Coffee cherry picking, guided by standards set by the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), is a meticulous and labor-intensive practice essential in producing high-quality coffee. Harvesters, trained in CQI’s quality guidelines, navigate the challenging terrain of coffee farms, often on steep hillsides, to handpick cherries that have achieved the ideal stage of ripeness. This selective harvesting is crucial for maintaining the uniformity in flavor profile and bean quality, essential for meeting the CQI’s Q Grading standards. Their skill in discerning the perfect cherry maturity through color and size plays a critical role in the coffee’s final Q Score, which assesses sensory qualities including aroma, flavor, and acidity. Enduring varied climatic conditions, these harvesters’ expertise and dedication are key in shaping the specialty coffee’s journey from bean to cup, underscoring the art and science of quality coffee production as championed by the Coffee Quality Institute.