Bend Bulletin: Sisters Coffee Company launches new roast to conserve Deschutes River
Sisters Coffee Company is partnering with Deschutes River Conservancy to launch a coffee roast that supports local rivers and streams.
The local coffee roaster will donate $2 for every bag sold to the Deschutes River Conservancy, a nonprofit whose mission is to restore streamflow and improve water quality in the Deschutes River Basin.
Jesse Durham, who co-owns Sisters Coffee with her brothers, grew up in Central Oregon, often rafting, paddling or hiking alongside the river.
“It’s such a cornerstone of the Central Oregon experience,” Durham said.
Sisters Coffee operates along Wychus Creek, within the Deschutes watershed.
“Our family moved here in ’89 to start Sisters Coffee Company, so the Deschutes River has always been a part of our story,” she said.
Married to a second-generation farmer from Madras, Durham said she now has an even deeper appreciation for the river and its role in local agriculture.
“As a kid I just remember so much snow on the mountains year-round, and in August now you can pretty much count on those mountains being pretty bare,” Durham said. “Water availability becoming more scarce is a threat to our local ecosystem and it’s certainly an economic threat because so many people come to enjoy Central Oregon for the Deschutes River, and that has an impact on our business at Sisters Coffee as well.”
Sisters Coffee’s River Blend is a dark roast with flavors of baker’s chocolate, graham cracker and toasted walnut. It features beans from the Valle Verde cooperative in Peru.
“Producing coffee can generate high volumes of wastewater and contamination to local watersheds,” Durham said. “They’re focused right now on reforestation by planting native trees and ensuring sustainable soil management.”
The coffee is available online and in Sisters Coffee Company cafes in Sisters, Bend and Portland.
