arango

183 | El Mirador

Producer
Edy Martinez
Description
Chocolate, cola, grapes, molasses,
Process
Honey – Sun dried
Varietals
Castillo F4
Region
Nariño
Elevation
1,850 meters
Position
Spot
Warehouse
Continental, New Jersey
Edy and her husband, Erney, have worked together with coffee for over 20 years. Despite growing up on a coffee farm, Edy points out that she learned to grow and produce coffee with her husband. She explains that, as a female, the focus was on learning household chores rather than about coffee and farming.

As they raised their three children at El Mirador, Edy and Erney were sure to teach them about all aspects of the farm. They considered it equally important to the education the children received in school. Edy is proud that El Mirador provided the income need to raise a family and hopes that her children want to continue growing and producing coffee in the future.

 

02 | El Porvenir

Producer
Lucido Diaz
Description
Sweet, butter, nougat, floral
Process
Washed
Varietals
Pink bourbon
Region
Nariño
Elevation
1,750 meters
Position
Spot
Warehouse
Continental, New Jersey
Lucido grew up in Putumayo, a state in the south of Colombia. He has always worked as a farmer and started growing coffee once he settled in La Union, Nariño, Colombia. He considers this a lifetime commitment and prides himself in his work.
We have been working with Lucido for 6 years now. When we started buying coffee from him in 2018, he had Castillo and Colombia varietals. In 2019, Lucido decided to completely replant his farm with 3,000 trees of the varietal Pink Bourbon. This risky undertaking left him without any coffee production for three years while the new trees grew. In 2022, we had the first harvest of his new varietal and it was worth the wait. Not only did the coffee taste great, but Lucido said that pink bourbon is holding better than the previous varietals regarding climate change and new disease that are affecting the coffee trees.

65 | La Primavera

Producer
Lizardo Montoya
Description
Floral, brown sugar, molasses, green tea
Process
Washed
Varietals
Chiroso
Region
Antioquia
Elevation
2,000 meters
Position
Under contract
Warehouse
Continental, New Jersey
Lizardo lives with his wife Luz Dary at La Primavera. They have been working with coffee for about 11 years and currently have trees of the Chiroso varietal at the farm. Chiroso is a relatively new varietal which is endemic to the region of Urrao, Antioquia, Colombia. A natural mutation of old-growth caturra, the beans are larger and have an oblong shape.

As this varietal gains recognition from importers and roasters, Lizardo is excited about the opportunity to grow relationships that will lead to sustainable prices. With a more predictable income, he would be able to budget for upgrades to the drying facilities at La Primavera. Even at 56 years of age, he is always looking for ways to improve. 

07 | El Naranjo

Producer
Evelio Bados
Description
Grapes, brown sugar, molasses, chocolate,
Process
Washed
Varietals
Castillo, Colombia
Region
Nariño
Elevation
1,900 meters
Position
Spot
Warehouse
Continental, New Jersey
El Naranjo began over 38 years ago as just a vision. Evelio invested in an untouched lot and worked very hard to clear the land and eventually plant coffee. He was working double duty during this time as he was also employed at other farms in order to provide for his family. After watching his dream come to fruition, Evelio hopes that his children will continue his legacy and produce coffee at El Naranjo in the future. For this reason, he continues to look for opportunities that will allow for sustainability and improved quality of life. It is important to him that his children and El Naranjo are successful for generations to come.

200 | Cedral

Producer
Various
Description
Chocolate, caramel, dry fruit
Process
Washed
Varietals
Castillo, Colombia
Region
Nariño
Elevation
1,800 to 1,900 meters
Position
Spot
Warehouse
Continental, New Jersey
We selected a group of coffees that are balanced, sweet, and smooth for this lot. Located in the Nariño region of Colombia, these farms have a similar altitude and microclimate. This allows for a consistent profile. Our goal with the Cedral blend is to appeal to customers that are looking for a sweet and balanced coffee with mild acidity. This coffee check all the boxes.

