Costa Rica
West Valley
Enrique Carvajal
Hacienda Santa Anita
Villa Sarchí
Natural
February 2020
Brown Sugar, Orange Jam, Ginger
1400 meters
RainForest Alliance & Carbon Neutral Certification
69 kg GrainPro
SOLD OUT
Led by fifth generation producer Enrique Carvajal alongside his father, Hacienda Santa Anita is a farm with roots dating back to 1850 that is now leading the way toward a sustainable future for coffee production in Costa Rica. The estate has on-site facilities for every part of the operation from harvest through packing the jute and GrainPro bags, maintaining control over the process every step of the way. Santa Anita has traditionally focused on more traditional Washed coffees, but recently there has been an increased focused on specialty microlots like this Villa Sarchí Natural.
While Santa Anita can be characterized by its quality growing conditions–like volcanic soil, consistent humidity levels, and stable year-round temperatures–it’s the farm’s dedication to being an industry leader in sustainability that sets the operation apart. Santa Anita was the first farm to be certified Carbon Neutral in collaboration with the NAMACAFE initiative. The farm utilizes a 51 kW/h solar array which generates 85% of all electrical consumption needed for the administrative offices and mill combined. The farm also houses 5 hectares of conservation area on its grounds. Beyond just environmental sustainability, Santa Anita also has a robust social program for supporting the people who work there. The facilities for farm workers are very well maintained, with a focus on good health and living conditions for not only the hundreds of people employed by the farm, but for their immediate family as well.
Villa Sarchí is a lesser-grown variety at Santa Anita, but has proven to be very well suited to Natural processing. The variety is a natural mutation of Bourbon, originally discovered in the nearby town of Sarchí sometime during the 1950s or ’60s. Though the variety isn’t commonly grown outside of Costa Rica, it is one of the contributing parents to the more common Sarchimor family of varieties.
Processing this coffee begins with floating the cherries with fresh water for sorting. The whole cherries are then moved to the shaded drying patio where they are constantly moved to assure even and controlled drying.
The West Valley, or Valle Occidental, seems to have been created especially for coffee growing. Its altitudes of 800–1400 meters above sea level, humidity consistently near 81%, and an average temperature of 21°C are all factors that promote a plentiful, healthy crop. Valle Occidental typically experiences rain for about 160 days each year. The start of the dry season in November coincides with the beginning of the coffee harvest, which continues until February, often with a festive atmosphere during the Christmas holidays. Most local growers have small plantations and use sustainable agriculture and processing methods. All of these factors, from the climate to the producers, come together to produce Arabica beans with the balanced acidity and body for which West Valley coffee is world famous.
