California's Rogers Family Co. Uses Earthworm Power to Improve Organic Coffee Production, Build Communities and Protect Nature in Central America and Africa

LINCOLN, Calif., April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rogers Family Company (www.rogersfamilyco.com) - a California-based, international roaster of "Fairly Traded" gourmet coffee - is deploying a 'green' army of billions of red earthworms to create nutrient-rich, organic fertilizer to help small coffee farmers and promote organic coffee production in Central America and Africa.  

The earthworms - which digest and transform coffee waste into organic fertilizer - are part of the Lincoln, California company's goal to encourage organic coffee production and help workers, their families and protect nature in Central America, Mexico, Sumatra, Papua New Guinea and Rwanda.

In Boquete, Panama, the earthworms are part of an effort that has restored a river, drinking water supply and economy. Birds, native fish, frogs, reptiles and aquatic mammals are again flourishing in the Caldera River ecosystem.  The fertilizer process utilizes the prodigious digestive talents of the common California red wriggly worm (Eisenia foetida).

"The goal was to improve the system and treat, transform and recycle some 5,000 tons of coffee pulp contaminating the Caldera River into a nutrient-rich fertilizer to give as an incentive to small coffee holders and promote organic coffee production," said Dr. Mario Serracin, Ph.D, the Rogers Family Co.'s agronomist.

The Rogers Family Company (RFC) uses the worms - that digest mounds of coffee pulp (waste from wet mill coffee production) - to brew environmental stewardship as well as more flavorful coffee on two continents.

In 2009, the company transplanted its innovative earthworm project in collaboration with some of its partners in Rwanda.  At Karengera Coffee, the RFC uses native Rwandese worms and California reds in Butare with the USAID coffee research project.

"We wanted to demonstrate the benefits of organic coffee production to encourage other local farms to adopt organic methods and reduce their reliance on pesticides that interfere with food chains and the environment," said Pete Rogers, the company's green coffee buyer.

The worms' castings (waste) are used to create a spray - "wormtea" - for germination and transplantation of coffee seedlings.  These "worm farms" also are used in simple inexpensive Biogas systems that turn waste water into clear water for irrigation and gas to fuel dryers.  For complete release and photos, please click

http://www.rogersfamilyco.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=185&Itemid=104

The company's environmental initiatives include:

• launching a 100-year tree planting program.
• requiring farmers to grow coffee in concert with nature.
• purchasing thousands of acres in Mexico and Central America to create organic farms and restore land to their natural rainforest state.
• commissioning studies to ensure birds and wildlife - including "globally threatened" species - can thrive on its farms.

The company's Community Aid program turns its Fairly Traded and Direct Trade coffee into houses, medical facilities, nutrition programs and schools for workers and their families.  Its brands include the Organic Coffee Company and San Francisco Bay Premium Gourmet Coffee.

SOURCE The Rogers Family Company