Sandra Milena Guaca
Like many of the farmers we work with, Sandra is from a traditional coffee farming family. Sandra has been farming for 12 years and is a very quiet, shy mother of two, with her older son (16 years old) gradually taking over from his parents. The farm is three hectares in size and is spread over rolling hills with incredible views.
Sandra says “everything we do is done responsibly and with a lot of love.”
COUNTRY
Colombia
LOCATION
Saladoblanco, Huila
FARM
El Cedro
ALTITUDE
1660 m
SIZE OF THE FARM
3 Ha
COFFEE VARIETIES
Colombia, Caturra, Bourbon Rosado, Geisha
ABOUT THE FARM
El Cedro Farm is a third generation coffee farm. The farm is very far from the inhabited part of the settlement, where even in good conditions the access to the farm is difficult. Without a proper off-road vehicle, you don’t stand a chance. But the view and the conditions for growing coffee are all the better. The Guaco family say they have very fertile soil. Their small farm is gradually being repaired and improved. The farm uses more traditional coffee processing methods and the whole family takes care of the farm. Sandra’s elder son is gradually taking over the farm and is trying to make sure that his parents are already growing good quality coffee and not the traditional commodity coffee.
Colombia (CO-22-044)
We’ve been monitoring Sandra and her coffee for quite some time. This is our third crop together. The lot is of the Colombia variety, which Sandra processed using the traditional washed method. After harvesting, the ripe cherries were thoroughly sorted in water tanks. After fermentation, approximately 12 hours, the coffee was washed and dried in the sun on the roof of the farm with rails for 15 days. This is a great coffee with notes of Cascara and milk chocolate with a subtle strawberry filling.
Pink Bourbon (LOT CO-22-045)
Pink Bourbon is a hybrid between Red and Yellow Bourbon and is known for its pink color. To preserve the pink fruit, farmers should isolate the trees from others. This lot of bourbon was processed in the classic washed method. After harvesting the ripe cherries, Sandra sorted the coffee in tanks, then left them there to ferment for 12 hours. The cherries were then peeled in a water mill and the beans dried on the roof of the farm. Drying takes about 15 days. This lot tastes of blood orange, pomelo, herbs and Student Seal.
