About This Coffee
35 smallholder farmers in Santa Maria Ozolotepec in Oaxaca, Mexico contribute to this Fully washed lot. Their farms are about 1 to 3 hectares on average and sit at 1,100 to 1,800 meters above sea level.
These smallholders are members of the Galguera Gomez cooperative. The Galguera Gomez cooperative supports producers through trainings and efficient information distribution. In addition to courses on the coffee market, they also share up-to-date information about current market prices to help farmers make decisions on when and where to sell their coffee. The cooperative also distributes organic fertilizers and supports farmers with agronomical extension on when and how to apply it.
Cultivation
Each farm has approximately 200 to 500 shade trees on their 1 to 3 hectares. Shade trees are mostly cedar, oak, ash and pine.
In addition to coffee, farmers also cultivate bananas and maize as cash and subsistence crops.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Farmers and their families selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and process it on their farms. They pulp cherry on small, typically manual pulpers and ferment it for 36 to 40 hours. Following fermentation, parchment is washed assiduously - often up to 4 times - in clean water. Wet parchment is laid on patios to sundry. Parchment is raked frequently to ensure even drying. It typically takes about 5 to 10 days for parchment to dry.
Coffee in Mexico
Mexico is one of the largest exporters of certified Organic and Fairtrade coffees. Smallholders with less than 10 hectares compose a full 70% of Mexico’s coffee producers. Since the 1990s, producers have largely been successful at forming cooperatives that sell certified coffees and help them gain market access to garner higher prices.