About This Coffee
Pedro Nel Trujillo has been farming coffee for over 50 years. Born to a family of passionate coffee growers, Pedro Nel learned much of what he knows from his father, also named Pedro Nel.
The current Pedro Nel purchased Finca Rio Chiquito in the last 1980s. His two other plots, Finca El Jardin and Finca San Isidro are now cultivated by his daughter, Raquel. These two farms sit at lower altitudes and were some of the first in his region to be struck by CLR and CBB in the 2010s.
Cultivation
Pedro Nell has long battled with coffee leaf rust (CLR) and coffee berry borer (CBB). The higher altitudes of Finca Rio Chiquito help create the cooler weather that’s less hospitable to these diseases. He’s also planted more CLR-resistant varieties like Castillo and Colombia.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Pedro and his family selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and process it on the farm. Cherry is pulped and fermented for 36 hours. Following fermentation, parchment is washed in clean water and laid on marquesinas to dry. Parchment is raked frequently to ensure even drying. It takes approximately 28 days for parchment to dry.
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.