seasonal coffee

Campo Hermoso

Sr Ramiro Piraquive’s farm is situated in the Santa Marta area of Colombia. Switching most of his farm from coffee to cattle, he still keeps 1 close-to-his-heart hectare (4000 trees) for coffee production. Cherries are picked, pulped and fermented for 12 hours before drying in the roof of his barn, on a patio under the eaves.

Santa rosa

Retired jeans factory owner Sr Jamie Gerero, bought his first coffee farm in 2017. With a clear focus on environmental impact, Jamie bought an Eco Mill to process the coffee and has significantly reduced the amount of water used on the farm. This great progression is particularly pertinent as there is little access to a reliable water source near the farm.

El Refugio

Run by Sr Ulex, who lives on the finca with his small family, the farm grows avocadoes and coffee together, the avocado trees providing the coffee plants with protection from sun and wind. Mountain water is used to irrigate the avocado trees and also process the coffee cherries, before drying on raised beds and patios in the greenhouse.

replanting

Prioritising balance with nature, the cooperative program provides specific forestry species for replanting in needed areas. Coffee seedlings carefully considered to be the most suited to the wider native forest environment are also grown. The steady expansion of the of the El Oso project has meant more farms are planting new forest trees alongside coffee bushes.

wildlife

The project's reforestation program is intended to diversify the ecosystem, expanding the natural habitat for local wildlife, such as the sanctuary’s 186 species of birds, 13 species of amphibians, and endangered mammals such as the tapir andino and spectacled bear (think Paddington!), after which El Oso is named.

ecology

Solar tents provide better drying facilities to farms for harvesting coffee, as well as new 200 litre drums for improved fermentation. Specific roofs enable farmers to build composting warehouses that reduce the need for fertiliser. The warehouses also help reduce waste by breaking down discarded cherries and turning them into same-self fertiliser.