Colombia
Nariño
Alexis Jojoa
La María
Colombia
Washed
May–June
Apricot, Caramel, Nougat, Citrus
1900 meters
N/A
70 kg w/ GrainPro
EU - Hamburg, Germany - Schwarze
Owned by second-generation coffee producer Alexis Jojoa, La Maria farm is located in the Consaca municipality of Nariño, Colombia. The farm includes 20 total hectares, of which 15 are planted with coffee including Caturra, Castillo, Colombia, and Catimor varieties. Coffee is harvested manually with the land weeded and fertilized twice per year, all through the assistance of the local community.
The Consaca municipality has a sunny climate, which benefits the coffee, plantain, yucca, lemon, and avocado grown at La Maria. The crops also benefit from the farm’s proximity to the Galeras Volcano, which helps provide good soil for cultivation.
This lot of Colombia variety coffee underwent Washed processing. Cherries are only harvested once they reach an intense red color on the trees. Harvested cherries are then floated and sorted prior to being depulped. Pulped coffee is fermented in airtight tanks filled with water. Throughout the fermentation process, sugar content, pH level, and temperature are monitored regularly. Coffee is fermented here for 168 hours before finally being fully washed and dried in the sun for 15–22 days.
Nariño is one of Colombia’s 32 Departments. It shares a southern border with Ecuador and is home to thousands of smallholder coffee producing families. Colombia’s three ranges of Andean mountains converge in Nariño, presenting ideal altitudes and fertile soil for high grown Arabica production.
Nariño’s particular geography and proximity to coastal and land borders have historically transformed it into a corridor for illicit trade routes, resulting in unwarranted violence against residents of remote mountain farms. Today, thanks to the particularly resilient and fearless spirit of Nariño’s farmers, the small region is a respected nucleus of coffee innovation.
