Libio Santander Parreño Nariño FW

Libio Ivan Santander Parreño comes from a coffee producing family. Today, he cultivates coffee at Finca La Rabija in Samaniego, Nariño. His farm sits at 1,900 meters above sea level.

After selective handpicking, Libio pulped cherry and leaves it to ferment for 12 hours overnight. The following morning, he washes parchment in clean water and lays it in thin layers on his patio. Libio 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.