Yermy Pedraza Nariño FW

Finca La Joya is transected by a stream, over which producer Yermy Neyl Pedraza has built bamboo foot bridge. The picturesque sights don’t stop there. The farm’s drying beds sit on a patio that has an incredible view of one of the two ridgelines of the central Colombian Andes where they briefly meet in central Nariño.

The main harvest at Finca La Joya occurs in May and continues until June or July.

After selective handpicking, Yermy visually sorts cherry and then places selected cherry in clean bags to rest overnight. After 24 hours, cherry is pulped and fermented in tanks for 92 hours. Then, parchment is washed in clean water and laid in a parabolic dryer. Yermy rakes parchment frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 8 to 12 days for parchment to dry.

The Nariño department sits in the far south of Colombia. It borders Ecuador and the high Andean peaks. Its closeness to the equator enables coffee cultivation at very high altitudes. Many farms are located at heights surpassing 2,000 meters above sea level. 

While coffee growing is not traditionally seen at such high altitudes, it is possible in Nariño thanks to plenty of sunlight, dependable and frequent rainfall, and rich soils. Furthermore, the landscape helps ensure nights do not get too cold for growing cherry. The heat that accumulates in the bottom of canyons rises into the mountains at night, protecting cherry from the extreme nighttime cold that comes with such a high altitude.

There are no less than three volcanoes in the Cordillera Occidental, a branch of the Andes mountains in Colombia. These volcanoes reach altitudes as high as 4,700 meters above sea level. While volcanic activity can sometimes present hazards to life and coffee farming, the rich volcanic soil full of nutrients provides an excellent growing medium for coffee plants. The nutrients, combined with lower temperatures helps to slowly form coffee fruits and concentrate their sugars. The result is complex, sweet and acidic coffees.