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Next Brew Box Shipment Date -> 1st May 2024 🗓
Next Brew Box Shipment Date -> 1st May 2024 🗓

COFFEE COMPOSITION

FARM

Finca La Palmita

VARIETAL

Catuai

PROCESSING

Natural

MASL

1,300 meters above sea level

OWNER

Johnny Alvarado Abarca & family

TOWN

Chirripo

REGION

Brunca

“About this Coffee

This coffee was cultivated at Finca La Palmita by Johnny Alvarado Abarca and processed
at his family’s micromill, Corazon de Jesus. The micromill was founded by the Alvarado
Fonseca family in 2015 and has made significant improvements since opening. They’ve
even placed some of their coffees in the Cup of Excellence finals. The mill processes a
range of methods including Fully washed, Natural, Honey and a variety of anaerobic
processes.


Cherry is selectively handpicked and ripe, red cherry is delivered to the Corazon de Jesus
micromill. Cherry is laid to dry on raised beds and is raked frequently to ensure even
drying. It takes approximately 10 to 20 days for cherry to dry. Once dry, cherry rests for
approximately 2 months before being dry milled and prepared for export.
Thanks to tireless innovations, the sheer number of coffee varieties, extensive technical
knowledge and attention to coffee production, Costa Rica is one of the most advanced
coffee producing countries in Central America.


The climatic conditions in the country also play a role in the high quality of coffee
produced. There are eight coffee regions: Guanacaste, West Valley, Turrialba, Valle
Central (Central Valley), Tres Rios, Brunca, Orosi, and Tarrazú, a specific part of Valle
Central.


Costa Rica has also become a world leader in traceability and sustainability in coffee
production. Ninety percent of the country’s 50,000 coffee farmers are smallholders, and
today, many deliver their cherry to boutique micro-mills that often process cherries
according to producer specs to retain single-lot or single-farm qualities.


The rise of micro-mill processing, in itself, is a relatively recent development. Prior to the
early 2000s it was common for smaller producers to deliver their cherry to cooperative owned mills. As lucrative specialty markets developed, more and more farmers began
establishing mills on their own farms, giving them increased control over processing and
more assurance of the ‘traceability story’ so important to the growing market segment.
Mills with excess capacity would then offer their services to neighboring farmers, offering a range of processing methods for small lots along with full traceability for roasters and
importers. The system has enabled Costa Rica’s small to mid-sized coffee farmers to offer a wide range of differentiated products. Today, specialty lots from Costa Rica are almost as likely to bear the name of the micro-mill where they were processed as that of the producing farm.


The typically uncertain and dry weather patterns in Costa Rica make coffee farming more
difficult. Long dry seasons and unpredictable weather patterns have virtually eliminated the possibility of organic farming. Nonetheless, both the government and farmers have taken active steps to protect the environment. Some of these restrictions also inform the
processing methods for which Costa Rican coffee has become known.

About The Farmer
The Producers



Marco Antonio Guardabaxo is not only the coffee grower at Fazenda Pinheiro, where this lot hails from, but also at Fazenda São Domingos, which is the estate from which we’ve been sourcing the base note component for our house blend, Article, for two years now. Working alongside Maria Silva with whom Marco purchased the farm in 2003 (from Ruben Pinheiro) they have been developing the farm to specialise in producing high quality coffees in an ecologically sound fashion. They undertake some remarkable practices that truly run against the grain of a lot of coffee production, especially in BrazilThe Farm & Their Approach



Around 140 hectares are planted out with coffee on Fazenda Pinheiro, which spans 390 hectares. 100 hectares are left as a dedicated nature reserve, and the couple are integrating their pig rearing business on the farm as well, creating natural fertilisers for the other crops grown. After taking over in 2003, with very little coffee being produced on the farmland, they initially planted around 10 hectares in 2007, and have since expanded this and massively developed the coffee program, including the introduction of Acaiá, Mundo Novo, Catuaí, Catucai, Obatã, Arara, Geisha, Rubi, Laurina and Pacamara cultivars.



The young coffee trees, under 6 years, and those that are over 1.5 metres in height are manually harvested, with the more regimented groupings on the flatter parts of the farm harvesting mechanically in multiple passes. Alongside coffee they grow eucalyptus, avocadoes and various citrus fruits, with pigs and cattle reared here as well. They collect rainwater and have a drip-irrigation system in place for the coffee trees to promote consistent development of the coffee cherries and more predictable ripening patterns.



Through their partnership with Ocafi the farm is working towards implementing an agro-forestry system. Through increasing our purchasing volumes of various Brazil lots with Ocafi this year we have been able to fund the planting of 90 native trees on Fazenda Pinheiro as part of their Mata Atlãntica Project. Overall they have planted 2,000 native trees last year which will maintain local flora and fauna as well as improve soil quality and promote biodiversity. The farmland is home to wild deers, coati, toucans and Seriema birds. They do not see this process as ‘reforestation’ as rather than replenishing a historically devastated area they are expanding their regional wildlife and bolstering their dedicated nature reserves.



As well as a Rainforest Alliance certification the farm is energy neutral as they produce their own energy and biogas. The animals reared on the farmland produce organic fertilisers for the coffee trees on Fazenda Pinheiro and neighbouring coffee farms. Marco and Maria have several family members involved in the work being undertaken at Fazenda Pinheiro, as well as the farm managers and their families who live on the estate. 35 additional seasonal workers are employed during harvest time.



We are feeling truly inspired and excited by the Brazilian coffees that we’re sourcing via Ocafi and excited to share them with you.