158 | Guamera

Producer
Alcides Guzman
Description
Bakers chocolate, brown sugar, honey, dry fruit
Process
Washed
Varietals
Colombia, Castillo
Region
Antioquia
Elevation
1,700 meters
Position
Spot
Warehouse
Continental, New Jersey
Alcides has been working with coffee for 15 years, gradually increasing the production of La Gamera from a few trees to the 12,000 trees he currently has planted. He is careful to monitor the age of the trees and prune them every seven years. This management style allowed him to have very good yields as there are always trees producing. In adition to this meticulous tree management, Alcides believes reinvesting in the farm and its facilities is crucial to providing superior coffee. He diligently maintains his wet beneficio and drying facilities so that the cherries can be processed correctly and efficiently.
Despite La Guamera’s location in Ituango – Antioquia (an area fraught with conflict between illegal groups), Alcides and his wife are optimistic for the future. They believe their dedication to coffee will allow them to provide their daughter with more options as she grows older.

33 | El Mango

Producer
Gilberto Giraldo
Description
Balanced, sugar cane, dry fruit, chocolate
Process
Washed
Varietals
Colombia, Castillo
Region
Antioquia
Elevation
1,800 meters
Position
Spot
Warehouse
Continental, New Jersey
Like other farms in the area, Gilberto and El Mango have experienced a couple of challenging years. The extended dry season a year ago diminished the production yield considerably. On top of that, the resurgence of activity among armed illegal groups in the region led to multiple displacements from the farm, including once during the harvest last year.

While these obstacles proved difficult to overcome, Gilberto took them in stride and is still planning for the upcoming years. He has new varietals that will be maturing soon and is excited to experiment with different processing methods (something he had intended to do this year). His unwavering commitment to El Mango is evident and we are equally committed to riding out the ups and downs with him.

11 | Campo Alegre

Producer
Martin Tapias
Description
Sweet, cocoa powder, sugar cane
Process
Washed
Varietals
Castillo, Colombia
Region
Antioquia
Elevation
1,800 meters
Position
Spot
Warehouse
Continental, New Jersey
Martin lives at Campo Alegre with his wife Gladys and their children. Martin has 16,000 coffee trees planted in the 8 hectares that conform Campo Alegre. Martin takes great pride in the management of the farm. He is always making an effort to improve his coffee farm business. Upon visiting, it is evident that he has invested in a superior wet mill and quality marquesinas (drying beds), for wash processing and drying. Certain that his attention to every detail translates to a great cup of coffee.
 

84 | La Soledad

Producer
Ivan Montoya
Description
Floral, lemongrass, maple syrup
Process
Washed
Varietals
Chiroso
Region
Antioquia
Elevation
2,050 meters
Position
Spot
Warehouse
Continental, New Jersey
A native of Urrao, Antioquia, Ivan began his coffee endeavors after inheriting a piece of land from his grandparents called La Soledad. Over the last 14 years, Ivan has developed about 3,000 Chiroso trees and credits the elevation of the farm, over 2,000 meters above sea level, as the secret ingredient to the high quality coffee he produces. In addition, the fertile soil allows for diversification as he also produces avocados and naranjilla.

Ivan is certainly proud of the coffee he produces, but he is even more humbled that it allows him to provide for his aging grandparents. 

105 | El Chocho

Producer
Andres Gomez
Description
Molasses, grape, Maple syrup
Process
Washed
Varietals
Castillo, Colombia
Region
Nariño
Elevation
1,950 meters
Position
Under contract
Warehouse
Continental, New Jersey
Andres inherited El Chocho from his father when he was 26 years old and has plans for expansion. With 4,000 trees of the Castillo and Colombia varietals already, Andres is planning on planting 4,000 more trees of Colombia varietal. 

As he continues to develop the farm, Andres would like improve his drying facilities and we hope to help him accomplish this goal (and many more) through the relationship we are building.