About This Coffee
The Vargas Bastos family owns Don Sabino farming and milling operations. Don Sabino is named for owner Steven Vargas Bastos’ grandfather, Sabino. Steven, a 4th-generation coffee producer, is the head of operations and works closely with his father, Gilberth, and his sister, Ana Maria.
The Vargas Bastos has been cultivating coffee in the region for over 80 years. They expanded to processing and milling in 2012 and produce some very exciting Natural lots, including this Obata Natural. Obata is chosen for its high productivity and high resistance to coffee leaf rust. The mill is right next to the home where Steven and Gilberth live, allowing them to oversee operations at all times and ensure a close attention to detail.
Cultivation
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Cherry is selectively handpicked and delivered to the on-farm wet mill at Hacienda Sonora (also owned by the Vargas Bastos family). Ripe, red cherry is selected and laid on raised beds to dry. Cherry is raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 17 days for cherry to dry. Dried cherry is stored at the farm for 2 to 3 months on average before being transported to the dry mill and prepared for export.
About Obata
Obata is a cross between Timor and Villa Sarchi developed by the Instituto Agronomico (IAC) in Campinas, Brazil. The variety was released in Brazil in 2000. Obata was then introduced to Costa Rica in 2014 by the Costa Rican Coffee Institute (ICAFE). The variety is prized for its high productivity and high resistance to coffee leaf rust.
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.