all the bolt holes.

Access to a coffee harvester also needed to be addressed and shares in the local co-op unit were bought to guarantee harvesting. As most coffee in the area ripens at the same time of year, the harvester sequencing was a stressful undertaking, with some farms being harvested a bit later than optimal. The King estate was one of the larger farms and the risks associated with this were unacceptable. Fortunately another farmer, Chesterfield Park, felt the same and in 2004 a new Korvan 9200 coffee harvester was bought between them. Mike with no advice or manual had to learn to pilot this 3 wheeled 4 meter cube around the farm. By this stage the King estate was producing 6 tonnes of coffee annually, with full production expected to be 20 tonnes in 2008.

The dream for a simpler life was receding as the day job was still paying for the accumulating equipment. However a deep affinity and love of the industry and coffee farming kept Mike motivated. Days spent on the farm and in the Byron Bay area were a tonic for a hectic lifestyle, and there was always that morning cup of sweet King Estate Coffee!

Throughout this period Mikes family were drawn into the dream and the lifestyle. His wife  became an accredited coffee taster, and with her coffee contacts, became Mike’s knowledge base for factors affecting coffee taste. These included processing methods, drying, roasting, storing, packaging and drinking. A perfectionist, she insured no shortcuts were taken. This led to the determination that subject to rain, all coffee would be sundried. It is a time consuming process, but one that allows the coffee to develop a finer flavour, and is a more sustainable practise.

By this stage the farm had developed markets for its unroasted coffee, mainly to small roasters in the area selling the coffee under their own labels. Some coffee was sold under the King Estate Coffee label as roasted coffee, but with farming and family commitments, there was not enough time to pursue this market. There was a strong market developing for this coffee, as people began to discover the quality of Australian sub-tropical coffee. And while the deep satisfaction in being a farmer, and the pride in growing a quality product were very rewarding, Mike harboured the desire to share his coffee directly with the public. This would involve roasting, packaging and selling the coffee.

Byron beans became a reality in 2009 when Mike and his new partner Natalie purchased a small roasting business. With the business, Carool coffee, came a small roaster, grinder and a few happy customers. The business was renamed Byron beans. 2009 has seen the foundations of the roasting and retail business established. The year closes with Byron beans set to become a presence in coffee retailing. Recent investments include a website, new roaster, new packaging, and a production facility. Mike’s simple life is no closer.