Los Volcanitos - Washed

Pictures shown of Cafetos de Segovia, the producer

Los Volcancitos farm is named after its location in an area known as Los Volcancitos. Owned by Mario Gomez since 2000 through purchase, the farm is situated in the Los Arados community, Los Volcancitos sector of Mosonte, Nueva Segovia. It spans 3 hectares with an average yield of 10 quintals of coffee per hectare. The farm sits at an altitude of 1750 meters and cultivates Caturra, Red Catuaí, Yellow Catuaí, and Maracaturra varieties on sandy loam soils. The harvest season extends from January to April. Los Volcancitos employs one permanent worker and hires twelve additional workers during the harvest and processing periods.

The Los Volcancitos lot is cultivated at altitudes between 1600 and 1650 meters on a 3-hectare plot. The farm uses eco-friendly practices, providing shade with forest species, fruit trees, and bananas. Low-intensity pesticides (green labels), natural fertilizers, and synthetic fertilizers are utilized. Regular pruning and shade management improve plant health, and only ripe cherries are manually harvested.

After selection, the cherries are floated and depulped, then fermented for 24 to 36 hours before being washed with clean water. The coffee is transported in plastic bags and macen sacks to the processing facility, ensuring cleanliness throughout the journey.

At the dry mill, the coffee is dried on African beds under covered structures (micro-tunnels), never touching the ground. PVC rakes are used for movement, and maintaining cleanliness. Once dried, the coffee is stored separately in designated areas within the warehouse, always in new plastic bags and macen sacks. The coffee is then rested for about a month, hulled, classified, and packed in jute sacks and Ecotact bags for export, adhering to ICO standards.

Los Volcancitos farm supports various social and environmental initiatives, promoting sustainability in all aspects. Farmers are paid based on the quality of their coffee, with a premium for well-processed parchment coffee.

The primary challenge faced by Los Volcancitos is climate change, which has increased production costs. Future plans include improving the wet processing system to enhance production efficiency and quality.