by Nicole Picard, Guest Contributor
Pawtucket-based New Harvest Coffee Roasters has a community-wide reputation for delivering quality, delicious coffee. And it’s no wonder; the company is deeply committed to crafting distinct tastes and to fostering partnership and collaboration. The result? International relationships, strong local connections, and one satisfying cup of joe.
The New Harvest Story
New Harvest co-owner and co-founder, Rik Kleinfeldt, has been in the coffee business for thirty years, starting as a manager of a Providence coffee shop, and learning the tricks of the trade through on-the-job experience. He first fell in love with coffee while an exchange student in Greece, and continued to explore the world of java when he returned to the States. In 2000, after honing his skills and solidifying his passion, he and Paula Anderson opened New Harvest Coffee Roasters, which has grown to be a regional staple offering thoughtfully roasted beans and perfectly crafted cups.
The New Harvest Difference
New Harvest works diligently to develop relationships with the Central American small coffee farms and cooperatives from which it sources its beans. Through the long-term partnerships that Rik and Paula have forged with annual in-person visits, New Harvest and the coffee farms set mutual expectations for quality and processing. The ultimate product is not only an array of roasts with unique flavor profiles for local coffee drinkers, but also a strong network of support for sustainable, fair trade practices.
New Harvest prides itself on coffees with both intriguing and approachable tastes. It experiments to create distinct profiles for all its single origin coffees — roasts derived from a single crop grown on a single farm or cooperative. And, through careful evaluation and roasting style, it maintains consistency in its signature blends, which, as the term suggests, comprise a combination of different coffee crops from one producer.
The New Harvest Experience
New Harvest beans and grinds can be found on New Harvest’s website, through Farm Fresh RI’s Market Mobile local food service, and all over the Northeast at farmers markets and in Whole Foods, Urban Greens Co-Op, and other local grocers. You can grab a coffee, hand-crafted latte, or cold brew at its roastery in Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket, or at any one of a number of Providence cafes and bakeries, including Pastiche, White Electric, Three Sisters, and Madrid. In fact, there’s a good chance New Harvest has trained some of your favorite baristas in brewing and latte art.
You can also check out New Harvest at many Farm Fresh RI events, including every Saturday at the Farm Fresh Winter Market in Providence. New Harvest and Farm Fresh have a long-history of partnership and mutual support. New Harvest has been a hallmark of Market Mobile and farmers markets for years, and Rik calls Farm Fresh a “great advocate” for local food and “a Rhode Island treasure.” (Thanks, Rik; we tend to agree!)
The New Harvest Update
New Harvest is opening a location at Farm Fresh Rhode Island’s brand new facility located at 10 Sims Ave in Providence! In March 2020, COVID-19 prompted the company to close its downtown coffee and whiskey bar. With its move to Farm Fresh, New Harvest will reprise the bar, and looks forward to serving top-notch coffees and whiskeys to its customers. Stay tuned!
Photo at top: New Harvest Coffee Roasters co-founder Rik Kleinfeldt at a local event, courtesy New Harvest Coffee Roasters. For more, follow New Harvest on Instagram.
