75 | La Arboleda

Spot Continental NJ

Producer
Alberto Montoya		Description
Sweet, honey, lemongrass, green tea
Process
Washed, sun-dried		Varietals
Chiroso
Region
Antioquia		Elevation
2,050 meters
Position
Spot		Warehouse
Continental, New Jersey
Alberto grew up in the Urrao region and has many memories of working on coffee plantations. He eventually saved up enough money to purchase La Arboleda and began growing his own coffee. This proved to be a good investment as it is still home to Alberto and his wife of thirty-two years, Maria.
Aside from coffee,  Alberto is also the president of the Junta de Accion Comunal in the region.

As a leader, he is always trying to improve the livelihood of the community through development and projects such as roads and bridges. He wants all the families in his community to have access to opportunities and believes direct trade (near and far) can help everyone succeed.
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02 | El Porvenir

Spot Continental NJ

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.

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191 | Brisas del Mayo

Under Contract

Producer
Froilan Muñoz		Description
Velvety, berries, floral, maple syrup
Process
Washed		Varietals
Pink Bourbon
Region
Nariño		Elevation
2,100 meters
Position
Under contract		Warehouse
Continental, New Jersey
Froilan learned about growing coffee from his father, but initially did not think it was a viable crop at Brisas del Mayo due to the high elevation. At 2,100 meters above sea level, the climate was generally considered too cold for coffee. Eventually, he decided to take a gamble and plant some trees.

While he will admit that there are extra challenges, Florian has successfully established his coffee crop at Brisas del Mayo. The property is now producing coffees of the Pink Bourbon, Gesha, and Castillo varietals. One benefit to the cooler weather is that pests and diseases that typically infest coffee plants also prefer the warmer, more humid climates. Due to the elevation, Frolian is able to grow more delicate varietals known for their cup quality with less risk of disease. The cooler weather also provides for a slower maturation of the beans, which gives the flavors more time to develop.

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65 | La Primavera

Under Contract

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. 
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07 | El Naranjo

Spot Continental NJ

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.
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200 | Cedral

Spot Continental NJ

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.
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158 | Guamera

Spot Continental NJ

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.
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33 | El Mango

Spot Continental NJ

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.
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11 | Campo Alegre

Spot Continental NJ

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.
 
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84 | La Soledad

Spot Continental NJ

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. 
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