About This Coffee
Founded by Juan Abarca and Nidia Quiros in 1986, Finca Alto San Juan has a rich history that reflects a deep-rooted passion for coffee cultivation. Starting with a small plot of land, Juan and Nidia understood the benefits of joining the local coffee cooperative, Coope Tarrazu, to sell their cherry and gain support from a community of farmers. This cooperative model was prevalent in Costa Rica at the time, providing a practical solution for small start-up farms like theirs.
Over the years, Juan and Nidia continued to expand their operations by supplying their cherry to Coope Tarrazu and collaborating with them and local banks to acquire loans to purchase additional land. As their son, Diego, grew up on the farm, he became increasingly involved in caring for the coffee fields. Today, Diego manages Finca Alto San Juan and is adding his own knowledge and skills to running the farm.
In 2016, Diego was inspired by neighboring farmers who were achieving better returns by processing their coffee independently and established the Alto San Juan micromill. Building on the legacy of his parent's dedication to the farm, the mill set Diego on a journey to produce higher-quality coffee, secure better prices and increase their autonomy in processing. Today, Alto San Juan micromill processes around 20% of the farm's production, allowing Diego to achieve greater control over their quality and value.
Diego's vision for the future of Finca Alto San Juan is centered on working with quality-focused roasters. He aims to forge strong relationships with roasters by providing them with increasingly exceptional coffee year after year. Diego firmly believes that fostering relationships with quality-focused roasters is essential for enhancing sustainability, transparency, and quality within the coffee industry. With his own wet mill, he now has the means to bring his vision to life and forge stronger connections with coffee buyers.
Diego's commitment to continuous improvement is evident in his exploration of fermentation techniques, ensuring a thorough understanding of market demands while prioritizing quality. His relentless pursuit of excellence and love for the craft has yielded remarkable results, and he strives to surprise customers with outstanding coffee each harvest.
Cultivation
To further expand and diversify their coffee offerings, Diego recently initiated a new project focused on cultivating new varieties on the farm: Yellow Obatá, San Isidro and Catigua. By experimenting with different coffee varieties, he aims to meet evolving market preferences while maintaining the farm’s unwavering commitment to excellence.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Cherry is selectively handpicked by workers and processed on the on-site micromill. Diego trains the workers to select only ripe, red cherry and prioritizes visual handpicking to ensure only the perfectly ripe cherry is processed. Cherry is placed in bags and fermented in an anaerobic environment for 12 hours. Following fermentation, cherry is laid on patios to dry. Cherry is raked frequently to ensure even during. It takes 3 to 4 weeks for cherry to dry.
Coffee in Costa Rica
Thanks to tireless innovations, the sheer number of coffee varieties, extensive technical knowledge and attention to coffee production, Costa Rica is one of the most advanced coffee producing countries in Central America.
The climatic conditions in the country also play a role in the high quality of coffee produced. There are eight coffee regions: Guanacaste, West Valley, Turrialba, Valle Central (Central Valley), Tres Rios, Brunca, Orosi, and Tarrazú, a specific part of Valle Central.
Costa Rica has also become a world leader in traceability and sustainability in coffee production. Ninety percent of the country’s 50,000 coffee farmers are smallholders, and today, many deliver their cherry to boutique micro-mills that often process cherries according to producer specs to retain single-lot or single-farm qualities.
The rise of micro-mill processing, in itself, is a relatively recent development. Prior to the early 2000s it was common for smaller producers to deliver their cherry to cooperative-owned mills. As lucrative specialty markets developed, more and more farmers began establishing mills on their own farms, giving them increased control over processing and more assurance of the ‘traceability story’ so important to the growing market segment. Mills with excess capacity would then offer their services to neighboring farmers, offering a range of processing methods for small lots along with full traceability for roasters and importers. The system has enabled Costa Rica’s small to mid-sized coffee farmers to offer a wide range of differentiated products. Today, specialty lots from Costa Rica are almost as likely to bear the name of the micro-mill where they were processed as that of the producing farm.
The typically uncertain and dry weather patterns in Costa Rica make coffee farming more difficult. Long dry seasons and unpredictable weather patterns have virtually eliminated the possibility of organic farming. Nonetheless, both the government and farmers have taken active steps to protect the environment. Some of these restrictions also inform the processing methods for which Costa Rican coffee has become known.