About This Coffee
Growing up on his father’s coffee farm, Nuriel Guerra always dreamed of having his own farm. Today, he works the land with his wife, 2 daughters and 2 sons. Nuriel credits the family’s hard work for the high quality they produce.
Cultivation
In addition to coffee, Nuriel and his family also cultivate avocado, papaya and tomatoes.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
During the harvest season, Nuriel employs 8 workers to help with selective handpicking. Once picked, coffee is processed on the farm. Nuriel floats coffee to remove any under- or over-ripes and then pulps cherry the same day. Coffee is fermented for 12 hours, washed in clean water and dried in a parabolic dryer.
About Antioquia
Located in the Andes Mountain range, Antioquia has a wealth of microclimates. The change in microclimates is visible to naked eye by watching the roadside vegetation changing along a drive on winding mountain roads. Thanks to the humid climate and high altitudes near 2,000 meters above sea level, there’s pretty amazing and diverse coffees to be found.
Sergio Fajardo, governor of Antioquia department, is determined to prove just how remarkable Antioquia is. He launched a campaign that invests in educating people across all stratas of society. Everywhere you drive in Antioquia, you’ll see banners and stickers that proudly declare “Antioquia, la más educada.” The phrase translates directly to: “Antioquia, the most educated” and it highlights that Antioquia is the most educated department in Colombia. The focus on education in Antioquia translates into a focus on sharing knowledge that can improve coffee production and quality.
Widespread education in Antioquia directly affects coffee quality. The first phase of Fajardo’s program is focused on coffee. Coffee is the most important source of revenue for the region. The program focuses on making more traditional farmers aware of new farming practices, of more ecologically responsible methods, new varieties, and so on. The goal is to improve the general quality of the coffee produced in the region and to inspire the younger generations to follow in their parents’ footsteps.
Coffee in Colombia
Colombia has been producing and exporting coffee renowned for their full body, bright acidity and rich aftertaste, since the early 19th century.
Colombia boasts a wide range of climates and geographic conditions that produce their own unique flavors in coffee. This also means that harvest times can vary quite a bit. In fact, between all its different regions, Colombia produces fresh crop nearly all year round.
The increasing focus on the specialty industry is changing the way traders and farmers do business. It is becoming more common for farmers to isolate the highest quality beans in their lots to market separately. These higher-quality lots are often sold under specific brands or stories.
Besides its wide variety of cup profiles, Colombia has quickly expanded its certification options over the past 10 years. The most common certifications available are Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and Organic.