El Recreo Alirio Rodriguez Caturra Anaerobic Natural

Alirio Rodriguez has been producing coffee for more than 30 years. He’s a third-generation coffee producer and, at the age of 15, he bought his farm, Finca El Recreo. Today, he is focused on achieving high coffee quality and sustainable prices. He is joined by two of his adult children who work with him on the farm.

Alirio transitioned to specialty coffee in 2018. He made the switch because of the low prices of commercial coffee and the desire to improve and expand his coffee production.

One of the biggest challenges Alirio faces is climate change and its affect on flowering and harvest. He’s also struggling with the high costs of inputs. As he strives to improve coffee quality, he’s planning to invest in a large mechanical dryer that would make drying more consistent and controllable.

Once ripe, red cherry is harvested, Alirio ferments cherry anaerobically in sealed plastic bags for 100 to 120 hours. Then, he removes cherry and lays it on raised beds to dry. Cherry is raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 15 to 20 days for cherry to dry.

The Huila region is one of the most well-known coffee growing areas of Colombia. The Department of Huila has a population of 1.125 million and is located in the southwest of the country. The capital of the department is Neiva, a city of about 380,000.  

Along with Cauca and Nariño, Huila is one the three departments where the Colombian Massif is located. A massif is a group of mountain ranges and the Colombian Massif, which is known locally as Nudo de Almaguer, provides up to 70% of safe drinking and agricultural water for the Colombian population. 

The Magdalena River, Colombia’s largest river, runs through the region, providing plenty of water for coffee farming and generating (directly and indirectly) up to 86% of Colombia's GDP. The mountain range also features the fertile volcanic soil so typical to the Andean Mountains.