Taking into account the human history and effort that brought this coffee into being, to say it’s come an incredibly long way is absolutely an understatement. We’re so grateful we were able to meet Petrona and Jaime (it very nearly didn’t happen), pay them a good price for the coffee, and share this delight with you.

Petrona Morales Mendez and her husband Jaime Ramirez Luis have worked on coffee farms since they were children, both following in the footsteps of their parents. Working tirelessly for others for low wages for their teenage years and into their twenties, the couple saved up enough money to buy a small 22 cuerdas (= 1.25 hectare) plot together (this was about 30 years ago). Petrona also later inherited a 5-cuerdas plot and Jaime a 12-cuerdas plot. Of their four children, three have emigrated to the “greener pastures” of the United States and the remaining child also works as a coffee producer. 

The lot we are proud to present here is combined from the couples three plots, a mix of the traditional varieties caturra and borbon. We purchased 700 pounds of parchment, translating to 207kg of green coffee ready to roast. 

What contributes to this coffee tasting so good? 

Of course Canoguitas has excellent altitude and a microclimate ideal for growing quality coffee, but it’s mainly Petrona and Jaime doggedly doing the simple-but-hard things well and consistently. Fertilising judiciously, caring for good shade trees that fix nitrogen in the soil and cool temperatures in the day and reduce coolness at night, picking cherries when they are optimally ripe, fermenting and drying carefully, good storage of the dry coffee before it’s taken to the delivery point. (This is naming many but not all of the factors of course).

Pricing transparency: We paid Petrona and Jaime Q2185 per quintal (100 pounds of dried parchment), approximately 25% above the going price for non-varietal coffees during this year’s harvest