Finca Carrizales
Perhaps one of the coolest aspects of coffee farms across the World is that no two are the same. Finca Carrizales, located in the mountains outside Jardin, Colombia is testament to the uniqueness between farms. Carved from the needs of a family to produce high-quality coffee and the available land with which to build a farm are two of the biggest drivers of this innovation.
We follow members of the family up the steep mountainsides to the finca.
Perhaps the third, and most impressive, is how a family demonstrates a concern and care for the land itself. We’ve seen other farms sell their pergamino to brick companies for upcycling. Others turned their waste into food for livestock.
Finca Carrizales holds a very strong commitment to the land through their organic and sustainable farming practices. From planting of key tree species in certain areas, to boosting bee population health - they have a very impressive range of organic, eco-focused priorities.
With views like this, how could you not care for the land?
After a round of cafecitos and the kids petting the local cats, Don Jaime led us down into growing areas of their farm. We enjoyed the shade of fruit trees that lended both shade and moisture to the soil.
Perhaps most interesting, is that due to their elevation, Finca Carrizales enjoys a year-round harvest. Where lower farms have typically 1 or 2 harvests per year, the elevation allows for a more balanced cycle for the farm. The elevation also proves favorable to help fight coffee rust and drought.
Samuel performs quality control as Dr. Jaime turns the coffee over in their drying beds.
After a tour of the steep hillsides and coffee plants, we watched as Don Jaime loaded buckets of freshly picked coffee cherries, and dumped them into his depulper in his beneficadero. A cast iron machine spun to life, spitting out the mucilage (pulp) from the coffee cherries.
Toward the end of the afternoon, the kids played around the finca, and the adults chatted. We sampled wine made from the coffee mucilage. We also exchanged farewells and plans to bring some of their amazing coffee back to Tennessee when we return.
