Brûlerie Totem Roasters
The migratory birds flitting about your backyard feeder this spring might just be there with the help of a coffee roasting company in Vankleek Hill.
Founded in Quebec in 2014, Brûlerie Totem Roasters expanded to the eastern Ontario town in 2019, and like many small coffee companies they source organic coffee from Peru, Honduras, Colombia and Guatemala, as well as Ethiopia.
But it was an avian differentiator that caught my attention: Totem coffee is “Bird Friendly,” a certification of the Smithsonian Institution, so it would seem that we can share a cup of coffee and we our backyard birds.
Birds as indicator species
Our feathered friends are known as an “indicator species:” birds show the effects of pollution, habitat loss, climate and generally act as an early detection system in overall ecosystem health.
As I learned from the Totem team – a small business of only three people – Bird Friendly-certified coffee preserves critical habitat for birds and wildlife and at the same time supports sustainable farmers.
Unfortunately, about 75 per cent of our coffee is farmed without regard for bird populations and forest habitat, according to Smithsonian.
“Deforestation is a huge factor, especially in the coming years with climate change. And so what the Smithsonian has done is to set certain requirements that create viable habitat, not just for birds, but for biodiversity,” says Nancy Kaudel, a co-owner and head coffee roaster at Totem where her brother Bruce Kaudel is director of operations.
Among other conditions, certified coffee plantations must grow 11 tree species with canopies of varying heights as well as implementing agroforestry, which ensures that farmland combines diverse tree varieties and plants with crops or livestock.
“Where it is interesting for us is that many birds that migrate to the coffee plantations actually come here in the summer. So we’re protecting their habitat down south because part of our coffee benefits birding rehab and conservation efforts,” she adds.
An ancillary initiative for Totem is a collaboration with Le Nichoir Wild Bird Conservation Centre, based in Hudson, Qc, called “cafebirdfriendly.org” – sales proceeds of which help fight deforestation, save habitats and wildlife, fairly compensate farmers and support conservation.
I love both birds and coffee so I’m impressed by the range of values at Totem, over and above ecology: while they certainly don’t eschew technology, their roasting is done by hand – the artisanal element – and with less reliance on automation.
While roasting a batch of coffee – which is done on demand once or twice a week – takes only about 15 minutes, there are a number of variables to consider, according to Totem co-owner Carl Dubé.
“We adjust our roasting in real time depending on atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity levels,” says Dubé who brings a science background to the business. “If it’s a rainy day versus a sunny day, it’s very different. An automated roasting system will run the same way regardless of conditions.”
By the way, if you are interested in grinding your own beans at home, Dubé strongly recommends purchasing a burr grinder which he says is an important first step to better coffee.
Canadians drink a lot of coffee [ … ]
[Photos/Deb Wilson]
