COLOMBIA - TOLIMA (MEDIUM)

Grower 379 smallholder farmers organized around the Cooperativa Multiactiva de Asociaciones Agropecuarias del Tolima (MULTICOOP) Altitude 1500 – 1850 masl Variety Castillo, Colombia Soil Clay minerals Region Planadas, Rio Blanco, and Chaparral, Tolima, Colombia Process Fully washed and dried in the sun Harvest October - December Regional details For many years Tolima has remained hidden in plain sight between other well-known coffee growing regions because armed conflict and coca leaf production isolated small coffee producers and exposed them to high rates of violence. As conflict has subsided in recent years, locally organized associations have taken the lead in creating market access for producer’s coffee. Sourcing details This traceable blend with a vibrant regional profile comes from an association called Cooperativa Multiactiva de Asociaciones Agropecuarias del Tolima (Multicoop), which has 379 producers with small farms in the municipalities of Planadas, Rioblanco and Chaparral. Each producer has their own micro-mill where they carefully harvest cherries, depulp, ferment, wash and gently dry the parchment on raised beds. Their impeccable farm management and post-harvest practices culminate into a clean and consistent blend. But there are also just enough differences from farm to farm to create a rich complexity of flavors. The Exporter An export company called Mastercol provides crucial logistical support for things like warehousing and milling coffee for export to the international market, which provides better income for everyone to reinvest in their farms and strengthen their families’ livelihoods.