Nomad Colombia / Washed

This lot of coffee was produced by 15 women producers from the region of Huila, Colombia, members of Asobombo. They are certified organic and are dedicated to producing high quality specialty coffees through careful cultivation and processing.

They continue to invest with the profits from their coffees to improve their farms and processing infrastructure and are always looking to learn new processing techniques to improve overall quality.

In Pitalito, farms tend to be a bit larger than in other regions of Colombia. Most farms here are between 3 and 5 hectares, compared to 1 to 3 hectares in other regions.

Most of the families living in Pitalito today migrated from Nariño in the 19th and 20th centuries. Nariño used to be much more densely populated than Huila, but many people migrated to Pitalito in search of fertile and affordable land.

In addition to coffee, many farmers in Pitalito also grow sugar cane. Asobombo helped community members build mills where farmers can process sugarcane into panela, a typical raw sugarcane product that is common in rural Colombia.

Process

The women who contribute to this lot and their families selectively pick ripe red cherries and process them on their farms. They pulp the cherries in small hand-crank pulpers and ferment them in tanks for 12 to 36 hours. After fermentation, the parchment is washed with clean water and left to dry on parabolic beds, canopies or patios. They rake the parchment frequently to ensure uniform drying.