Colombia Rio Chiquito Angel Ariza

This coffee is the result of a new project that has sprung up in the La Plata Municipality of Huila, Colombia. This particular lot was purchased from Angel Ariza, in the Rio Chiquito vereda, just south of La Plata town. Rio Chiquito lies in the foothills of the Cordillera Central mountain range, the farms in this group spanning a range of 1800 meters to 2000 meters above sea level. The average farm size is about 2 hectares with less than 10,000 trees planted, Caturra being the dominant cultivar grown, with some Variedad Colombia, and Castillo mixed in. The price we pay for this coffee is very competitive for the region, due in part to demand, but also because each farmer's lot is kept separate in order to help us identify areas of quality, and pay accordingly. This means we are cupping coffee lots as large as 10 bags, all the way down to 30 kilograms (the average lot size is about 2 bags). This season, the intermediary we work with in Medellin are helping to finance the buying so that farmers are paid an initial premium up front when the coffee is delivered, and then a second payment once quality tier is determined.