Volcafe PNG, owns and operates the largest dry mill in Papua New Guinea. The Lahamenegu Mill, located in Papua New Guinea’s Eastern Highlands, serves as an essential link between Genuine Origin and local producers. While most smallholders in PNG process coffee at the farm level, the Lahamenegu Mill allows Volcafe PNG to buy in cherry, experiment with uncommon processing methods, and have a firm grasp over quality control. For natural coffee lots, cherry is only sourced from farms that are part of a registered supply chain. The Lahamenegu Mill encourages long-term relationships with smallholders, which in turn maintains production consistency and quality over the years. Only the ripest coffee cherries are used in the natural – “dry” – coffee processing method. The entire procedure requires thorough planning because drying naturals takes time. Coffee cherries are dried whole, without removing any of the fruit, on raised beds for weeks. During this stage, the coffee is turned regularly to increase airflow, support even drying, and to prevent spoilage. After the cherries have been dried, they rest in conditioning bins and are only hulled as the shipment time draws near. Flavor and aroma notes of plum, blackberry, black cherry, dried cranberry.